growPack: from plants, to people, to plants.

Materials and business models are not integrated to our ecosystem. We are ingesting 5g of microplastics per week, with unknown long-term consequences for our health. Plastic and paper come from centralized value-chains with chemical processes and highly inefficient resource sourcing, transference and disposal.

At growPack we study and generate new technologies and knowledge around the most abundant raw materials on the planet to integrate them competitively into the market with a positive environmental impact. 

We’ve created a ????? ??? ?????? ?????????? ??????????? that has a wide field of application and further development. Our first products are single-use items for the gastronomic industry. 

We propose an industry-wide rearrangement: a carbon neutral, integrated flow of materials. Moving towards a decentralized production network that leverages on local agricultural refuse, high social and capital value added near-sourcing, saving inefficient resource transference and competitive selling prices, thus accelerating mass scale bio-material adoption in LAC. 

Earth is getting saturated by plastic, with unknown long term but evident health consequences for all of us. This shows a systemic problem that lies in the core of the traditional packaging industry: materials and business models are not integrated to the ecosystem. 

This industry is based on a highly centralized production that leverages on massive resource extraction.  Either oil for manufacturing virgin plastics, or trees and other commoditized raw materials for paper. 

These raw materials are then treated chemically in a subtractive logic in order to manufacture inputs for other processors, bringing a lot of inefficient resource transference and an extremely high environmental footprint and carbon unbalance. 

A huge negative synergy is created by expanding commercial agriculture, which generated almost 70% of deforestation in LAC between 2000-2010 and accounts for 50% GHG emissions. 

All these facts show that the problem is not just the materials and their final deposition; but the whole value-chain of modern activities has not grown to inherently sustain life on the long term.

Decoupling fossil sources, creating carbon-capture centered industries without expanding the agricultural frontiers and effective resource allocation is therefore a global priority, not only to reduce material footprint, but to achieve SDGs.

Our raw material - corn husk - is an agricultural refuse outside any important value chain, huge availability, low competition and geographically nucleated in several LAC countries. Discarded maize biomass in LAC is many times not only a cost for the producers but also a heavy environmental burden. In many cases it is burnt on-field, accounting for 63.1% of GHG emissions caused by crop-burning in LAC. By creating strategic alliances with producers we create social & environmental value from sourcing onwards, promoting local labour and long-term win-win agreements.

Clients looking for sustainable alternatives many times struggle against un-competitive costs. Today we position ourselves below all other proposals of materials and 20% above plastic, which makes our next scale phase directly competitive to PET, thus democratizing the access to sustainability in the region. 

End-user engagement & Upcycling through alliencies are a key part of our interaction on the next phase of our business. Where single-use is unavoidable we will incentive and engage our client's users with rewards for separate recollection of compostables and aim for reducing material footprint by returning these to local producers. Our goal: an integrated flow of materials.

Cellulose and lignin are the two main components in every plant. These are the two most abundant organic compounds on earth, and as such, our mission is to source them as efficiently as we can. We study their natural functionality and enhance them in a lot of different ways. In plants, cellulose gives growth and flexibility, while ligning acts as the cement. 

We’ve created a novel and highly functional compostable ligocelulosic biocompostie that has a wide field of application and further development. It’s food safe, resists microwave, oven, freezer and waterproof for up to 36 hours. Very similar to card-box, but more rigid, with greater functionality and hybrid properties to plastic, which creates a high prospect of market diversification. Our first products are single-use items for the gastronomic industry. 

The developed technology and biomaterial have an international patent pending. It's a 100% mechanical process, which means no chemical intervention over the raw materials. 

No chemicals = no effluents = highly downscalable and efficient technology. 

This pulls production costs to the lowest and translates into a minimum environmental footprint. 

Innovating on a raw material and a minimum intervention over it, translated into a wide-scope rearrangement in the paper and plastic industry business model: satelized production, leveraged on local agricultural refuse and optimizing logistic routes near the clients.

