Qwarzo

What Qwarzo does

Qwarzo S.p.A. is an Italian materials technology company headquartered in Palazzolo sull'Oglio (Brescia) with a legal seat in Rovato, founded as a research initiative in 2000 and commercially formalised around 2019. The company has developed Qwarzo®, a patented silica-based mineral coating (SiO2) that is applied to paper and other substrates to deliver plastic-equivalent barrier properties — heat, water, oil/grease, oxygen, vapour, and chemical resistance — while preserving the recyclability, home compostability, and PFAS-free status of the underlying paper. The technology is positioned as a direct substitute for conventional plastic and PFAS coatings used in food-contact, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical packaging, and is explicitly excluded from the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive (2019/904) and compliant with the EU PPWR.

The core product portfolio includes the Qwarzo® coating technology itself, finished coated paper products (cutlery, straws, ice cream cups, plates, containers), and co-developed branded applications such as the Qup paper ice cream cup (with Gondola Packaging) and a paperboard fish box (with DS Smith / International Paper). Qwarzo holds ISO 9001, BRCGS Packaging, FSC, PEFC, ATICELCA, and industrial compostability certifications, and its food-contact compliance spans Italian, German, French, and FDA frameworks. The company reports a patent, 20+ years of R&D heritage, and recognitions including the 2019 National Geographic Award, 2024 Green Product Award, 2024 Tocco Future Materials Award, and a 2025 top-10 ranking in the Corriere della Sera / Statista Innovation Leaders list.

Qwarzo operates a B2B, quote-based commercial model with two revenue streams: technology licensing and coated-paper product supply. The go-to-market is consultative and sales-led, targeting large international brands in food, beverage, cosmetics, spirits, and pharmaceuticals (named customers include Grom, Innocent Drinks, Medac, Seda, Unilever, Amorino, Disaronno, Erremme, and Flo Group), alongside OEM and white-label supply to paper manufacturers and packaging converters. Distribution is global, supported by a marketing mix of content marketing, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, industry events, and an award-driven earned-media strategy; the company is privately held with 11-50 employees and no disclosed external funding.

Name

Qwarzo

Legal name

Qwarzo S.p.A.

Website

https://qwarzo.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Qwarzo is an Italian B2B materials technology company that has developed Qwarzo®, a patented silica-based mineral coating for paper that delivers plastic-equivalent barrier performance (heat, water, oil, oxygen) while keeping paper fully recyclable, compostable, and PFAS-free, serving food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical packaging customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Paper Packaging Coatings

NAICS

Paint and Coating Manufacturing (325510), Paint and Coating Manufacturing (32551)

SIC

Paints, Varnishes, Lacquers, Enamels & Allied Prods (2851), Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890)

akta.pro primary industry

Biodegradable Coatings & Barrier Layers (paper/packaging barriers) (IMAEAOAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Packaging & Can Coatings (IMAEAGAF), Industrial & Protective Coatings (IMAEAGAB), Specialty & Functional Coatings (Anti-microbial/Anti-slip/Insulating) (IMAIAKAM), Label Stock, Inks, Coatings & Laminates (Materials Supply) (IMALAKAL)

Keywords

• Sustainable paper coatings
• Mineral-based barrier coating
• Plastic-free food packaging
• Recyclable coated paper
• PFAS-free packaging technology

Headquarters

HQ city

Rovato

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Technology licensing and coating application services: Qwarzo licenses its patented mineral-based coating technology to paper manufacturers, packaging converters, and brands. The revenue is derived from licensing agreements, technology deployment fees, and potentially per-unit coating application charges as the technology is integrated into customers' manufacturing processes at scale.
2. Coated paper and packaging products: Qwarzo supplies finished coated paper materials and single-use packaging products (straws, ice cream cups, plates, coffee stirrers, containers, boxes) to food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical companies. Revenue is generated through product sales, likely on a per-unit or contract manufacturing basis.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Qwarzo manufactures and sells Qwarzo®, a patented silica-based (SiO2) mineral coating technology applied to paper and other substrates to deliver plastic-equivalent barrier properties (heat, water, oil/grease, oxygen, vapor, and chemical resistance) while preserving full recyclability and compostability. The company supplies finished coated paper products — including cutlery, straws, cups, plates, containers, fish boxes, and vineyard hooks — to enterprise customers in the food and beverage, cosmetics, pharmaceutical, and packaging manufacturing sectors, and licenses its coating technology to paper mills and converters.

