Sweden-based Aira, a clean energy technology company, announced that it has secured SEK 1B (€86M) in funding from a group of investors to help Europe transition from gas and speed up the journey toward energy independence.

Altor, Collaborative Fund, Creades, Kinnevik, and Lingotto are among some of the investors in Aira’s mission. 

“We are delighted to welcome our new investors, who all have a track record of scaling impact companies. Our investors join us on our mission to drive the green transition and to take Europe off gas,” says Martin Lewerth, CEO of Aira Group.

Airs says the fresh capital will be used to expand its fully integrated platform across Europe and improve its services to customers.

“The funding secured is a key milestone on our journey to serve five million European households with clean energy-tech solutions. With this investment, we will further expand our European presence and accelerate our product and tech development to become a leading direct-to-consumer brand,” Lewerth adds.

Transforming European home heating

Europe currently relies on about 130 million fossil fuel-based boilers to heat homes, contributing to 10 per cent of Europe’s CO₂ emissions. A shift towards air-source heat pumps presents a significant opportunity to reduce household heating costs and carbon emissions.

Aira provides an accessible and innovative solution that accelerates the electrification of residential heating through intelligent clean energy technology. The company says that with Aira, European consumers have a dependable source for comprehensive home energy-saving solutions using intelligent heat pumps.

This technology enables households to save up to 40 per cent on heating expenses while reducing CO₂ emissions by more than 75 per cent. 

Aira’s consumer services are already available in Italy and Germany, with plans to launch in the UK later this year.

The company is also planning to expand in Italy and Germany to create 10,000 new clean energy jobs and serve five million homes over the next ten years. It will introduce a budget-friendly monthly payment plan for easier access to energy solutions.

In addition, Aira will diversify its tech portfolio, incorporating solar energy, dynamic energy tariffs, and smart heat pumps. Research and technological advancements will simplify the customer experience for energy optimisation. 

To meet increasing demand, the company will expand its manufacturing capabilities in Poland.

What the investors say

Commenting on the clean energy initiative, Georgi Ganev, CEO of Kinnevik, says, “At Kinnevik, we continue to focus on our generation’s biggest challenge – climate change. Residential heating stands for around 10 per cent of the CO₂ footprint, and we believe that Europe is at the start of a major transformation towards green energy.”

“We strongly believe in Aira’s vision to connect the full value chain, which allows for stronger margins and a harmonised consumer experience. Bold visions require great execution, and Martin Lewerth and the team have the right combination of experienced leadership and expertise across the critical functions,” he adds. 

Andrew Montgomery, partner at Collaborative Fund, says, “Our strategy is to invest in businesses that can generate the highest possible financial returns and have the largest climate impact – and we are constantly reviewing initiatives from entrepreneurs, startups, and large corporations.”

“We are excited about Aira’s bold ambitions for clean energy tech for every home, as residential heating is a prioritised sector from an abatement perspective. We’re also thrilled to be investing in a Swedish company helping to export the Nordics’ leadership in heat pump adoption, innovation, and design,” adds Montgomery.

Norwegian-Portuguese tech innovator Nortech AI announced that it has secured  €2.5M in a seed round of funding from Indico Capital Partners and Earlybird-X.

With the funding, Nortech AI seeks to push the maritime industry’s transition from reactive to proactive use of data, catalysing a new era of cost savings and environmental conservation through reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

The AI company discovered its niche as the maritime industry began addressing the lack of connected information systems and the waste of resources in recent years.

Embracing a smarter maritime industry

The maritime industry has been one of the most consumptive industries in the world in terms of fuel consumption. It used approximately 202.5 million metric tons of fuel of differing types in 2020, including heavy and light fuel oil, diesel/gas oil, and liquefied natural gas (LNG).

As the maritime industry begins shifting to light fuel oil, the need for advanced AI technology to track the fuel’s usage becomes increasingly in demand. 