The need for repurposing crops and agroindustrial by-products which are out of any important value-chain in the region is a huge opportunity for applying this technology and developing turnkey on-farm solutions of high social and capital intensive value added in origin, not only using corn-husk but with several biomass sources.

We've assembled a highly-skilled technical team which includes top experts on the paper and cellulose industry and biotechnology. These makes a highly agile innovation-driven platform of R&D and applied technology towards expanding  sourcing, service and material science. (nanotechnology, biomaterial enhancement and diversification). 

A new way of thinking bio-materials:

• Directly competitive to PET products and other replaceable materials & products at low-scales.

• Highly modular + scalable technology.

• Downsizable, on-farm turnkey solutions.

• Minimum environmental footprint.

• No chemical cooking – no effluents.

• Diversified end-markets & applications. (FMCG, cardbox and fiber enhancement, agtech, a.o.) 

• Integrated production - salvaging inefficient resource transference. 

• Alternate sourcing, highly available biomass refuse.

The traditional packaging industry is based on massive resource extraction (being oil for plastics, or trees and other commoditized raw materials for paper). As virgin plastic is ruled out, global demand for paper is thriving. 

Plastic has its obvious disadvantages, while paper is manufactured chemically from trees and many times does not comply functionally or cost wise.

There are similar compostable products on the market that are manufactured with virgin+commoditized raw materials - sugarcane for example - through big-scale chemical processes of high environmental and economic cost, which makes them uncompetitive and with questionable manufacturing at various levels. 

Innovating on a raw material and combining it with our proprietary technology translated into an innovation in the traditional paper and plastic industry business model and a novel approach to a regenerative value-chain. The primary entry barrier to the industry is the intensive capital investment required. Therefore moving from a commodity-based centralized production to a decentralized network by implementation of highly efficient on-farm downscale solutions, leveraged on local agricultural refuse and optimizing logistic routes near the clients is definitely a big opportunity to make systematic changes on the flow of materials and their interactions while mitigating several negative externalities of the packaging industry. 

TOC suggests a straightforward correlation between competitive selling prices and massive-scale adoption of biomaterials. When combined with our solution this immediately builds a positive feedback loop:

• Our RM are a refuse. We create social and environmental value in origin by partnering through different incentive schemes with producers and collectors. In Venado Tuerto, Santa Fe, 70kTn of it is generated yearly. In LAC total available solution (TAS) is  ~600.000Tn corn husk discarded, burnt or fermented (potential to synergize with local alternate-energy industries)=30 Billion salad-bowls each year. Double proposed-crops address the unobserved consequence of increasing paper demand as plastic is ruled out.

• Minimum intervention processes. Translate directly into competitive selling prices. Direct interaction with clients of different sizes (FMCGs, delivery apps, restaurants and government entities). Letters of intent of key strategic early adopters that have regional presence. 

gP was born on April 2018. Validated technologies at a lab scale, pilot scale and now preparing for our commercial lunch in July by setting up a demo-scale plant located near strategic agro and tech partners in Vinhedo, Brasil.

Last June we received the #plasticchallenge mention by UNDP and top 5 on the MIT 100K for Latam.

Addresing price as a primary entry-barrier, w/a systemic and holistic approach to a large-scale and industry-wide rearrangement, improved resource transference and asset relocation, competitive biomaterials and technologies as ours can tap several leverage points, catalyze regional biomaterials adoption, composting activities and above all, a more integrated and sustainable relationship with our environment. 

1. So far our main focus has been on R&D, process validation and strategic partnerships generation. We’ve created a stakeholder-centered business model and are now ready for next scaling phase, which will make our products readily available.

2. 2020: capacity will serve 300.000 products per month from July (Take-away boxes & salad bowls). Leveraged on strategic alliances with local producers and partners, we will pilot communication to end users, engaging them through our client’s PoC in different ways and reinforcing our value proposal. Thus creating 300.000 monthly contacts.

