Atlantic Packaging creates investment arm for packaging innovation

Atlantic Packaging has launched New Earth Ventures, a venture capital and innovation platform designed to accelerate technologies capable of reshaping packaging design, manufacturing and supply chains.

Operating since May 2026, the initiative allows the packaging manufacturer to invest beyond its own internal research and development capabilities and support startups working in areas where technological change is moving particularly quickly.

The strategy is centred around three main areas: packaging intelligence and artificial intelligence, supply chain optimisation and next-generation materials.

Three startups form the initial investment portfolio

New Earth Ventures has already backed three companies representing different parts of the packaging innovation ecosystem.

Specright develops specification data management technology designed to centralise packaging and product information, while Forest is building an AI-powered platform for packaging intelligence and sourcing.

Sway focuses on seaweed-based materials designed to provide compostable alternatives to conventional plastic packaging.

Together, the companies illustrate Atlantic’s broader view that future packaging innovation will depend on the convergence of software, automation and material science rather than on a single technology.

Addressable market estimated above USD 500 billion

New Earth Ventures estimates that the combined addressable market across its target areas exceeds USD 500 billion.

Alternative packaging materials account for more than USD 300 billion of that opportunity, while packaging automation represents more than USD 140 billion and AI-powered supply chain tools approximately USD 60 billion.

The scale of these markets reflects increasing demand from brands seeking to reduce material use, comply with new regulation and control rising production and logistics costs.

AI targets packaging optimisation at shipment level

Artificial intelligence is emerging as one of the technologies with the potential to reduce packaging waste through continuous optimisation.

Instead of distribution centres selecting from a limited number of standard box sizes, software can analyse individual orders and determine the most efficient packaging configuration for each shipment.

This can reduce excess corrugated material, void fill, transport volume and dimensional weight costs across millions of deliveries.

Atlantic argues that this type of incremental optimisation at large scale could ultimately have a greater impact than isolated changes to individual packaging materials.

Automation must adapt to new packaging materials

The transition towards more sustainable packaging can also create challenges for existing machinery.

Replacing plastic formats with paper-based alternatives, for example, may require manufacturers and fulfilment operations to retrofit or replace automated equipment designed around different material properties.

This means the commercial viability of new packaging materials depends not only on their recyclability or environmental performance but also on their ability to integrate efficiently into existing production systems.

Closed-loop systems offer another route to plastic reduction

Atlantic Packaging is also working on circular systems for materials that remain difficult to recycle through conventional collection infrastructure.

One example involves recovering pallet stretch film from Coca-Cola Consolidated facilities and converting the segregated material into pellets that can be supplied back to extrusion partners.

The company has also developed an IoT system for stretch wrappers that standardises wrapping patterns and optimises the amount of film used on each pallet.

Investment model reflects faster pace of packaging change

Atlantic says the speed of development across materials science, artificial intelligence and automation makes it increasingly difficult for individual packaging companies to innovate entirely within their own organisations.

By combining industrial packaging expertise with external startup investment, New Earth Ventures aims to accelerate technologies capable of moving from experimentation towards commercial scale.

The initiative illustrates a broader shift in the sector, where packaging manufacturers are increasingly looking beyond traditional equipment and material development towards software platforms, venture investment and integrated technology ecosystems.