Creapaper
Creapaper GmbH is a German materials-technology company that produces patented grass-fiber pellets (Graspap) as a drop-in sustainable raw material for the paper industry, selling to paper mills, major retailers, and brand manufacturers across Europe.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersHennef, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Creapaper does
Creapaper GmbH is a German materials-technology company, founded in 2012/2013 and headquartered in Hennef, North Rhine-Westphalia, that has developed a patented mechanical process for converting dried grass into grass-fiber pellets marketed as Graspap. The Graspap pellets function as a drop-in raw material for industrial paper machines, allowing paper mills to replace up to 50% of wood pulp or recycled paper with grass fiber and to produce finished grasspaper (sold under CreaClassic, CreaGC, and CreaUC product lines) using standard paper-making equipment without chemicals. The company operates an industrial pellet plant in Düren with annual capacity of approximately 25,000 tonnes, enough feedstock for roughly 60,000 tonnes of downstream grasspaper, and complements this with the Greenkeeper mobile field-processing unit that processes dried hay directly on the land.
The business operates across three revenue streams: (1) B2B sale of Graspap pellets to paper mills (including a network of 12+ licensed mills in Germany plus test productions in Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France, and Ireland); (2) sale of finished grasspaper and consumer packaging products (tissue, grasCup, grasFaltenbeutel, grasEierkarton, grasHalm straws, grasTeller, grasFresh bags) through retail chains and the Graspapiershop e-commerce platform; and (3) technology licensing and promotional products under the creaPromotion / CREASEED sub-brands. Creapaper serves enterprise customers across retail (Rewe, Edeka, Lidl, Aldi, Coop, OTTO), food and beverage (Coca-Cola for Vio and Honest Tea packaging, TeeGschwendner), and consumer goods (P&G), as well as SMB and end-consumer buyers online.
The company is privately held, employs 11-50 people, and has raised approximately EUR 23.6M in cumulative funding including a EUR 20M Series B in October 2021 (with Ranpak, JS Capital, Schusterman Family Investments, Soros Capital, the EIC Fund, and eCAPITAL) and EU grants of EUR 1.9M (Horizon 2020, 2018) and EUR 1.7M (EIC Accelerator, 2020). Geographic reach covers DACH plus the Netherlands and Italy, with planned expansion into the United States supported by the Ranpak partnership and a longer-dated Namibia biomass initiative via GIZ.
Creapaper firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Creapaper
- Legal name
- CREAPAPER GmbH
- Website
- https://creapaper.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Creapaper GmbH is a German materials-technology company that produces patented grass-fiber pellets (Graspap) as a drop-in sustainable raw material for the paper industry, selling to paper mills, major retailers, and brand manufacturers across Europe.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Creapaper industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sustainable Paper and Packaging Materials
- NAICS
- Paperboard Mills (322130), Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills (3221), Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing (322291), Converted Paper Product Manufacturing (3222)
- SIC
- Paperboard Mills (2631), Paper Mills (2621), Converted Paper & Paperboard Prods (No Contaners/Boxes) (2670)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Recycled Paperboard & Containerboard (IMAMAKAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Recycled-Content & Sustainable Tissue/Hygiene Products (IMAMAGAK), Recycled Paper Converting & Finishing (Cut/Size, Coating, Laminating) (IMAMAKAL), Folding Carton & Paperboard Packaging Printing (IMALAKAH)
Keywords
Where Creapaper is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hennef
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Creapaper business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Grass Fiber Raw Material (B2B): Sale of patented grass fiber pellets (Graspap) to paper mills for industrial grasspaper production. Revenue generated from supplying the raw material component for paper manufacturing.
- Grasspaper Products (B2C/B2B): Sale of finished grasspaper products including tissue products, food bags, carrier bags, single-use plastic replacements, egg cartons, cups, folding boxes. Products sold through own e-commerce (graspapier.shop) and retail partners.
- Licensing Technology: Technology licensing to paper mills that produce grasspaper using Creapaper's patented formulas and processes.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | B2B enterprise pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Creapaper product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Creapaper develops and produces a proprietary grass fiber raw material called Graspap, which paper mills use to manufacture sustainable grasspaper by replacing 30–50% of wood pulp or recycled paper. The company also sells finished and converted grasspaper products (cups, carrier bags, egg cartons, tissue, folding boxes, seed-embedded promotional paper) directly to retailers, brand manufacturers, and end consumers through its own e-commerce shop.
