After 6 years of research and development, Bulgarian manufacturer of biodegradable packaging film LAM'ON is now offering its products on the market, the company reports. Founded by Angela Ivanova, Gergana Stancheva and Assoc. Dr. Filip Ublekov, the company aims to replace non-recyclable packaging with a biodegradable alternative made from polylactic acid obtained from corn.
What are the applications of degradable foils?
The company enters the market with four products - LAM'ON Soft Gloss, PACK'ON Classic, PACK'ON Oxygen and PACK'ON Shrink. "We are launching the brand with a warm laminate LAM'ON Soft Gloss, a packaging film for paper and cardboard. PACK'ON Classic is suitable for packaging everything from napkins to fruits and vegetables to clothes and textiles. PACK'ON Oxygen has an oxygen barrier that makes it ideal for protection from external influence by vacuuming, as well as the PACK'ON Shrink shrink film for stacks, boxes and other products that often need transport protection", says Angela Ivanova, listing the product portfolio.
All LAM'ON products are produced by a team of 9 people in a facility in Sofia. "We were lucky to find a space with the necessary height and square footage, which is also in an easily accessible location, especially due to the fact that from September onwards we plan to work 24/7 and we need to make it easier for our colleagues to commute to work," comments Ivanova.
At the end of the summer, LAM'ON plans to increase the pace of production and, accordingly, grow its team. "The goal is to be able to reach the maximum production capacity of our facilities, which is about 20 tons per week," the co-founders report.
Support from Brussels
Since its inception, LAM'ON has received financial and business support from Europe and Bulgaria alike. It participated in the green program of the European Institute of Technology EIT Climate Launchpad and later joined another EIT program - the Regional Innovation Scheme Accelerator, where it received its first financial injection in the form of a grant of 15 thousand euros.
Over the years, business angels have also become involved in the project - Sasha Bezuhanova and the co-founder of Telerik, Svetozar Georgiev, entered LAM'ON in 2020 with a total equity investment of 150 thousand euros, and later Bezuhanova invested another 75 thousand euros individually.
And at the beginning of 2022, the company received 1.28 million euros after participating in another program for start-up companies in Brussels - the EIC Accelerator, aimed at startups in the green sector. "After about 2.5 million levs in funding, workshop, raw materials, machines, patenting, certification and traveling to exhibitions, you suddenly realize how far you have come since the first grant," recalls Ivanova.
Production for Europe
The aim of the co-founders is to now position LAM'ON on the European market, and the first steps towards this goal have already been taken. "During the years of development activity, we have already established contacts with companies that have followed our development and are looking forward to us," commented the manufacturer.
"For the purpose of good forecasting of the production, we are mostly looking for customers with established volumes - large or small. As is standard for the industry, the price varies according to the request, the more you order, the more appetizing a price you get," adds Ivanova. LAM'ON products will be available at a price of 6 to 10 euros per kilogram, depending on the type of foil.
Aggressive expansion ahead
The next step is to expand the product portfolio. "We are already in the development of several recipes, but each one of them takes time. For sure, the development activity will remain part of the company in the future", comments Ivanova. LAM'ON plans the international distribution of the brand through licensing, distribution and partnerships in various markets.
After the long wait, they are betting on aggressive expansion. "At this stage we are focused on the stable positioning of the brand on the market with an eye on public funds, but also with the clear goal of aggressive growth next spring. We see that the industry is increasingly ready and the potential is great and we must not waste the moment," she concludes.
After 6 years of research and development, Bulgarian manufacturer of biodegradable packaging film LAM'ON is now offering its products on the market, the company reports. Founded by Angela Ivanova, Gergana Stancheva and Assoc. Dr. Filip Ublekov, the company aims to replace non-recyclable packaging with a biodegradable alternative made from polylactic acid obtained from corn.