Product overview

Qwarzo offers Qwarzo®, a silica-based mineral coating technology as its core product, which is applied to paper and other materials to enhance their performance properties (heat, water, grease, and chemical resistance) while maintaining recyclability and compostability. The technology serves multiple product applications including paper cutlery (straws, spoons, cups, plates), food packaging containers and boxes, and specialty products like vineyard hooks. Qwarzo also collaborated with Gondola Packaging to launch 'Qup', the first paper ice cream cup with Qwarzo® coating, and partnered with DS Smith on paperboard fish boxes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Qwarzo® Mineral-Based Coating Technology Patented silica-based (SiO2) mineral coating technology applied to paper and other substrates to provide plastic-equivalent barrier properties (heat, water, oil/grease, oxygen, vapor, and chemical resistance) while preserving full recyclability and compostability. Sold/licensed to paper manufacturers, packaging converters, and brand owners across food and beverage, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical sectors.
• Qup Paper Ice Cream Cup Single-use paper ice cream cup coated with Qwarzo® mineral coating, co-developed and launched with Gondola Packaging as a fully sustainable alternative to plastic-coated ice cream cups for the gelato and food service industry.
• Paper Cutlery and Single-Use Tableware with Qwarzo® Single-use paper cutlery (straws, ice cream spoons, coffee stirrers, plates, cups) coated with Qwarzo® mineral coating, offering plastic- and PFAS-free sustainable alternatives for the food service and HORECA sectors.
• Food, Cosmetic, and Pharmaceutical Packaging with Qwarzo® Sustainable packaging solutions including containers, boxes, and wraps coated with Qwarzo®, supplied to food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical customers requiring PFAS-free, recyclable barrier packaging.
• Paperboard Fish Box (with DS Smith) Paperboard box coated with Qwarzo® developed in partnership with DS Smith, designed to replace traditional polystyrene fish boxes with a fully recyclable, compostable alternative for the seafood supply chain.
• Vineyard Hooks with Qwarzo® Paper hooks coated with Qwarzo® used in viticulture, providing a sustainable, recyclable, and compostable alternative to conventional plastic vineyard ties and hooks.

Quantifiable outcome

• Products coated with Qwarzo® can be recycled as paper or disposed of as organic/compostable waste, eliminating plastic contamination from recycling streams
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DS Smith (International Paper Company)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Qwarzo and DS Smith, an International Paper Company, received the 2025 Zero Waste Product Award (ex aequo) together for the development of a fish box made of paperboard coated with Qwarzo®, enabling the replacement of traditional polystyrene boxes which are difficult to dispose of after use. This co-development demonstrates the integration of Qwarzo's coating technology into DS Smith's sustainable packaging portfolio.
• Gondola PackagingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Qwarzo collaborated with Gondola Packaging to launch 'Qup', the first paper ice cream cup coated with Qwarzo® technology. This collaboration won the Innovation Award at Sigep 2024. Gondola Packaging incorporated Qwarzo's mineral-based coating into its product line to create a fully sustainable single-use cup, demonstrating the technology's industrial applicability.
• Flo GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlo Group adopted Qwarzo's sustainable philosophy and technology, using Qwarzo® coating for its paper packaging products. Flo Group's CEO Daniele Simonazzi provided a testimonial: 'We immediately adopted the sustainable philosophy of Qwarzo®, seeing it as a great opportunity not only for the development of our business but also as an effective solution to environmental protection.' Flo Group produces sustainable paper packaging incorporating Qwarzo's coating.
• ToccominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTocco is a B2B marketplace for regenerative and low-carbon materials. Qwarzo won the 'Future Materials Visionary' category at the Tocco Future Materials Award 2024, which received over 1,500 applications from more than 30 countries. Tocco's panel of industry experts and climate innovation pioneers, backed by over 2,500 Tocco community members, recognized Qwarzo's innovation.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Repaq: German company developing compostable, plastic-free barrier coatings for paper and fiber-based packaging. Direct peer: targets the same single-use and food-contact applications as Qwarzo with a competing bio-based barrier chemistry.
• EcoSynthetix: Canada-based supplier of bio-based polymer latexes for paper coatings, adhesives, and packaging applications. Direct peer: serves paper manufacturers and converters with sustainable barrier/binder chemistries analogous to Qwarzo's coating platform.
• Lignin Industries: Swedish startup producing lignin-based bio-coatings for paper packaging that replace fossil-based plastic barriers. Direct peer: alternative bio-based coating technology positioned at the same plastic-replacement use cases in food and consumer packaging.
• Notpla: UK-based developer of seaweed-based, plastic-free coatings and films for food packaging and single-use applications. Direct peer: both companies sell bio-based barrier materials as drop-in replacements for plastic coatings in food-contact packaging, targeting the same CPG customers.
• Melodea: Israel/Sweden-based producer of cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) barrier coatings for paper, board, and packaging films. Direct peer: sells bio-based barrier coatings into paper/packaging converters, overlapping with Qwarzo's licensing model.

Broad incumbents

• Stora Enso: Major Nordic forest-products company producing renewable packaging materials, including bio-based barriers and fiber-based packaging for food and e-commerce. Broad incumbent: parallel focus on replacing plastics in packaging using in-house bio-material R&D.
• Ahlstrom: Global specialty fiber and paper materials manufacturer offering sustainable, bio-based barrier papers for food, beverage, and pharma packaging. Broad incumbent: overlapping end markets and barrier-paper offerings, but operates at much larger scale with an integrated fiber-to-product model rather than a focused coating-only platform.
• Mondi: Large European-headquartered paper and packaging group with a growing portfolio of recyclable, plastic-free paper-based packaging for food and consumer goods. Broad incumbent: competes in the same end-customer RFPs and is investing in its own bio-based barrier solutions.

Emerging players

• Sway Design Co. US-based startup developing seaweed-based flexible packaging films as plastic replacements. Emerging player: focused on a narrower flexible-film use case but competes for the same CPG-brand sustainability budget and SUP/PPWR-driven demand.
• Loliware: US-based maker of seaweed-derived single-use food packaging (cups, straws, cutlery). Emerging player: overlaps with Qwarzo's food-service end applications and plastic-free positioning, though with a materials focus on seaweed rather than mineral coatings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCWdsZf4DVREX0vCegS24uGw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/qwarzo
• Instagraminstagram.com/qwarzo_official

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Qwarzo