Knurls

Focused on commercialization of patents for additive manufactured packaging, distributed manufacturing, and distributed ledger-enabled packaging and manufacturing.

Knurls is an innovative technology company specializing in smart contract-enabled distributed manufacturing and 3D-printed packaging. The company's blockchain-powered patented processes aim to secure products, services, and supply chains. Knurls offers a comprehensive ecosystem of key products and services:

Next-gen packaging solutions for enhanced product tracking, inspection solutions and freshness monitoring

Smart Packaging Tech

Knurls is an innovative technology company specializing in smart contract-enabled distributed manufacturing and 3D-printed packaging. The company's blockchain-powered patented processes aim to secure products, services, and supply chains. Knurls offers a comprehensive ecosystem of key products and services:KnurlNetwork: This patent-pending distributed manufacturing network introduces a decentralized approach to manufacturing. It enables the creation of different items using network-attached 3D printers or other manufacturing equipment connected to the network, promoting agility in manufacturing processes.KnurlCoin: This token system is designed to incentivize equipment owners, manufacturers, designers, and IP owners to contribute their capacity, innovation, and distribution networks to a secure, distributed manufacturing marketplace.KnurlPack: Focused on 3D-printed packaging, this provides opportunities to package locally crafted or manufactured products. This approach enables customizable packaging for retail, distribution, transportation, and storage. It also provides IP licensing opportunities for products and services, implementing flexible terms for colleges, universities, and students, ensuring no upfront costs during the innovation phase, and introducing fees only upon commercialization and profitability.Key competitors: None comparable (Knurls is the only provider of packaging design and inspection we have identified that specializes in smart contract-enabled distributed manufacturing and 3D-printed packaging.)

Elementary Robotics is an AI-driven quality assurance platform for manufacturing that uses machine learning-based visual inspection to improve product quality and derive insights from real-time production quality data. Elementary Robotics's visual inspection platform comprehensively identifies and classifies defects, even those not explicitly programmed to be detected. The system leverages remote cameras coupled with Edge and cloud processing to enable manufacturers to remotely access inspection stations, securely manage and update them from anywhere, and collect data from multiple connected devices to understand defect trends and root causes. The platform's capabilities include automating traceability scans and incorporating AI, machine vision, and automation. The system also provides data, insight into operational efficiency, and ongoing support after deployment.Key customers and partnerships&nbsp;As of February 2024, its customers included leading manufacturers like Milwaukee, Yamaha, Toyota, and Rapid Robotics.&nbsp;Funding and financials&nbsp;In December 2021, the company raised USD 30 million in a Series B funding round led by Tiger Global to support customer demand and scale the company's solution globally with existing and new customers.

Elementary Robotics

Based in Israel, Velox specializes in industrial-grade Direct-to-Shape (DTS) digital decoration solutions for the mass production of cylindrical containers. The company's proprietary DTS inkjet technology utilizes adaptive deposition architecture (ADA) and variable viscosity ink (VVI) for digital printing. Its solutions include the Velox IDS Series, a line of high-speed, industrial-grade digital decorators tailored for a variety of market segments, including plastic tubes, beverage cans, and aerosol cans. In addition, Velox offers professional services to help customers maximize the benefits of their digital solution, including technical support, production monitoring, color services, and collaboration opportunities. Features of Velox solutions include creating photo-realistic images, unlimited color matching, tactile embellishment, gloss and matte embellishment, and operational agility.The company reportedly matches more than 95% of the Pantone Plus color book by handling 14 colors simultaneously. It also stated that the Velox IDS-NC series can decorate beverage cans at speeds of up to 500 containers per minute, while the Velox IDS-PT series can decorate plastic tubes at speeds of up to 250 containers per minute.Funding and financialsIn November 2018, the company raised USD 32 million in a funding round co-led by JAL Ventures and O.R.T. Technologies to accelerate Velox's go-to-market strategy, strengthen its technology leadership, and further innovate its industrial direct-to-shape digital printing solutions for the container industry.

