Adrian JohnsonGeneration Food Rural Partners I (GFRP), a member fund of food tech investor Big Idea Ventures (BIV), has acquired edible packaging startup DisSolves. DisSolves develops packaging materials and films made from plant-based biodegradable and edible components. It uses a patented technology that creates a polysaccharide-based film which dissolves in liquids such as water, milk or coffee and doesn’t alter the taste. Edible packaging provides a sustainable solution to the waste generated by single-serve packaging. The startup’s founder, Jared Raszewski, said GFRP’s support would allow DisSolves to implement pilot programs with major food producers and move toward scaled manufacturing of dissolvable food packaging.
BIV’s GFRP fund was established to commercialize and scale companies. The fund usually builds a company from scratch, but this acquisition will enable it to move straight to the second phase of capital deployment with DisSolves, which has already accomplished what is usually done with the first round of capital. There haven’t been any established winners in sustainable single-serve packaging, at a time when realisation is growing among larger food brands that it will be difficult to meet sustainability pledges by the next decade without embracing technologies such as those developed by DisSolves. The deal terms were not disclosed.