Product overview
Creapaper is a German company that produces grass fiber raw materials (Graspap/GraspapTM) and finished grasspaper products for the paper and packaging industry. The core offering centers on grasspaper - a sustainable paper combining grass fiber (30-50%) with wood pulp or recycled paper using a patented mechanical process. The product portfolio includes: CreaClassic, CreaGC, and CreaUC grasspaper product lines for various grammages (50-500 gsm); tissue products (kitchen roll, toilet paper, napkins); eco-friendly disposables including grasCup, grasTeller, grasHalm, grasFaltenbeutel, grasTragetaschen, grasEierkarton, and grasFresh; promotional products via creaPromotion including CREASEED (seed-embedded grasspaper); and the Graspapiershop e-commerce platform. The Greenkeeper mobile processing unit represents their technological innovation for on-field grass fiber production.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Graspapiershop: Online retail platform (B2C and B2B) selling grasspaper products including stationery, books, office supplies, packaging, and DIY products, as well as charity edition items in cooperation with Obstkäppchen.
- creaSeeds
- creaPromotion
- GRASPAP
- grasCup
Products and services
- Graspap (Grass Fiber Raw Material) Patented grass fiber pellets produced from dried grass using a purely mechanical, chemical-free process; sold to paper mills as a drop-in raw material that can replace up to 50% of wood pulp or recycled paper in industrial paper production.
- Grasspaper (Graspapier) Core finished paper product combining grass fiber with wood pulp or recycled paper, available in multiple grammages and grades (CreaClassic 002/003/RE-004, CreaGC coated, CreaUC ultra-coated) for graphic, packaging, and industrial applications.
- Grasspaper Tissue Products Hygienic tissue products (kitchen roll, toilet paper, napkins) made from grasspaper, offering a sustainable alternative to conventional wood-based or recycled tissue.
- grasCup (Grasspaper Cups) Single and double-walled drinking cups made from grasspaper designed as a sustainable alternative to plastic or conventional paper cups for on-the-go beverages.
- Grasspaper Food Packaging Assortment Converted food packaging assortment including grasFaltenbeutel (folding bags, wet-strength and grease-resistant), grasTragetaschen (reusable carrier bags), grasEierkarton (6- and 10-pack egg cartons), grasHalm (drinking straws), grasTeller (disposable plates), and grasFresh (fresh-produce bags with barrier properties).
- creaPromotion / CREASEED Promotional Products Promotional and marketing materials made from grasspaper including mailing enhancers, trade fair materials, customer loyalty items, calendars, and CREASEED seed-embedded paper products (130+ plant species) used as hangtags, cards, and sticks that recipients can plant after use.
- Graspapiershop E-commerce Platform Direct-to-consumer and small B2B online shop selling grasspaper products including stationery, books, cosmetics, DIY products, office supplies, packaging, and charity edition items in cooperation with Obstkäppchen.
- Greenkeeper Mobile Grass Processing Unit Mobile unit that collects dried hay and processes grass fiber pellets directly on the field, reducing logistics effort and material impurities and enabling distributed raw material production.
Quantifiable outcome
- 95% less CO2 emissions in raw material production compared to wood pulp
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Creapaper
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Creapaper technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Creapaper partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Procter & Gamble (P&G) Fabric and Home CareminorCreapaper invited to pitch at P&G's Sustainability and Equality & Inclusion Supplier Summit in Brussels. Presented grass fiber and grasspaper technology as part of P&G's 'journey to net zero 2040' and 'Cleaner, Better Together' programme. P&G seeking partners to help decarbonize their supply chain.
- University of BonnminorAcademic collaboration partner in 'Grass paper 2.0' project funded by European Commission. Working on developing mobile raw material production technology.
- University of TrierminorAcademic collaboration partner in 'Grass paper 2.0' project funded by European Commission. Working on developing mobile raw material production technology.
- GIZ (German Society for International Cooperation)minorPartner in Namibia project. Organized educational trip for European business representatives to explore biomass opportunities. Creapaper contributing grass paper technology to the Biomass Industrial Park (BIP) initiative.
- ifas Institute for Applied Material Flow ManagementminorProfessor Heck from ifas leads the Namibia project initiative. Planning Biomass Industrial Park (BIP) in Namibia region for technological advancement, synergy effects, and local value creation.