3. +5 years: total available corn-husk in LAC ~600.000Tn=30 Billion salad-bowls each year. By capturing and integrating 1% of JUST husk we can make 300 Million compostable single-use items. By forming strategic alliances with 1. FMCG 2.Ecommerce (growing 19% CAGR in next 5 yrs) 3.Take-away platforms(growing at 17% CAGR in next 5yrs) to provide high value added compostable solutions for lignocellulosic based packaging materials. Operation in LAC can serve 94.6 million e-commerce users in Brazil or aim to the 246 million market that food delivery platforms are expanding into. 

Applying circular economy services and horizontal diversification focused on recapturing resources, alternate sourcing, strategic key alliances with stakeholders and NGOs; scaling our solution through satelized production can directly impact LAC population’s material footprint, GHG emission and regional economies development along with other several key leverage points for the region; while mitigating several negative externalities inherent to plastic, thus having both direct and indirect impact on served populations across our whole value-chain.

We think our impact in three main key-activities:

- (#CREATE) Environmental : Our raw material is ag-refuse which in many cases is burnt on-field, thus creating carbon-capture on origin. Initial phase prototyping and development has required ~5Tn of recaptured corn husk. By creating highly-efficient process and lean supply chains, we have a very light footprint, especially compared to any other process and value-chain in the packaging industry. This way we can easily account for our LCA from the start of our operations and continuously work on improving it, along with material footprint performance of all the impacted population. By leveraging on a highly innovation-driven culture and structure, new applied technologies and local ag-refuse we aim for a complete traceability of biomaterial flow and a carbon positive supply chain.

- #TRANSFORM (Social) Though focus has been on the technical and material development in the last 2 years, the continuous improvement of health, safety, security, and general well-being of individuals and communities across our whole value-chain is very important. We identify a big potential on creating social & capital intensive new industries in rural biomass generation epicenters. Stakeholder mapping track KPIs from sourcing (farmer income, sustainable procurement, ao) to end-users (interaction on social platforms indicate behavioural change).Our demo-scale plant in 2020 will create 5 direct jobs and we are elaborating the company’s governance social indicators in the statue.

-#CONNECT (Economical) direct economic impact on producers and clients, since sustainability practices act as a strong marketing tool while not sacrificing aesthetics, costs nor functionality.  

Currently rising seed round. Our goal for the next six months is to set up our own pilot plant (Vinhedo, Brasil, SP) and lunch to market our molded products. Certifying food safe and biodegradability (all regulatory requirements considered during R&D). Meanwhile, a minimum CapEx investment close to strategic technology partners and high human capital, allows us to reduce the learning curve and operational risks to a minimum. After this initial period we will achieve this goals:

• Commercial validation with strategic clients.

• Turnkey project status, minimal operational and technological risks, capable of rapid escalation thanks to its modular and replicable nature.

Towards 2021 we aim to recapitalize the company. This will not only expand the production capacity of the demo plant, but rather follow a regional expansion strategy with a massive consumption scale plant and a platform type decentralized model focusing on areas of maize production (and other biomass identified sources), IP development through strategic partners and commercial links, leveraged by discarded local ag-refuse and co-participation models with producers, R&D and technological application, expansion of biomaterial application, portfolio and diversification towards synergistic business units.  

We strongly believe that in 5 years we can achieve a totally carbon-neutral packaging supply chain on our end in order to focus on recapturing schemes partnerships on the 2nd phase of the business. If we are able to capture 5% of corn husk generated in LAC means 30.000Tn of plastic effectively being avoided from circulation.

Operational: raw material sourcing, classification & stocking (seasonal), inefficient logistics, production capacity is directly tied to capex intensive investment.

Financial: first barrier is successfully founding our seed round. After this, we need to achieve break-even on a very low scale while selling to highly competitive prices. Long pay days from multinational clients can represent working capital risks.

Legal: national, international regulations and certificates. We will encounter heavy bureaucratic processes while expanding into new markets and applications.

Technical: although all technology is validated, being a novel process we are unable to outsource production in order to achieve our commercial lunch. At demo-scale, batch process in the beginning can sacrifice productivity. 