Dubbed “maritime informatics”, the industry recognises a need for IT-powered collaboration that enhances operations, satisfies the client’s demands for transparency, and addresses societal concerns.

Popular uses of AI in the maritime industry include optimising navigation and routes, estimating fuel consumption with higher accuracy, maintaining equipment and vessels, and procuring real-time information on port density and traffic.

Michael Schmitt, a partner at Earlybird-X, says, “Industrial IoT is a critical conduit for streamlined, intelligent, and sustainable operations. Nortech AI simplifies the digitalisation journey, empowering industries to become more data-driven without hassle.”

Utilising AI for shipping operations

Nortech AI uses a plug-and-play solution to offer remote commissioning and capture and use industrial IoT data to its clients. 

Vessels and their respective businesses can speed up their digital initiatives to make real-time decisions and enhance their operations. The solution works by scalable data models – built with live operational data and simulation data – where templates developed from successful proofs-of-concept can be contextualised and reused to solve many use cases with the same model.

When using Nortech AI’s services, clients from the shipping industry can track their vessels’ hull and propeller performance, slip, carbon intensity index, trim, and fuel performance levels.

Ultimately, the startup aims to interconnect various industrial needs from data analytics to process automation. Nortech AI will also expand the use of its platform and products in other industries thanks to the assistance from its latest funding round.

Stephan Morais, managing general partner at Indico Capital Partners, says, “The maritime industry is ripe for the implementation of software that helps it become more sustainable.”

“Nortech’s software is fast to integrate with existing systems onboard and therefore allows ships’ operations to become more sustainable immediately. We are proud to be supporting this transition of the global maritime industry with our Blue Fund.”

Malmö-based Your.Rentals, a platform for short-term rental management, announced that it has secured fresh funding from Estonian VC firm Trind Ventures.

Following the recent crowdfunding on Seedrs, the Sweden-based startup has now secured a total of €2.7M in growth finance this year.

Andrew Martyn, CEO and Co-founder of Your.Rentals, says, “We are extremely excited to partner with Trind Ventures. Their expertise and track record in scaling disruptive technology companies make them the perfect partner to help us take our business to the next level.”

Brief about Trind Ventures

Based in Tallinn, Trind Ventures is a seed-stage venture fund with a focus on startups featuring consumer or community elements.

The firm collaborates with companies displaying strong potential and emphasising their dedication to promoting innovation and growth in the startup ecosystem.

Kimmo Irpola, Partner at Trind Ventures, says, “Your.Rentals has established itself as a leading player in the short-term rental industry. We believe in their inspiring leadership, community-driven approach, and strategic growth model. We are confident that this partnership will drive the company’s growth and success.”

Trind Ventures’ investment in Your.Rentals aligns with their strategy to build a resilient community-focused network in key European industries.

What does Your.Rentals offer?

Founded in 2016, Your.Rentals is a platform that provides a comprehensive solution for private and small business short-term rental property managers by handling marketing, bookings, operations, and payments in one convenient platform.

In 2023, Your.Rentals introduced new financial solutions, including Advanced Payouts for non-refundable bookings and revenue-backed loans for eligible owners or property managers.

These solutions have enhanced financial flexibility and support for their clients since the summer of 2023, claims the company.

Martyn says, “The Your.Rentals’ platform includes payments processing as a service, allowing us to empower short-term rental managers with greater financial stability to thrive regardless of seasonality.”

Your.Rentals has also strengthened its position in the industry through strategic partnerships, expanding its Channel Manager to include platforms like Plum Guide and Check24. 

Additionally, the company has also been selected as an exclusive partner for Booking.com’s Request To Book pilot campaign. Your.Rentals mentions that these collaborations enhance the company’s industry leadership, allowing its customers to reach a wider audience and increase their bookings.

Capital utilisation

Your.Rentals says it will use the funds to expand its market presence and enhance product development, aiming to better assist short-term rental owners and property managers.

