March, 2024
They say the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. While that generally rings true, the whole becomes all the more greater when the contributing parts consistently complement each other.
If the modern startup is the speedboat, then the long established enterprise is surely the juggernaut. Put them together and you get the perfect fusion of agility, nimbleness, resource and industry standing. But just like creating award-worthy art or cuisine, the right conditions must be in place.
Step forward the innovation hotbed that is AD Stretch, an Avery Dennison accelerator program that develops commercial pilots with startups to solve clear business problems.
Since launching in February 2023, AD Stretch has fielded over 500 applications from more than 35 countries. This has led to dedicated pilot programs for 14 exciting startup businesses, with each receiving funding from Avery Dennison to create solutions that not only drive growth but also generate meaningful and sustainable impact. The investments combine Avery Dennison’s global materials science and digital identification expertise as a Fortune 500® company with the ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit of bold disruptors.
Showcasing a view of the future
The AD Stretch program includes Cohort Demo Days, a coming together of some of the world's most imaginative innovators. The most recent event, which took place in March 2024 at ARTIS Amsterdam Royal Zoo, brought together over 150 attendees for a day of open innovation and an inspirational display of purpose-led collaboration.
Members of the latest cohort include:
BeFC
The startup’s paper biofuel cells use enzymes to convert glucose and oxygen into electricity - a sustainable alternative to traditional miniature batteries. The expertise of Avery Dennison, combined with BeFC's printable and flexible bio-batteries, will empower the next generation of environmental, logistics and medical devices, as well as health wearables.
Puro Renewables
Collaborating with Avery Dennison is part of the company’s mission to eliminate the long-term impact of plastic waste. Puro Renewables transforms plastic product manufacturing by utilizing carbon-negative, bio-renewable bio-waste materials. This helps major manufacturers and brands create desirable products while reducing reliance on fossil fuels and decreasing their carbon footprint.
Moree
With a reported 12 million tonnes of plastic pouring into our oceans each year, Moree offers food brands flexible, reusable packaging for dry food. A big part of the company’s success is its platform that tracks packaging, rewards customers for their returns, and provides valuable data on plastic, carbon and cost savings. Through its work with Avery Dennison, Moree is helping brands take a big step towards zero waste, while encouraging more sustainable lifestyles.
Peafowls Plasmonics
The startup’s light-harvesting cell can invisibly power any conductive surface, including transparent ones, revolutionizing electronic devices. With their expertise in plasmonics, nanomaterials and solar capture, Peafowls Plasmonics joins Avery Dennison on a journey towards sustainable energy.
Stemly
A pioneer in automated forecasting and optimizing supply chain, finance and sustainability decisions. Through its AI-powered platform and diverse dataset management, Stemly delivers fast implementation and accurate forecasts, enabling executives to make better and more interconnected decisions across the company.
Avery Dennison’s work with Stemly is a glowing example of a win-win situation.
Sanjay Saini, CEO of Stemly, says: ”Through meticulous analysis and innovative methodologies, we have achieved a substantial increase in forecast accuracy, bolstering it to an impressive 94%. In addition to elevating our forecasting precision, we have equipped Avery Dennison with the strategic foresight needed to thrive in today's dynamic industrial landscape. In turn, the support of Avery Dennison has enabled us to pioneer analytics solutions and set a new benchmark for excellence in the field.”
Steve Flannery, SVP & GM Materials Group EMENA at Avery Dennison, adds: “The AD Stretch program is the enabler and support system for a vibrant community who share a passion for driving change. With the right financial support and connections, some of the world's best people and ideas can reach their full potential for doing good and making the world a better place. Working with future thinking, disruptive startups who truly believe in a circular business model is at the heart of the AD Stretch program. The success of those companies is key to delivering a more responsible and sustainable business world.”
Contact adstretch@averydennison.com to discover more about the AD Stretch program.
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