Borro, the startup behind a digital deposit system for reusable cups, is expanding further into the Netherlands, Germany and France this summer. To support that growth, the company has raised €1.3 million from investors.
Over the past few years, reusable cups have become impossible to ignore at large events and stadiums. European regulation is accelerating that transition even further, while many organisers continue to look for systems that are both user-friendly and operationally viable.
Borro’s system links reusable packaging to the visitor’s bank card. Anyone returning a cup or container to a smart collection point automatically receives their deposit back. In this way, the system reduces waste and makes reuse easier for both visitors and organisers.
The company is already active at Belgian football clubs such as Club Brugge and KV Mechelen. Millions of reusable cups have already been processed through Borro’s system. That growth is also attracting international attention. Borro recently joined PSG Labs, the innovation programme of Paris Saint-Germain based at Station F, and is currently preparing an implementation at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris. The company is also seeing growing interest from concert venues, amusement parks and festivals.
Borro was founded by Glenn Verhaege, Kasper Albers and Niels Willems. “We deliberately decided not to use RFID technology like many other systems,” says Glenn Verhaege. “We wanted to build a solution that is simpler and more affordable. That’s why we developed an alternative based on invisible codes that can be read through cameras. We’re happy that we’ve now been able to prove that this also works at scale.”
The investment round was supported by Seeder Fund, imec.istart, bluesnipe, PMV and butterfly & elephant, the corporate venture capital arm of GS1 Germany. GS1 is globally known for developing standards that connect retailers, FMCG companies and other stakeholders across the value chain worldwide.
“The funding will be used to further strengthen our team and accelerate our growth across Europe,” says co-founder Kasper Albers. “We see the same challenges around reuse emerging everywhere. Our ambition is to make Borro the European reference for digital deposit systems.”