- Tornesch Paper Mill (Papierfabrik Meldorf)coreTraditional paper company that got to grips with grasspaper raw material early on. One of select paper mills producing grasspaper using their own formulas to supply brands like Coca-Cola. Produces Honest Tea grasspaper packaging.
- Octagon Graffiti ArtminorHennef-based graffiti art company that created the striking 15-meter-high grass blade design on Creapaper's production facility in Düren.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Creapaper competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- BioPak: Provider of compostable, plant-based foodservice packaging (cups, plates, cutlery) as alternatives to plastic. Directly comparable to Creapaper's grasCup, grasTeller and grasHalm foodservice disposables and to its broader positioning as a plastic-replacement solution.
- Vegware: UK-based manufacturer of plant-based compostable foodservice packaging made from renewable materials. Comparable to Creapaper's sustainable foodservice disposables business (grasCup, grasTeller, grasFaltenbeutel) serving the same plastic-replacement use cases.
- Paptic: Finnish developer of sustainable, recyclable fiber-based packaging materials replacing plastic in retail and e-commerce. Comparable to Creapaper as an emerging alternative-fiber packaging player focused on replacing plastic with novel wood- and bio-based substrates.
Broad incumbents
- Tetra Pak: Global sustainable food and beverage packaging company increasingly focused on plant-based and renewable fiber cartons. Comparable as a broad incumbent serving food and beverage brand owners (including Coca-Cola) on renewable-fiber packaging transitions.
- Stora Enso: Renewable materials company producing packaging, biomaterials and paperboard from sustainable sources. Comparable as a broad incumbent with renewable-fiber packaging product lines serving the same CPG and retail customers pursuing lower-CO2 packaging.
- Smurfit Kappa: World leader in paper-based packaging, including sustainable and recycled-content solutions. Comparable as a broad incumbent in fiber-based packaging addressing many of the same retailers and brand owners Creapaper serves.
- Ahlstrom: Global specialist in sustainable fiber-based materials including packaging, filtration and technical papers. Comparable as a broad incumbent operating in sustainable fiber materials with overlapping end markets in food, beverage and consumer-goods packaging.
- Mondi: Global paper and packaging group with sustainable product lines including corrugated and kraft paper. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering sustainable paper-based packaging across the same retailer and brand-owner customer base that Creapaper targets.
- UPM-Kymmene: Bio-based materials company with label materials, communication papers and biomass-based biochemicals. Comparable as an incumbent investing in non-fossil, renewable fiber and biomaterial alternatives overlapping with Creapaper's sustainability positioning.
Direct peers
- Ranpak: Global provider of paper-based protective and sustainable packaging solutions, and a Series B strategic investor in Creapaper. Ranpak directly distributes and integrates Creapaper's grasspaper technology into its product portfolio, making it both a partner and the closest direct comparable in fiber-based sustainable packaging.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Creapaper social profiles
Digital presenceCreapaper compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Creapaper financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Creapaper leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Creapaper subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Creapaper funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors7 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Creapaper 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 Creapaper
What does Creapaper do?
Creapaper develops and produces a proprietary grass fiber raw material called Graspap, which paper mills use to manufacture sustainable grasspaper by replacing 30–50% of wood pulp or recycled paper. The company also sells finished and converted grasspaper products (cups, carrier bags, egg cartons, tissue, folding boxes, seed-embedded promotional paper) directly to retailers, brand manufacturers, and end consumers through its own e-commerce shop.
Is Creapaper a public or private company?
Creapaper is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Creapaper founded?
Creapaper was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Creapaper based?
Creapaper is headquartered in Hennef, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Creapaper make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Grass Fiber Raw Material (B2B) is the primary driver. The others are grasspaper Products (B2C/B2B) and licensing Technology.
Who are Creapaper's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are BioPak, Vegware and Paptic. Broad incumbents are Tetra Pak, Stora Enso, Smurfit Kappa, Ahlstrom, Mondi and UPM-Kymmene. Ranpak is listed as a direct peer.
Does Creapaper have an API?
No public API is recorded for Creapaper.
What industry is Creapaper in?
Creapaper's product category is Sustainable Paper and Packaging Materials. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAMAKAG, Recycled Paperboard & Containerboard, with a secondary code of IMAMAGAK, Recycled-Content & Sustainable Tissue/Hygiene Products. Its NAICS code is 322130 and its SIC code is 2631.