PaperShell
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersTibro, Sweden
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
PaperShell firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PaperShell
- Legal name
- PaperShell AB
- Website
- https://papershell.se
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
PaperShell industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sustainable Composite Materials
- NAICS
- Paper Bag and Coated and Treated Paper Manufacturing (322220)
- SIC
- Converted Paper & Paperboard Prods (No Contaners/Boxes) (2670)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Industrial & Technical Paper Manufacturing (Electrical, Abrasive Backing, Medical/Pharma) (IMAMAEAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Sustainable Protective & Cushioning Materials (Paper Cushions, Bio-Foams, Mycelium) (IMALAMAH)
Keywords
Where PaperShell is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tibro
- HQ country
- Sweden
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
PaperShell business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- B2B Component Manufacturing: Custom manufacturing of PaperShell components for enterprise clients across automotive, furniture, electronics, architecture, and consumer goods sectors. Revenue generated through production contracts based on component specifications, material volumes, and production complexity. The company operates through RFQ process and capacity booking for client projects.
- Material Sales (Flat Sheets/Panels): Sale of PaperShell flat sheets and panels for post-processing by customers. Material sold with technical specifications and design guidelines for downstream manufacturing applications.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Custom Component Manufacturing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels10 records
PaperShell product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PaperShell develops and manufactures a 100% bio-based, fossil-carbon-free material group by pressing FSC-certified kraft paper into load-bearing components using heat, pressure, and natural bio-binders. The components are designed to substitute aluminum, plastics (PP), and glass fiber composites (GFRP), reducing CO2e emissions by up to 98%. PaperShell sells custom manufactured components, flat sheets/panels, and the Wood Metal® Sinus corrugated profile, targeting automotive, furniture, architecture, electronics, consumer goods, and defense customers through a B2B RFQ process.
Product overview
PaperShell is a Swedish deeptech company that has developed a new material group - pressing kraft paper into load-bearing, fossil-carbon-free components that replace aluminum, plastics, and glass fiber composites. The company operates Factory One in Tibro, Sweden with three automated production lines (S, M, L) producing components for automotive, furniture, architecture, consumer goods, electronics, and defense sectors. The product portfolio includes core PaperShell material, Wood Metal® Sinus corrugated profiles, flat sheets and panels, plus collaboration products like Catifa Carta (Arper) and Pato Paper Chair (Fredericia). PaperShell materials are accessible through NCS+ design platform. A major expansion (Flagship Factory) is planned for 2030 with EU Innovation Fund support.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Wood Metal® Sinus: A corrugated profile product made from 100% fossil-carbon-free bio-based material, designed to replace conventional corrugated steel in construction applications. Features 1.0 kg CO2e/m2 footprint and is targeted for large-scale availability in 2026.
Products and services
- PaperShell Material A 100% bio-based and fossil-carbon-free natural material group that presses FSC-certified kraft paper into load-bearing components, designed to replace carbon-intensive materials like aluminum, plastic, and glass fiber composites (GFRP) and reduce CO2e emissions by up to 98%. Sold to enterprise manufacturers for use in automotive, furniture, architecture, electronics, consumer goods, and defense products.
- PaperShell Flat Sheets and Panels Large flat sheets and panels ready for downstream cutting and machining, offering high mechanical strength comparable to aluminum at lower weight. Designed for manufacturers to post-process and integrate into their own products across multiple industries.
- Wood Metal® Sinus A corrugated profile product made from 100% fossil-carbon-free bio-based PaperShell material, designed as a sustainable alternative to conventional corrugated steel for construction interior and exterior applications in natural brown colour. Targeted at the architecture and construction sector.
- Custom Component Manufacturing B2B custom manufacturing service of PaperShell components for enterprise clients, conducted through an RFQ (Request for Quotation) process and capacity booking across the S, M, and L automated production lines. Components produced to client specifications across automotive, furniture, electronics, architecture, and consumer goods sectors.
Quantifiable outcome
- 98% CO2e reduction when replacing aluminum per kg component
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use PaperShell
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
PaperShell technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature5 records
PaperShell partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.
- FredericiaflagshipLaunch of Pato Paper Chair - chair shell made from 32 layers of FSC-certified kraft paper bonded with natural bio-binder. Partnership continues Fredericia's movement to integrate radically sustainable materials into renowned products. Designer Hee Welling praised PaperShell for solving issues typically struggled with in furniture design.
- NCAB GroupminorNCAB Group conducting testing and development of sustainable PCB materials including paper-based substrates from PaperShell. Collaboration focused on evaluating PaperShell's suitability for PCB applications and developing sustainable alternatives to conventional materials.
- NCS ColourcorePaperShell materials now accessible through NCS+ digital platform. Partnership blends NCS's digitized color technology with PaperShell's biogenic material, providing designers and architects worldwide with straightforward way to incorporate PaperShell into design process. Includes color matching and material selection capabilities.
- STILFOLDcoreStrategic partnership combining STILFOLD's advanced origami software and folding technique with PaperShell's load-bearing cellulose composites. Joint exhibition 'Hacking of Wood, Steel, and Origami' showcased potential for sustainable facade panels, design objects, and lightweight structures in automotive, mobility, and infrastructure sectors.
- ArperflagshipCollaboration to transform iconic Catifa 53 chair into Catifa Carta using PaperShell's circular material. Previewed at Salone del Mobile 2024, the chair represents milestone in sustainable design. The chair shell is made from PaperShell material, showcasing design and sustainability synergy. Partnership featured at Stockholm Furniture Fair 2025.