Martyn adds, “We are developing the simplest “true all-in-one” solution for property managers and hosts, enabling them to manage their business from a single log-in. Our platform eliminates the need for APIs and coding and is built around our connections to 30+ OTA channels.”

The company is also set to launch a new mobile application for both iOS and Android platforms, enhancing accessibility and convenience for its users.

“Numerous customers have expressed their longing for a mobile app that enables seamless management of bookings and guest communications while on the move. Our mobile app will simplify renting for them,” says Martyn.

Munich-based FarmInsect, an insect technology company,  announced on Monday that it has closed an oversubscribed Series A funding round at €8M. 

Oslo’s Sandwater led the Series A round with participation from Bayern Kapital’s Growth Fund, the Minderoo Foundation’s Strategic Impact Fund, and the European Innovation Council Fund.

Existing investors HTGF and UnternehmerTUM Funding for Innovators also participated in the round.

FarmInsect says it will use the funds to support the commercial scale-up of its insect farming solution and to fund further R&D work to continue improving its technology.

The agriculture sector contributes significantly to CO2 emissions, and a significant portion of these emissions comes from the production and transportation of protein-rich animal feed such as soy and fishmeal. 

Cultivating soybeans, often used in pet and livestock diets, requires a lot of land clearing, often leading to deforestation. 

Fishmeal production is also energy-intensive and puts further pressure on wild fish stocks.

Here’s where FarmInsect offers a more sustainable alternative protein source for animal feed — black soldier fly larvae. 

Thomas Kuehn, Founder and CEO of FarmInsect, says, “We are very grateful for the trust our investors have placed in us. Together, we will pursue our ambitious goal to make insects the go-to protein source ahead of soy and fishmeal in the EU. In this next stage, we plan to intensify our R&D activities to expand and further improve the current breeding lines decisively.”  

FarmInsect: Sustainable alternative protein source for animal feed

In contrast to most insect farming companies that build megafactories, FarmInsect aims to decentralise production and empower farmers by utilising stranded energy and onsite feedstocks.

The company has developed an end-to-end solution, enabling customers to construct modular insect farms onsite at their facilities. 

The company fattens seed larvae with regional waste materials such as peels or harvest residues, and sends weekly shipments to customers. Within a week, the larvae grow over 250 times their body weight.

This circular system produces high-quality, protein-rich feed produced directly on the farm more cheaply, with lower CO2 emissions and independently of global supply chains.

FarmInsect allows farmers to reach feed cost savings of up to 30 per cent. Each step in the process is monitored by a proprietary software platform that guides the customer through production step by step. 

The investor

Sandwater supports companies that lead the way globally in driving positive climate impact and improving our health systems.

Sandwater typically invests in European companies at Late Seed to Series A and has made 12 investments from the current fund. 

Sandwater focuses on four verticals of Resource Efficiency, Energy Transition, Impact Enablers, and Health as a thematic investor with a strong impact mandate.

Morten E. Iversen, Partner at Sandwater, says, “We’ve recognised insects’ commercial and environmental potential for a long time. However, we struggle with the existing business model, which involves substantial capital investment and has proven difficult to scale. We were missing a commercially available, low-capex solution capable of driving meaningful volumes, and FarmInsect offers just that. We strongly believe in the founders’ ability to scale FarmInsect and accelerate the transition from CO2-intensive protein sources.”   

Berlin-based Lillian Care, a healthcare technology company founded by experienced entrepreneurs in the German healthcare industry, announced that it has secured €2.4M in a pre-seed round of funding.

The company also plans to raise an additional €2.4M at the seed stage, with total funding commitments of €5M. 

The company says the funds will be utilised to address the shortage of general practitioners and provide primary care services in underserved areas.

Investors supporting Lillian Care

The investment was led by Barcelona-based Nina Capital, a specialised VC firm based in Europe that invests in startups at the intersection of healthcare and technology. The firm supports founders committed to advancing healthcare through innovative tech solutions.