Velox

Vytal, a German reusable packaging solutions provider, offers a packaging system for the food and beverage industry. Through the Vytal app, customers can order takeaway items in reusable containers that can be borrowed for free using QR codes. The process involves downloading the app, placing an order, borrowing the reusable containers, and returning them within 14 days. The company offers a variety of containers for all types of foods and beverages, including leak-proof and microwaveable options. It also offers a B2B solution, Vytal Events, which provides a comprehensive solution for event organizers, serving a range of events from concerts and festivals to corporate events. With a hybrid system, event organizers can customize their orders, receive direct delivery, and use a convenient rental process. Unique features include external flushing, direct delivery, and the flexibility of deposit and non-deposit options.Key customers and partnershipsAs of February 2024, Vytal served 330,000+ users and more than 6,500 partners across Europe, including restaurants and cafés such as KFC, Domino's, Wolt, and Uber Eats. Customers for its B2B solutions include <a href="https://www.handelsblatt.com/">Handelsblatt</a>, DER SPIEGEL, Lebensmittel Zeitung, and Bayerischer Rundfunk.In May 2023, Vytal partnered with SwapBox, a reusable packaging service provider, to improve sustainable food packaging solutions for the HORECA (hotel, restaurant, and café) industry in the Benelux region. In November 2023, the company entered the Budapest market in partnership with Wolt, a Finnish online food delivery platform, to provide an eco-friendly alternative for food delivery and address environmental concerns associated with single-use packaging.Funding and financialsIn March 2022, the company raised USD 10 million in a Series A funding round led by Grazia Equity to support its packaging-as-a-service model, offering premium leak-proof trays for take-out and delivery food on a pay-per-fill basis.

VYTAL

Ennoventure is an Indo-US SaaS company specializing in product tracking and counterfeit detection for brand protection and consumer experience enhancement. Its patented invisible cryptographic signatures, powered by AI and cryptography, enable brands to improve the security of their packaging without requiring any changes to the production process, special inks, or machinery. The process involves sharing artwork with Ennoventure, which then adds an invisible signature. The printed packaging can be authenticated using a smartphone, allowing quick verification.As of March 2024, the company claimed to be able to create invisible signatures for packaging in 48 hours.Key customers and partnershipsAs of February 2024, the company stated that its technology has been applied to over 10 billion packages globally.Funding and financialsIn July 2021, the company raised USD 5 million in a Series A funding round led by Fenice Investment Group to support team expansion and the company's strategic growth initiatives in Europe and the US.

Ennoventure

ScanTrust is a Switzerland-based package traceability and analytics platform that provides companies with comprehensive tools to combat counterfeiting and compliance and optimize inventory and distribution processes. Its core technology includes creating secure QR codes and landing pages without programming knowledge and facilitating customer engagement and compliance with e-labels and digital product passports (DPP). It also reportedly works with a customer's existing label printing processes and QR codes (which can be upgraded with security features). Key products and services include cost-effective anti-counterfeiting solutions that allow consumers to authenticate products using a smartphone without needing a special app. The platform also supports supply chain traceability, providing visibility into inventory and distribution processes through QR codes. Additional capabilities include authentication applications, QR code managers, EU wine-label compliance, enterprise QR codes, mobile landing page creators, and supply chain workflow applications.Key customers and partnershipsAs of February 2024, the company had more than 1 billion connected products, and its customers included Dupont, Melitta, NuSkin, Unilever, Abbott, ExxonMobil, Unilever, HP, Motul, and Zippo.In July 2021, the company partnered with ePac Flexible Packaging, a custom flexible packaging company, to offer secure and serialized QR codes printed on the packaging to provide an online gateway and connected packaging capabilities. In September 2023, Scantrust partnered with SCREEN Europe, a printing equipment provider, to combine SCREEN Europe's digital printing technology with ScanTrust's secure QR codes.Funding and financialsIn November 2017, the company raised USD 4.2 million in a Series A funding round led by SVC Ltd to expand the support and delivery of ScanTrust's supply chain projects with Global Fortune 1000 companies worldwide. It also aimed to develop new features, expand business intelligence capabilities, and fuel the company's growth into new verticals.

ScanTrust

Companies that offer computer vision systems to identify packaging errors and damages during production. Also includes companies that use 3D printing and AI-powered softwares to create packaging in all shapes and sizes.

Companies that provide solutions to improve package safety and security featuring traceability, anti-counterfeit and analytics solutions. Covers companies that  use technologies such as QR codes, radiofrequency (RF) and Near-Field Communication (NFC) tags.

Companies that sell or provide ‘as-a-service’ reusable packages  that can be used multiple times before recycling.

Packaging that can heat or chill contents when a user requires it, without external heat sources or power - typically using a chemical reaction

Platforms that connect providers of packaging solutions with customers online.

Uses AI to optimize package designs and AI-based vision systems to identify packaging errors

Offers packaging-as-a-service to promote reusing

Uses IoT to offer connected packaging solutions

Connected packaging that uses sensors, NF, and RFID tags

Offers personalized packaging solutions through direct-to-shape printing and AI-based designs

Knurls

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