Turquoise’s latest podcast: Guy Newcombe, CEO and founder of Archipelago Technology Group

In the latest episode of the Talks with Turquoise podcast, Turquoise Managing Director Ian Thomas sits down with Guy Newcombe, CEO and co-founder of Archipelago Technology Group, for a compelling conversation about one of the most persistent challenges in sustainable packaging: replacing plastic without compromising performance.

Roughly 150 million tonnes of plastic packaging roll off production lines every year and only about ten per cent is ever recycled. The remaining 135 million tonnes are burned, landfilled or (too often) find their way into rivers and oceans. Paper and moulded fibre look like obvious substitutes – after all, they quite literally grow on trees – but they absorb moisture and oils, are pervious to gases and lose structural strength when wet. A solution to this is Powerdrop™, an ‘industrial inkjet for coatings’, that unlocks one of the toughest challenges in the race to end plastic waste: giving humble paper the barrier properties of plastic, at industrial scale, with very little waste.

At its core, Powerdrop™ is a large precision drum that houses thousands of nozzles embedded within its structure, with the nozzles passing through the drum itself. Unlike traditional spray coating (where liquid is atomised at high pressure, half of it drifting into the air) Powerdrop™ preforms uniform droplets inside the drum, then ‘wafts’ them onto the target with lowenergy air that minimises overspray. Whether it’s applied to coffee capsules, chilled meat trays, or yoghurt pots, Powerdrop™ enables packaging that performs like plastic but recycles like paper.

Listen now for:

• A behind-the-scenes look at how Powerdrop™ works: ‘industrial inkjet meets barrier coatings’
• Why most coating methods fall short for moulded fibre and paper
• Insight into scaling technology: from concept to supermarket shelf
• Market context for brands and suppliers racing to hit plastic-reduction targets
• Candid founder experience: from problem discovery to investor-backed solution

In October 2023, Low Carbon Innovation Fund 2 (LCIF2), managed by Turquoise International, invested in Archipelago Technology Group as part of a capital raising round of nearly £1.5 million, comprising both equity and an Innovate UK grant provided under the Future Economy Programme. The investment is powering the company’s next stage of growth and its acceleration to meet market demand.

Listen to the full discussion here: https://tinyurl.com/mta2ryec.

To learn more about Archipelago Technology Group, visit: https://www.archipelagotechnology.com/

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Ecologi’s Net Zero Now acquisition

In February, Low Carbon innovation Fund 2’s portfolio company Net Zero Now was acquired by Ecologi, a platform business that helps companies to measure and reduce their emissions and report their progress for every step towards Net Zero.

The combined entity, operating under the Ecologi brand, will create a single solution for industry climate leadership towards nNet zZero. The integration combines sector- specific carbon measurement and reduction with world-class verified climate projects that supports businesses wherever they are on their Nnet zZero journey.

Businesses have been forced to choose between fragmented solutions and generic ‘one size fits all’ approaches that ignore crucial sector-specific needs. Net Zero Now’s sector specific protocol expertise combined with Ecologi’s platform funding top-tier climate projects, creates a tailored, complete solution.

The acquisition aligns with Ecologi’s mission to accelerate business climate action and grow its 24,000 strong customer base. Established sector protocols, including hospitality and professional services, will be the initial focus with plans to expand across additional industries throughout 2025 and beyond.

With organisations under increasingly complex stakeholder and industry compliance demands for environmental accountability, such as SECR, CSRD and SBTi, this end- to end solution also ensures streamlined reporting, monitoring progress, supply chain transparency, and voluntary disclosures.

Founded in 2021, Net Zero Now has developed a proprietary sector-led approach, which combines climate expertise alongside the sector knowledge and experience of relevant industry bodies, industry influencers and larger businesses to reach a consensus around what Net Zero means in practice for business. To date, the company has measured and validated 1.8 MtCO2e lifetime emissions supporting more than 50 plus leading brands including Coca Cola Europacific Partners, L’Orèal, Heineken, Pernod Ricard, Subway, Hard Rock Cafe, Adnams, Edgbaston and James Cowper Kreston.

The exit came at a crucial juncture in the industry, as the over saturation of carbon accounting startups are increasingly seeing the need for consolidation and a combined approach to reporting standards. Ecologi is extremely well positioned to be a leader in the space, as an established, well-funded business with annual turnover exceeding £12m. We are delighted that LCIF2 has become a shareholder in such an established leader in the climate action space.

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