The round also saw participation from Aescuvest, Caesar Ventures, OHA BTG, Calmstorm, and individual investors like Björn von Siemens, Wieland Sommer, Inga Bergen, and Fredrik Debong.

Marc Subirats, General Partner at Nina Capital, says, “The Lillian Care model represents a disruptive innovation that aims to involve nurses in the management of chronic and elderly patients, initially focusing on rural areas and small cities, but with the potential for broader application within the healthcare system.”

“Such models are increasingly recognised as essential for ensuring the long-term sustainability of healthcare systems. Lillian’s adaptation to the German situation is the best we have seen to provide close-to-home general practice services for an increasingly underserved and ageing society,” adds Subirats.

Building innovative healthcare facilities nationwide

Founded in 2023 by Linus Drop, Dr. Florian Fuhrmann and Markus Liesmann, Lillian Care claims to be tackling Germany’s doctor shortage by establishing hybrid medical practices nationwide. 

Lillian Care takes inspiration from Lillian Wald, the founder of American community care. With her hands-on and problem-solving approach, she had a great influence on the development of healthcare.

Ulrich Weigeldt, chairman of the Family Physicians Association, says, “The Lillian Care concept can inspire young physicians to work as essential primary care physicians in underserved regions because they are relieved of administrative tasks, work from home on a daily basis and teamwork characterises the collaboration.”

Lillian Care’s platform empowers nurses to be the first point of contact for outpatients, handling 60 per cent of treatments with digital supervision from doctors. This approach allows physicians to concentrate on complex cases. 

The platform utilises data-driven processes, ensuring high-quality care and reintroducing local healthcare to underserved areas where practices have closed. In addition to improving healthcare access, Lillian Care also enhances working conditions for medical staff.

Capital utilisation

Lillian Care says it will use the funds to expand its hybrid medical practices network. With a goal to become a market leader by 2030, the company aims to enhance patient, nurse, and physician satisfaction while establishing value-based care contracts with health insurers.

This funding is crucial as around 4,000 primary care physicians’ offices are currently vacant and studies predict 11,000 more will be unfilled by 2035, exacerbating Germany’s physician shortage crisis.

Lillian Care’s innovative care model aligns with new initiatives introduced by regulators and health insurance providers, creating favourable conditions for its success.

Linus Drop, founder and CEO of Lillian Care, says, “We are building a network of hybrid primary care practices supported by a comprehensive technology stack that enables fast setup, streamlined workflows for interdisciplinary care teams and telemedicine treatments.”

“In Germany, the shortage of primary care physicians is a concern, especially in rural areas. To ensure medical care, we offer physicians and nurses an innovative care model that takes into account the needs of modern professional care teams and takes inspiration from the lessons learned by healthcare systems internationally,” adds Drop.

Chester, England-based Bikmo, a cycle and e-mobility insurance company, announced on Wednesday, October 18, that it has secured £3.4M (approximately €3.9M) Series A extension round led by Puma Private Equity. 

The company says it will utilise the funds to expand its operation into additional European markets and offer support to international partners.

The European Parliament, recognising the growing importance of cycling, has declared 2024 as the ‘Year of Cycling’ to double the distance covered by cyclists by 2030. 

The adoption of e-bikes is also on the rise, with UK electric bike sales having surged by over 40 per cent in 2020. 

Furthermore, e-bike sales accounted for 50 per cent of all bike sales in Germany in 2022. 

Bikmo has capitalised on this trend, with 40 per cent of its new policyholders opting for e-bike coverage. 

Louise Towers, CFO of Bikmo, says, “We’re delighted to close this round and onboard Puma Private Equity as we accelerate growth in the UK and Europe, continuing to increase our footprint and capitalise on the increasing opportunities in the wider bike and mobility sectors. Working with a company aligned with our values combined with their depth of experience in international growth across a wide range of technology-enabled sectors is a perfect match for Bikmo.”

