PaperShell

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

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

• Bio-based composite materials
• Fossil-free fiber components
• Cellulose fiber composites
• Kraft paper components
• Sustainable material manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Tibro

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core 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

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.

• FredericiaflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Launch 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 GroupminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 May 2025NCAB 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 ColourcoreTechnology or Integration · 6 December 2024PaperShell 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 or Co-development Partner · 21 May 2024Strategic 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.
• ArperflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 April 2024Collaboration 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 GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 April 2024Collaboration 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 or Co-development Partner · 26 February 2024Strategic 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 SwedencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 January 2024Partnership 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.
• ViddecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 February 2023Joint 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.
• PolestarflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 September 2022PaperShell 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)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 June 2022RISE 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

Direct 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

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@papershellindustries
• Facebookfacebook.com/papershellindustries
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/papershell
• Instagraminstagram.com/papershellindustries
• Xx.com/papershell_

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors6 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PaperShell