- Stena Metall GroupcoreCollaboration with Arper and Stena Metall Group at Salone del Mobile to showcase Catifa Carta chair made in PaperShell material. Stena Metall Group supports sustainable materials initiatives.
- PricercoreStrategic partnership to drive environmental change within electronics sector. Goal is to pioneer components in electronic shelf labels made of 100% bio-based material with no fossil components. PaperShell's similarity to glass fiber composites makes it first potential bio composite candidate to replace glass fiber material in electronics.
- Melker of SwedencorePartnership to redefine kayaking with focus on environmental stewardship and cutting-edge design. Initial focus on incorporating PaperShell into smaller components of existing kayaks, with ultimate goal of constructing entire kayak using PaperShell material. Production of vital components beginning January 2024.
- ViddecoreJoint development of world's first truly climate-neutral snowmobile. PaperShell developed PaperTail component for Vidde Alfa electric snowmobile, achieving 80-95% CO2e emission reduction. Partnership includes capacity reservation for production and testing of arctic suitability of material.
- PolestarflagshipPaperShell is a partner in Polestar's moon-shot Polestar 0 Project - the goal of creating the first truly climate-neutral car by 2030. PaperShell's expertise in advanced paper-based fiber composites is being applied to develop sustainable automotive components that eliminate carbon emissions from the supply chain. Collaboration focuses on material innovation zone showcasing bio-based alternatives.
- RISE (Research Institutes of Sweden)coreRISE conducted C-14 testing to verify PaperShell's biogenic content, confirming 100% bio content and 0.00% fossil carbon. Also collaborated on joint research project with Vidde to test PaperShell's arctic suitability. Provides third-party validation of material properties.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights8 records
PaperShell competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Bcomp: Swiss natural fiber composite maker (flax-based) producing lightweight, high-performance components for automotive, motorsports, marine, and sports — the most direct substitute for PaperShell in automotive and mobility interiors and panels.
- EcoTechnilin: UK/France-based producer of natural fiber nonwovens and bio-composites (flax, hemp, jute) for automotive, construction, and consumer applications — competes in the same natural fiber composite substitution niche.
- Sulapac: Finnish bio-based material company producing wood-based, microplastic-free alternatives to conventional plastics for cosmetics, food service, and consumer packaging — comparable in the bio-composite material substitution narrative.
- Paptic: Finnish sustainable materials company producing wood-fiber-based packaging materials replacing plastic in retail and e-commerce — adjacent in the paper-to-performance-component value chain.
- PaperFoam: Dutch manufacturer of paper-based, molded bio-packaging components with similar kraft-paper + bio-binder chemistry to PaperShell, targeting consumer electronics and FMCG packaging.
- Mater: Danish sustainable furniture and design brand using bio-based and recycled materials; comparable in selling design-led, sustainability-positioned products through premium B2B channels.
Emerging players
- Lignin Industries: Norwegian start-up converting lignin from pulp mills into biomaterials that replace fossil plastics; board overlap (PaperShell board member Christopher Carrick is CEO) and same Swedish/Nordic bio-material ecosystem.
Broad incumbents
- Stora Enso: Global forest products major with a growing biomaterials division (wood-based biocomposites, lignin, cellulose foams) — a broad incumbent actively pursuing the same material-substitution opportunity from a much larger base.
- UPM Biofore: Finnish forest products group with UPM Biofuels, biocomposites, and bio-based chemicals businesses — broad incumbent exploring kraft-paper-derived and cellulose-based industrial materials.
- Billerud: Swedish paper and packaging manufacturer pushing into sustainable, fiber-based packaging and material applications — broad incumbent operating in the same Nordic paper-to-component ecosystem.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
PaperShell social profiles
Digital presencePaperShell compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
PaperShell financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PaperShell leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
PaperShell funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors6 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PaperShell M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about PaperShell
What does PaperShell do?
PaperShell develops and manufactures a 100% bio-based, fossil-carbon-free material group by pressing FSC-certified kraft paper into load-bearing components using heat, pressure, and natural bio-binders. The components are designed to substitute aluminum, plastics (PP), and glass fiber composites (GFRP), reducing CO2e emissions by up to 98%. PaperShell sells custom manufactured components, flat sheets/panels, and the Wood Metal® Sinus corrugated profile, targeting automotive, furniture, architecture, electronics, consumer goods, and defense customers through a B2B RFQ process.
Is PaperShell a public or private company?
PaperShell is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was PaperShell founded?
PaperShell was founded in 2021. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is PaperShell based?
PaperShell is headquartered in Tibro, Sweden, in the Europe region.
How does PaperShell make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. B2B Component Manufacturing is the primary driver. The others are material Sales (Flat Sheets/Panels).
Who are PaperShell's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Bcomp, EcoTechnilin, Sulapac, Paptic, PaperFoam and Mater. Lignin Industries is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Stora Enso, UPM Biofore and Billerud.
Does PaperShell have an API?
No public API is recorded for PaperShell.
What industry is PaperShell in?
PaperShell's product category is Sustainable Composite Materials. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAMAEAD, Industrial & Technical Paper Manufacturing (Electrical, Abrasive Backing, Medical/Pharma), with a secondary code of IMALAMAH, Sustainable Protective & Cushioning Materials (Paper Cushions, Bio-Foams, Mycelium). Its NAICS code is 322220 and its SIC code is 2670.