Bikmo: Protecting the world’s riders

Founded in 2014, Bikmo is a cycle insurer with a mission to protect the world’s riders.

The company provides a range of insurance products designed to protect various types of cyclists, from road cyclists and triathletes to daily commuters. 

They offer coverage for both individual and commercial risks, including partnerships with brands like Deliveroo, along with additional services such as legal protection and breakdown assistance.

Additionally, the company has also built a core platform of microservices, an API ecosystem, and data insights that enable Bikmo to move fast across territories, products, and verticals.

The recent development of its API technology allows Bikmo to offer embedded insurance solutions, which can be integrated into other products or services easily.

This approach enhances the customer experience and boosts conversion rates, claims the company. 

Bikmo has already successfully implemented its first fully embedded insurance solution in collaboration with BuyCycle in Germany and is currently focused on integrating similar solutions with new and relevant partners.

The B Corp-certified specialist insurer protects over 75,000 riders in the UK, Ireland, Germany, and Austria, and is currently focusing on expanding into other European markets and supporting multinational partners.

The investor

Puma Private Equity is a provider of growth capital to small and medium-sized UK businesses across all sectors and regions.

The company delivers investments between £2M to £10M, partnering with management teams to accelerate their growth and help businesses throughout the country achieve their potential.

Since its inception, Puma Investments has raised more than £490M in capital. 

Kelvin Reader, Investment Director at Puma Private Equity, says, “We are excited to be backing Bikmo at this significant stage in their growth journey. They are ideally placed as one of the UK’s largest specialist bike insurers to capitalise on the e-bike movement and the increasing number of people opting to use bikes as a mode of transport.”

“We are also thrilled to back another company in the North West, our first deal since we set up a Manchester office to expand our presence in the North with Investment Director, Mark Lyons and recruit Emily Bourne. We are well placed to support the next generation of exceptional scale-up businesses emerging from the region,” adds Reader. 

Almere, The Netherlands-based Static Entertainment wins the first Startup & Scale-up Hero Journey Award 2023.

The award, presented by Alderman Maaike Veeningen, marks the culmination of an intensive programme involving eight startups from Almere.

Throughout the programme, these startups were tasked with aligning their business models with one of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

Brief about Startup & Scale-up Hero Journey Award

The Startup & Scale-up Hero Journey programme, created by UPALMERE!, supports startups and scale-ups in Almere, the Netherlands. It focuses on promoting impact, growth and innovation, underscoring the vital role startups play in the city’s economy and society.

UPALMERE! is a programme of the municipality of Almere that aims to bring the public and private sectors together to promote innovative power in the city.

Participants benefit from workshops, inspiration sessions, and pitching training, along with guidance from business mentors provided by UPALMERE!

Brief about Static Entertainment

During the finals of the Startup Hero Journey Award 2023, eight startups competed with their pitches. Static Entertainment emerged as the clear winner, recognised for its commitment to promoting professionalism, innovation, technology, quality, and genuine interaction.

The jury, comprising Marie-Jeaninne Citroen from Rijksdienst voor Ondernemers, Yeni Joseph from The Next Web, and Joey Moreau from Startupbootcamp, evaluated the startups based on growth, impact, innovation, and scalability.

Static Entertainment not only received the award but also a €1,000 voucher to internationalise their operations. The startup was established in 2010 by dancers Randy Bel and Suzanne Gorter. 

Static Entertainment creates positive atmospheres in schools and companies through dance. 

Originally a passion, dancing transformed into their company, aiming to teach life lessons, culture and humour to people of all ages. The founders’ experience in dance and education allows them to connect with and inspire diverse audiences.

The other seven Almere startups

Jimploy

Founded by Hong Li, Jimploy is an online recruitment platform that utilises artificial intelligence, machine learning, and smart algorithms to automatically match jobseekers with suitable jobs around the clock. 

