The deal is part of a new corporate venture capital program launched by Fedrigoni to identify start-ups to accelerate its innovation process and acquire new technologies into the group. SharpEnd was founded in 2015 as the world's first Internet of Things (IoT) agency, with a mission to help brands evolve their products, packaging and customer engagement through connected solutions, leveraging a proprietary SaaS (software as a service) platform, launched in 2019, called io.tt that is now managing billions of touchpoints across packaging and retail. Marco Nespolo, CEO at the Fedrigoni Group: “The world of connected products is increasingly strategic for us, and this deal, strongly synergic with the recent acquisitions of Tageos and the Grenoble R&D Center, will enhance our solutions portfolio in the world of smart labels and papers”.
Milan, 11 January 2024 - The Fedrigoni Group, reference global player in the manufacture of high added value specialty papers for luxury packaging and other creative applications, premium labels and self-adhesive materials, has announced the acquisition - through a capital increase - of a minority stake in SharpEnd / io.tt, the IoT solutions and consulting company led by Cameron Worth, the CEO and founder. The deal consists of an initial investment with a path to acquire their entire capital in the longer term and is part of a new corporate venture capital programme launched by Fedrigoni to identify innovative start-ups to accelerate its innovation process and the acquisition of new technologies.
SharpEnd was founded in 2015 as the world's first Internet of Things (IoT) agency, with a mission to help brands evolve their products, packaging and customer engagement through connected solutions, leveraging a proprietary SaaS (software as a service) platform, launched in 2019, called io.tt that is now managing billions of touchpoints across packaging and retail for many leading global brand owners across drinks, beauty, wellness, fmcg and luxury fashion.
“The world of connected products is increasingly strategic for us, and this highly complementary and synergic transaction with the recent bolt-on acquisitions of Tageos, a French company specialized in the manufacturing of UHF and NFC inlays (acquired in 2022), and the Grenoble Research and Development Center (which joined the group in 2023), will enhance our solutions portfolio in the world of smart labels and papers - says Marco Nespolo, CEO at the Fedrigoni Group - SharpEnd provides solutions and consulting services to support major brands, particularly in the luxury and FMCG sectors, in the creation of smart products and packaging, which are essential for product safety, authenticity and traceability but also to provide end users with increasingly engaging shopping experiences.”
“Fedrigoni and SharpEnd / io.tt is a perfect match in this connected world" comments Cameron Worth, founder and CEO of SharpEnd / io.tt, "that strengthens our position in the global market to develop new products and high-performing integrated solutions. The potential synergies with the Group's two businesses of specialty papers and premium labels are countless, and Fedrigoni's network and global footprint in more than 130 countries will be a strong growth accelerator for us."
He continues “I am excited and very proud to welcome Fedrigoni to our Cap Table as a strategic investor, and close partner, as we make our io.tt platform the glue across the packaging ecosystem.
Fedrigoni
Founded in 1888, Fedrigoni today stands for excellence in the world of labels and self-adhesive materials and high value-added papers for luxury packaging and other creative solutions. With more than 5,000 employees in 28 countries and 25,000 products, the Group sells and distributes in 132 countries and, also thanks to recent acquisitions, has gained the positions of first global player in wine labels and speciality papers for luxury packaging, second in art and design papers and third in premium self-adhesive materials. The Paper division includes the Cordenons Group, the historical Fabriano brand, Guarro Casas (October 2022) and Papeterie Zuber Rieder (November 2022), and the Self-Adhesives division includes Arconvert, Manter, Ritrama (February 2020), IP Venus (December 2020), Acucote and Rimark (June 2021), Divipa (February 2022), Tageos (April 2022) and Unifol (July 2022). The American distributor GPA is also part of the Group.
For more information: www.fedrigoni.com
About SharpEnd / io.tt
SharpEnd / io.tt is the world’s fastest-growing Internet of Things partner for consumer brands.
With offices in the UK and US, SharpEnd uses technologies such as NFC, QR codes and Augmented Reality to develop connected packaging, product and retail experiences for brands powered by their SaaS platform, called io.tt, which is currently used in over 130 countries.
SharpEnd’s proprietary platform, io.tt, connects billions of products and store touch points across the globe, identifying where and why consumers are interacting and delivering these insights back in real-time dashboards and management consoles. More information can be found at SharpEnd.com