Cultural: on the short term, the founding team is moving to a new country (from Argentina to Brazil) in order to set up the first demo plant near key partners. This can definitively be a cultural challenge.  

Market: packaging is a commodity-based market (On the production side) with highly established distribution structures and business models leveraged on very high capital intensive structures. While molded products are a good fit for fresh food industry and take-away platforms, other applications rely on the client having to modify aspects of their packaging supply-chain. 

Operational: partnering with producers and seeking long-term win-win agreements that enable us to provide an effective refuse management strategy and added value for them. We unravel logistic inefficiencies by producing bales and stocking on-field. Capex intensive activities are carried out through strategic partnerships, while expansion plans include developing IP and licensing technologies to raw material producers and industrial production partners. 

Financial: building a balanced cap table, with interests across the whole value-chain, mainly agro business and technology in seed round. We would be greatly catalyzed by institutional funding. 

Legal: Biomaterial & technology have patent pending and will deploy a national-phase patenting strategy on the next months. Food contact and biodegradability certificates pre-market lunch. We have experienced legal consultants both in Brazil and Argentina. 

Technical: highly technical team with 70+ yrs accumulated experience in the start-up, R&D of paper and cellulose technology, which means operational risk has been diminished to the min. for next phase. From batch processes to continuous line production and automated parts can greatly increase productivity. Later along the line collaborative-platform based supply-chain and impact reporting, leveraged on mobile processing plants and solutions.

Cultural:  incorporating local partners of high value and a functioning industrial structure on our target location.

Market; Molded products are a basic PoC for our biomaterial and will enable us to advance into more complex uses. While communicating value proposal aimed at strong brand-building. Partnering with clients in collaborative ways can accelerate the biomaterial adoption. Leveraging on existing distributors. 

Global traditional packaging market (cardboard and plastic) is valued at US$850B (around 50% paper&pulp, 50% plastic). Increasing demand for new materials makes the bio-packaging segment grow at a 17% CAGR.

Our early adopters are fresh-food restaurants and take-away platforms, a market serving  240M people in LATAM.

While maize crop refuse provides an excellent sourcing case of study and will be the first focus, we already have identified additional raw materials in the lab.

There is ~600.000Tn of Corn Husk generated in LAC = 30 Billion salad-bowls each year. By capturing 1% of JUST husk we would avoid 300 Million non-compostable single use items.

Once we achieve commercial validation after 2020, exploring new sourcing and applications with this turnkey-project towards a bio-material production network will be the main strategy. 

New social and capital intensive industries that develop rural population, salvaging inefficient resource and carbon transference that provide both low and high income nearby populations with sustainable single-use alternatives. 

This can be directly leveraged by a high market growth on each of the projected applications and increasing regulations that rule out single use plastic items, therefore developing strong commercial alliances with 1. FMCG (amplifying biomaterial liquid/gas barriers, synergic complements with biopolymers), 2. ecommerce (cardbox enhancement, bumpers) 3. Delivery platforms (single use, take away) can be a great way to accelerate mass-scale adoption of a compostable affordable and highly functional solution on LAC. 

Full-time: 2

Part-time:4

Contractors & consultants: 

Legal: 4

Strategy & finance:2

We are currently formalizing our partnership with 2 key strategic engineers that were involved in the technological development and will be active in the start-up of our demo plant and further R&D activities. 

• Sean Tenorio(Co-Founder)COO

Involved in family rural activity since childhood. I had two projects of my own: one for organizing events with Exequiel and another for logistics and distribution of pet food. From the US, I study veterinary at USAL. I worked at HICKIES in charge of the supply-chain and customer experience area. I’m characterized by the efficiency and speed with which I carry out my ideas: the engine of growPack

• Exequiel Bunge (Co-Founder)CMO

Passionate about science and engineering since childhood, I graduated from St. George’s College and studied Industrial Engineering for 3 years, before turning to my creative side. I study a degree in Cinematographic Music. I have music production company, in charge of the technical area, logistics and management of international artists. I stand out for my ease of learning and vocation for working with a clear purpose: the creative soul of growPack.