The platform ensures privacy for candidates, withholding personal information such as origin, age and sex until later stages, promoting a fairer selection process. Employers are connected with candidates based on specific skills, enhancing efficiency and confidentiality in the hiring process.

Linq2

Managed by owner Bastiaan Verhoeven, Linq2 is a project by Almere-based IT company IJssoft. It is an IoT-enabled platform that claims to offer precise weather data for agriculture and various sectors. 

The platform integrates historical data, AI-generated forecasts, and real-time information to provide a comprehensive weather overview.

Cotit

Cotit, a data startup, offers a business intelligence platform that enhances supply chain transparency by visualising product life cycles. Its modular system integrates various traceability tools, making processes visible and traceable. 

Cotit’s 360° solution automates daily activities, provides clear insights into supply chains, and understands product usage behaviour, enabling personalised customer targeting. 

Founded by Anthony Syams and Fabion Barromeo, the startup is actively fundraising between €1.5M and €2M.

Budget2Pay

Budget2Pay, founded by Sami Loukile, is a digital ecosystem connector focused on creating global social impact. Its mission involves empowering businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, by fostering strategic collaborations, joint sourcing and sales activities, and leveraging the global network. 

The company’s initial project involves delivering groceries from local vendors to citizens in Almere.

Wereldbeleving (World Experience)

Wereldbeleving offers immersive virtual reality experiences that bring places to life. The startup creates VR videos for diverse sectors, such as the wedding industry, promotional campaigns, and enhancing the well-being of the elderly through VR experiences. 

Founded by Elise Nederveen and Justin Brouwer, Wereldbeleving is dedicated to delivering breathtaking virtual reality content across different industries.

I Am Lou

Founded by Karima el Bakkali, I am Lou offers a range of healthy nut spreads, including unique flavours like Moroccan amlou and baklava. Prepared directly from their kitchen in their flat, these spreads reflect a deep commitment to nutrition and quality. 

The brand aims to introduce the world to its mouth-watering creations, inviting customers to indulge in delectable spreads that will leave them ‘licking their fingers’.

Sciggi

Smart-home startup Sciggi, founded by Mayank Shah, claims to revolutionise home security with an innovative approach. Its vision focuses on developing an advanced alarm system built on collaboration, aiming to create safer neighbourhoods and deter burglaries through cooperative efforts. 

With a strong technical background, Shah is currently in search of a co-founder to help bring his vision to fruition.

Stockholm-based Ankra, a cloud infrastructure automation platform, announced that it has raised €1.1M in a pre-seed funding round led by UK-based B2B investor Superseed, alongside industry-leading angel investors.

Ankra says it will use fresh capital for the development of its platform to accommodate a waitlist of clients and the company’s growing operations in the UK market.

The cloud infrastructure company automates cloud infrastructure setup and maintenance in a compliant manner, allowing companies and products to go live in days compared to month-long setups. This initiative aligns with Ankra’s goals to address the challenges of maintaining cloud infrastructure for prominent institutions.

Issues plaguing cloud infrastructure

The glaring complexity of cloud infrastructure only increases as companies expand into the new digital frontier. Developers need to spend hours to maintain the system from system crashes, service slowdowns, and data losses.

Ankra discovered many instances of this issue when the company cooperated with Ericsson’s 5G projects, Saab’s military-grade infrastructure, Sweden’s FX banking infrastructure, and business scaling at Google. Developers are pressed into maintaining technical issues while neglecting their core programming and app development tasks.

As a result, institutions needlessly drain their resources, especially when the demand in the developer job market exceeds the available supply by ten times.

An example of this issue is the current availability of only 11,000 people in the workforce for site reliability engineering (SRE) and DevOps jobs in the US. This number is insufficient to fill 125,000 jobs in these specialties, thus reflecting the imbalance of supply and demand of available developers.

Ankra deems this issue problematic, especially in high-compliance industries such as fintech and banking that demand more timeframe and less room for bugs and progressive product iteration.

