Aachen-based IonKraft GmbH, a German company that aims to make all plastic packaging recyclable and free of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), has secured €3.5M in a fresh round of funding.
The round was led by M Ventures, Merck’s strategic investment fund, along with the TechVision Fund (TVF) and support from the High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF).
Capital utilisation
IonKraft specialises in developing plasma-based barrier coatings designed to replace non-recyclable materials, supporting a circular economy in packaging. The funds will enable the company to launch its products to market and scale up production capabilities.
In a statement translated from Dutch, Benedikt Heuer, co-founder of IonKraft, says, “This financing round is a crucial step to support the market launch of our technology and expand our capacities for future growth. We are pleased to have a strong group of investors on board who share our vision of a sustainable packaging economy.”
Nils Lang, Investment Manager at HTGF, adds, “We are excited to support IonKraft in its market launch and expansion. IonKraft’s solution meets strong market demand and is aligned with the current dynamics of change. With an outstanding team and an impressive track record, IonKraft is well positioned for any future challenges.”
Plasma technology for recyclable barrier plastic packaging
Founded in 2021 by Dr. Montgomery Jaritz and Benedikt Heuer, IonKraft is advancing sustainable packaging with its plasma-based barrier coatings.
The technology, developed by Dr. Jaritz during his time at the Institute of Plastics Processing at RWTH Aachen, offers glass-like barrier properties while being chemically resistant and fully recyclable.
This solution allows manufacturers to replace millions of non-recyclable, multi-layer, or PFAS-containing packaging with eco-friendly alternatives.
IonKraft’s coatings enable the use of recycled materials for sensitive products such as food and cosmetics, aligning with its mission to eliminate PFAS and promote a circular economy.
The company is a spin-off of RWTH Aachen’s Institute of Plastics Processing, supported by funding from EXIST research transfer and the EIC Accelerator programme.
Björn Lang, partner at TVF Management, says, “IonKraft offers a market-ready technology that can be easily integrated into existing production lines and can significantly advance the circular economy in an area that has so far received little focus.”
In 2023, EU funding supported IonKraft’s creation of an industrial plant, gearing the company toward market launch. IonKraft plans to install its first coating plant at a customer site by year-end, with the first products featuring its coatings expected in 2025.
Owen Lozman, MD of M Ventures, adds, “IonKraft’s innovative coating is attractive for several reasons: It offers an alternative to PFAS, which are increasingly regulated, and to glass, which easily breaks or requires additional packaging. In addition, the coating has the potential to maximise the content of recycled materials in future plastic packaging solutions.”
The coating technology
IonKraft uses plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) to apply its coatings to plastics, a process where gaseous monomers are excited into plasma and deposited as a thin layer on the substrate.
This method, known as plasma polymerisation, enables the creation of high-density silicon oxide (SiOx) gas barrier layers, which can be applied to common plastics such as PET and PE-HD.
The resulting coatings are chemically inert, non-reactive, and extremely thin (less than 100 nm), ensuring they do not affect the mechanical recycling process of the packaging. The coatings have been certified recyclable by Recyclass, confirming their suitability for circular economy applications.
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