• Marcelo Novaresi (R&DHead)

Chemical Engineer with specialization in Technology Management and Innovation in Pulp and Paper.

• Ana Zajd- R&D, Bio-Engineer - working with Marcelo in the lab on material-science and applications. 

• Juan G. Alzaga- Image & Design

• Lucía Bartolomé- Communication

Advisory Board

Pablo De Notta- formerGM Red Bull Argentina

Currently seeking to formalize further advisory board.

Strategic partnership with top experts in the paper industry with vast experience in industrial technology. They are our Brazilian strategic partners who will be actively involved in the start-up of our demo plant in order to reduce operational and technological risks to the minimum.

City of Buenos Aires Government - part of the incubation program IncuBAte

UNPD + PROESUS (Secretary of Environment & Sustainable Development) - Received #PlasticChallenge mention

National Ministry of Production - received the first Impact Fund by UNPD.

INTI - National Institute of Industrial Technology - The institution has been a key strategic partner since the beginning. Marcelo is Deputy Director of the Paper and Cellulose Institute and we actively use their pilot plant for our R&D.

Accelerator 100+ program by ABinBev Brasil

1st phase

We generate alliencies & co-participation schemes with corn-seed producers. Classify and stock for the rest of the year on field and manufacture just-in-time on our production plant. We sell B2B to clients, the main input of revenue.

2nd phase

• Innovation-driven R&D platform of biomaterial applied science. 

• Technology licencing & turnkey solutions implementation

• Composting services

Currently ongoing Seed Investment fund with strategic investors in the value-chain.  

Our B2B sales of molded products will sustain further growth and activities such as using biomaterial as an input for other processors and technology licencing.

Potential synergies with other biomaterials, application markets, alternate sourcing and R&D activities for horizontal diversification. 

Applying mobile interaction with end-users with live-impact monitoring and reporting can open data driven markets. 

On farm solutions can create regional new economies and attract rural investment.

The first step into the extraordinary systematic challenge to rethink plastics is the same someone with a flooding room should take: close the tap. We strongly believe our solution can accelerate the necessary shift from plastic to bio-based while being a tool of positive social value creation across it’s value-chain. 

After a busy year in which we validated technology, processes and clients are waiting for a larger production, we recently formed a very important alliance with our partners in Brazil to set up a pilot plant with minimum capex near them in order to diminish initial operational risks to the maximum. The team we’ve assembled has the technical, creative and social skills in order to act as a tipping point that turns sustainability into the new standard for business. 

It's time for the next big step, we therefore believe that the timing for the challenge is unbeatable. Being backed by IDB could mean substantially reducing financial initial risks by enabling our pilot implementation. 

Prize money aside, we are much interested in local connections, alliances and mentorship in Brazil in order to alleviate the cultural barriers we will be facing in the short term. 

On the long run, we see IDB+potential partnerships as excellent catalysts for enabling and accelerating our purpose. By expanding our network towards rural epicenters of biomass generation we can generate new social and capital intensive industries while focusing on providing sustainable alternatives to low-income populations where plastic usage and incorrect disposal is highest.

We understand partnerships can be very beneficial across our whole value-chain. 

Once pilot is concluded, organizations such as FAO can help us identify and position our solution near refuse (not only maize) generating epicenters, accelerating development of regional economies and new investment in rural areas. Also help in measuring carbon capture and developing long-term agreements with farmers and producers. 

Partners with science and technology based activities such as LCA, material applied science, testing, certification & regulations (food contact, biodegradability, general legal advice), specially in Brazil on the short term. 

Sustainability consultants and NGOs that focus on plastic responsibility, composting and related, in order to assist us on impact measurement and assessment, due diligence, stakeholder mapping and mentorship.  

Once scale production is in place, providing single-use items (when unavoidable) to marginated & low-income populations or public places a.o. that use great amounts of plastic.  

Clients & commercial partnerships with companies that can foster our biomaterial and accelerate scalaling, specially in Brazil (São Paulo) on the short term.