Revolutionising maintenance of cloud infrastructure

In response, Ankra’s platform changes software development teams’ methods in managing and maintaining their cloud infrastructure. The platform simplifies resource provisioning and allows developers to automatically set up resources they need anywhere and anytime, thus saving hundreds of hours.

Ankra stands out in the market as the only product supporting end-to-end setup and maintenance of a Kubernetes-based infrastructure, allowing developers to manage the entire lifecycle of their application through one single pane of glass.

By relying on Kubernetes, clients may enjoy benefits such as automated and customisable config for their teams. Without needing Terraform or Cloudformation, clients can make profiles available for their teams and import existing clusters in seconds.

The cloud infrastructure company will launch its product to selected customers, including startups and UK high-tier banks in 2024.

Mads Jensen, managing partner at SuperSeed, says, “The team at Ankra are focused on delivering what matters for customers that are deploying complex infrastructure – real productivity enhancement and cost savings. For banks and fintechs, Ankra offers excellent ROI.”

“We look forward to supporting the founders in launching into the UK market and getting commercial traction with London’s world-leading fintech companies,” adds Jensen.

Holstebro, Denmark-based Creative Force, an end-to-end creative operations workflow platform, announced that it has raised $8.9M (approximately €8.4M) in a Series A round of funding, bringing the company’s total funding to $17.9M (approximately €16.9M). 

The investment comes from the Export and Investment Fund of Denmark (EIFO) and Hearst Ventures, the global venture capital division of Hearst. 

Creative Force says it will use the funding to scale its Danish headquarters and new US office in Boston.

Elaborating on the expansion plan to Silicon Canals, Thomas Kragelund, CEO and co-founder of Creative Force, says, “Specifically, we’re targeting strategic growth in key markets like the UK, DACH, the Nordics, France and Spain. Each market presents unique opportunities, and we’re excited to deepen our collaborations with brands and retailers there.”

The company also aims to integrate generative artificial intelligence (AI) into its platform to enable retailers and brands to leverage the capabilities of AI in their creative workflows. 

What does Creative Force solve?

Historically, brands have outsourced content production to multiple vendors or struggled to handle it internally. 

The workflow to produce creative content includes everything from conducting numerous photo shoots, producing videos, scanning product sample barcodes, creating 3D models, copywriting, internal and external coordination, booking models, art direction, editorial oversight, file management, post-production, retailer or channel signoff, and more.

Here’s where Creative Forces comes into play.

Creative Force: Workflow platform for eCommerce content production 

Founded in 2019, Creative Force is a cloud-based workflow platform that helps large brands and studios create new content quickly, launch products faster, and avoid errors, manual data entry, and reshoots. 

The company claims the platform improves communication and collaboration throughout the entire content production process, maintains high quality and consistency, and increases efficiency by at least 30 per cent.  

The Creative Force platform also easily integrates with popular creative software, including Capture One, Adobe Creative Cloud, and Adobe Workfront. 

On working with European clients, Kragelund says, “Being a Danish company, we already have some great relationships with European customers, and 45 per cent of our sales are in Europe. Current customers include European retailers and brands like boohoo (UK), Debenhams (UK), OTTO (Germany), Breuninger (Germany), PVH (Netherlands), Scotch and Soda (Netherlands), J.Lindeberg (Sweden), Marc O’Polo (Sweden/Germany).” 

Creative Force handled more than 10M creative assets through its platform in the past year alone and has been quietly building its technology and working with some of the world’s biggest brands.

“We’ve been actively growing our European sales and customer success teams to support our growth and provide the best service possible to our European clients. I believe having team members in the regions we support is important. That way, our team understands the local needs and challenges (and sometimes even speaks the local language). This allows us to add genuine value for our customers,” adds Kragelund. 

