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CIECH Ventures among investors of innovative start-up Ecobean

CIECH Ventures has become an investor of Ecobean start-up, which has developed a proprietary technology to process waste coffee grounds into sustainable raw materials and specialty chemicals, using a scalable, high-tech solution that reduces carbon footprint and creates significant economic value. Coffee waste is a rich source of many valuable substances. The investment in Ecobean remains in line with one of CIECH Ventures' areas of activity – waste management in accordance with the idea of circular economy.

 

Ecobean recently closed a fundraising round with EIT InnoEnergy, CofounderZone, CIECH Ventures and Angel Investors from COBIN Angels. The investment is a key milestone in the company's journey to build the Ecobean Technology Center and will help strengthen the team and pave the way for further global expansion.

 

On average, 9,000 tons of used coffee grounds are sent to landfill Europe every day. Ecobean developed a patented technology to process waste coffee grounds into sustainable materials - coffee oil, antioxidants, lactic acid, protein-rich additives and coffee lignin - which are direct alternatives to products used widely today by various industries: food, cosmetics, manufacturing and pharmaceutical. Ecobean’s solution significantly decreases the carbon footprint of the coffee industry.

 

Ecobean, as a startup pursuing the principles of the circular economy, works closely with market leaders such as AmRest, operator of such brands as Starbucks in Central Europe, a leading multi-brand restaurant operator in Europe. As part of this partnership, Ecobean is responsible for the collection of used coffee grounds, as well as the development of customized applications. The company is also leverages its strong partnership and collaboration with Warsaw University of Technology, which has supported Ecobean since its inception in 2018 and is a shareholder in Ecobean through its subsidiary Institute of Applied Research.

 

- Ecobean works in a sector which is of particular interest for CIECH Group - sustainable raw materials and green chemicals will have significant importance in the future and CIECH is very content to contribute to the development of one of the most prospective solutions in that field – says Szymon Smyk, Corporate Development & New Ventures Director at CIECH Group.

 

- We are the most technologically advanced company in the sector, with a proven logistic solution to fully process spent coffee grounds and transform them into materials needed by various industries. Recent round and partnerships are a key milestone in our growth as we target to operate several Gigarefineries by 2025 – says Marcin Koziorowski, CEO of Ecobean.

 

CIECH Ventures is responsible for initiating the cooperation of CIECH Group with start-ups. The activities of CIECH Ventures perfectly complement the pursuits of the professional R&D team operating within the Group. The company is looking for technology-driven start-ups from all over Europe operating at the junction of the following three areas: chemical technologies, cleantech & circular industry and agriculture, to cooperate with them through partnerships, pilots and direct investments.

 

CofounderZone is a Polish VC fund that focuses on early-stage projects in co-investment with Business Angels. It integrates the private investor community with start-up founders to support the further development of portfolio companies not only with financial resources, but also with assistance in the exchange of experience and the realisation of synergy effects.

 

EIT InnoEnergy is recognised as one of the largest and most active cleantech and sustainable energy investors. The company backs innovations across a range of areas including energy storage, transport and mobility, renewables and sustainable buildings and cities – leveraging its trusted ecosystem of 1200+ partners and 29 shareholders. The 180+ portfolio companies are on track to generate €72.8 billion in revenue and save 1.1G tons of CO2e annually by 2030.

 

Institute of Applied Research of the Warsaw University of Technology is a company, fully owned by Warsaw University of Technology whose purpose is to support modern science through technology transfer. Furthermore, the goal of the Institute is to increase the competitiveness and efficiency of Warsaw University of Technology through innovation.

 

COBIN Angels is a club of individual investors (business angels) launched in 2015 in Warsaw. It engages in the development of companies with high growth potential with a particular focus on projects in the technology sector. It connects startups with private investors, offering founders the opportunity to raise funding and club members an efficient and convenient way to invest.

 

Contact:

Mirosław Kuk, Rzecznik Prasowy Grupy CIECH

miroslaw.kuk@ciechgroup.com, tel. +48 723 66 86 86.

 

We invite you to follow CIECH Group's main social media:

LinkedIn: https://pl.linkedin.com/company/ciech-sa/;

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RzecznikCIECH.

 

CIECH is an international developing chemical group with a strong position on global markets. It is the second largest manufacturer of sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate in the European Union, the largest manufacturer of evaporated salt in Poland, the largest supplier of sodium silicates in Europe, the largest Polish manufacturer of plant protection products, and a leading producer of polyurethane foams in Poland. Its factories are located in Poland, Germany and Romania, and it employs over 3,000 people throughout the EU.

 

Since 2005, CIECH S.A. has been listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, and since 2016, simultaneously, on one of the largest stock exchanges in Europe - Börse Frankfurt. The development of the Group is supported by its strategic investor – Kulczyk Investments.

 

As one of the largest Polish exporters, CIECH ships its goods to almost each continent. They are used to manufacture products necessary in the everyday life of millions of people around the world. That is why the Group is a crucial element of numerous sectors of the economy – construction, automotive, agriculture, chemical, food and pharmaceutical industries.

 

CIECH combines a modern business approach and care for sustainable development. Since 2020, it has been a member of the United Nations Global Compact - the world's largest initiative that brings together socially, environmentally and economically responsible businesses.

 

Since 2021, CIECH has been consistently implementing its ESG Strategy, which includes eight commitments in the field of climate policy, social relations and corporate governance.

 

More information about the CIECH Group can be found at www.ciechgroup.com.

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