Material innovation startup Sulapac strengthens strategic partnership with Nissha

Nissha Co., Ltd., a technology leader in decorative molding and sustainable materials, has entered into a financial and business partnershipwith the material innovation startup Sulapac Ltd. The partnership is one of Nissha’s key activities regarding its sustainability and business strategy.

Finnish material innovation startup Sulapac Ltd. has strengthened its strategic partnership with Nissha Co., Ltd, a global technology leader whose customers include some of the world’s biggest and most valuable brands. The cooperation, which includes capital investment in Sulapac, is one of Nissha’s key activities regarding its sustainable growth strategy.

Sulapac was founded in 2016 to solve the global plastic waste crisis. The science-based startup has developed beautiful, functional, and sustainable materials with all the good qualities of conventional plastics, yet they biodegrade without leaving permanent microplastics behind. Their innovation has received several international awards and attracted a number of high-profile brands as customers.

One of Sulapac’s first trusted partners was Nissha. Their collaboration started in 2018 by co-creating high-quality jars for cosmetics, supplements, spices and dry foods. Appreciation for nature connected these companies, and both consider the transformation towards a circular economy a business opportunity. Sulapac’s biocomposite is a drop-in solution that is suitable for existing plastic machinery and mass production. It is bio-based, sustainably sourced, and designed to replace conventional plastics.

“The deepened collaboration with Nissha is essential for the future of our company and our mission to save the world from plastic waste. We have high respect for their ambition to significantly replace conventional plastic with truly sustainable alternatives and the investment they have made in the transition towards a circular economy. They are an industry leader and a game-changer that has a real impact on the world,” states Dr. Suvi Haimi, CEO and Co-founder of Sulapac.

The Industrial Materials Business of Nissha has been globally offering decorative molded products. As global interest in sustainability is growing, Nissha has started to develop and provide “ecosense molding,” molded products made from sustainable materials such as Sulapac biocomposite and pulp instead of plastic resin. With this strengthened partnership, Nissha will expand the “ecosense” product lineups.

“Sulapac’s design principle is to mimic nature. Their materials don’t release permanent microplastics and their carbon footprint is lower compared to traditional plastics made of virgin, oil-based raw materials. Importantly, the beautiful visible wooden chips and the ceramic feel make products made of Sulapac stand out. Its aesthetics is a competitive differentiator. This strengthened partnership supports our sustainability goals and business growth,” says Alex Takashiba, Director of Business Strategy Planning, Industrial Materials Business Unit at Nissha.

In 2021, Nissha’s revenue was 189,285M JPY (1,306M USD). Now, the company aims to boost its sales from 2020’s 180B JPY (1.24B USD) to 300B JPY (2B USD) whilst achieving a 30% reduction of total CO2 emissions by 2030 in view of carbon-neutral by 2050.