What the investors say

Hearst Ventures makes strategic investments in companies operating at the intersection of media, information, and technology. It is a global investment group with offices in NYC, London, Beijing, and Tel Aviv.

The VC’s notable investments include Via Transportation, Buzzfeed, Roku, Sling Media, HootSuite, Brightcove, E Ink, Pandora, and XM Satellite Radio.

“Creative Force is poised to reshape the landscape of e-commerce content creation. The company’s goal of empowering creative teams to transition from cost centers to value-add contributors within their enterprises, amplified by AI innovation that is mindful of the rights of IP holders, promises an exciting future where brands and retailers can drive sales increases and enhance customer experiences in an increasingly digital world,” says Megumi Ikeda, managing director at Hearst Ventures. 

The Export and Investment Fund of Denmark (EIFO) provides a single point of access for Danish companies as well as for their foreign and domestic business partners who need risk-tolerant government capital

“EIFO is expanding investment to growth-stage tech companies. We have a longstanding relationship with the seasoned entrepreneurs at Creative Force, and this fuels our confidence in the company’s growth potential,” says Jacob Bratting Pedersen, partner at EIFO.

Amsterdam-based Arcola, a private equity firm, announced that it has acquired a majority stake in Straatweg Group, a Dutch manufacturer of speciality plastic components for the food, healthcare, and sustainable energy industries.

Straatweg Group has a manufacturing site in China and recently opened a new production facility in Breukelen, The Netherlands, to better serve its customers in Asia, Europe, and the US. Some of the group’s brands include Orange Plastics, Qbig Packaging, IBC Store, and Used to create New.

“The global flexible packaging industry, valued at approximately $150B (€141.7B) in 2021, is forecast to generate strong revenue growth over the coming years, primarily driven by a market shift towards more speciality packaging in the food and healthcare product segments. The Straatweg Group’s activities fit squarely within these high-growth areas,” says Benoît Lammens, founder of Arcola.

“Through the smart application of technology, selective acquisitions and by strengthening existing and building new international strategic partnerships, we believe the Straatweg Group is well-positioned to outperform the wider market’s growth trajectory,” adds Lammens.

Flexible packaging market opportunities

Flexible packaging is a modern, cost-effective way to package goods using non-rigid materials. It is popular for its versatility and ability to protect products from damage. The packaging is made from a variety of materials, including metal, plastic, and paper.

Market research reports the value of the global flexible packaging market at €235.5B ($248.9B) in 2022. The same study projects the market to reach €298.3B ($315.5B) by 2027 with a 4.8 per cent CAGR during the forecast period. 

The market growth is attributed to its versatility to be formed into various shapes and sizes, such as pouches, bags, and sachets, that the food and health industry needs. Flexible packaging films and pouches also offer excellent resistance against punctures and tears, and their seals help prevent spoilage and wastage to protect food flavour and texture.

Flexible packaging can use up to 75 per cent less energy and produce one-tenth of the amount of carbon dioxide emissions compared to metal cans. It also requires less water and energy to manufacture and can reduce food waste.

Assisting SMEs achieve robust growth

Private equity investors can find outsized opportunities in the SME sector, which is often overlooked and hard to access. By identifying niche market champions and working with strong management teams, private equity investors can help these companies achieve robust future growth and returns.

Arcola says it partners with experienced entrepreneurs in related industries to support its portfolio companies in Benelux. The entrepreneurs provide deep market insights, extensive networks, and co-investment opportunities, while Arcola gives the portfolio companies access to capital and resources.

In the Straatweg Group acquisition, Arcola partnered with entrepreneur and investor Marc van der Put, founder and former CEO of 2Connect.

“A decisive factor in our decision to partner with Arcola was the unique combination of private equity growth know-how with the proven entrepreneurial business-building expertise that co-investor Marc van der Put brings to the table. This represents a real added value for us in supporting the Straatweg Group as we continue to build our national and international market presence over the coming years,” says Straatweg Group co-owner Jaap Sondaar.