Straw by Straw

What Straw by Straw does

Straw by Straw is a Netherlands-based, founder-led private company (founded 2016 by Ev Liu) that manufactures and sells single-use drinking straws made from agricultural waste — specifically wheat stalks and reed stems — as a plastic-free alternative for the European HORECA (hotels, restaurants, cafes) sector. The core technology is a low-chemical production process: harvested plant stems are cut to size, sterilized with hot water (no bleaching or chemical additives), and dried, yielding straws that the company claims remain structurally intact for hours in liquid, unlike paper alternatives. The product line spans wheat straws in 15/20/23 cm formats, jumbo reed straws (6-8 mm and 9-11 mm diameters) for milkshakes and smoothies, minipack trial sizes, and laser-engraved custom-branded bamboo straws (minimum order 12,000 units) for the promotional gifting market. Independent gluten-free verification is provided by the Nederlandse Coeliakie Vereniging.

The business operates a hybrid go-to-market combining a Shopify-powered direct-to-consumer and B2B e-commerce store (multi-language: Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Swedish) with deep HORECA wholesale distribution through HANOS, Bidfood, Sligro, Scanwic, Biofutura, and Biodisposables. Retail reach extends through Bol.com and eco-specialty resellers (Ecomondo, Greenjump, Zozero, Jansje). Revenue is generated on a one-time unit-pricing model with carton-deal bulk discounts (e.g., wheat straw 6-pack of 3,000 straws priced from $57–$75 depending on length; wholesale pricing starts at €0.019 per straw). Payment infrastructure includes Mollie, Klarna, and Sprinque for B2B invoice terms, with free shipping thresholds of €59 (Netherlands) and €100 (rest of Europe). The company is bootstrapped, holds a registered trademark (Straw by Straw®) and BSCI social compliance certification across its farmer/producer supply chain, and operates with a 1-10 person team from Amsterdam. No external funding, acquisitions, or institutional investors are disclosed.

Name

Straw by Straw

Legal name

Straw by Straw

Website

https://strawbystraw.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Straw by Straw is an Amsterdam-based, bootstrapped manufacturer of 100% natural wheat and reed drinking straws, serving European HORECA businesses and eco-conscious consumers via direct e-commerce and major food service wholesalers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Eco-Friendly Drinking Straws

akta.pro primary industry

Straw & Bedding Roughage (Baled Straw, Chaff, Stover) (AFADAHAE)

Keywords

• Eco-friendly straws
• Natural straws
• Biodegradable straws
• Wheat straws
• Reed straws

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Product sales - E-commerce: Direct-to-consumer and B2B sales through their Shopify-powered online store. Products sold in various pack sizes from individual packs to bulk carton deals. Revenue from selling wheat straws, reed straws, milkshake/smoothie straws, and customized bamboo straws.
2. Wholesale distribution: Products distributed through HORECA wholesalers (HANOS, Bidfood, Sligro, Scanwic) and retail partners. Revenue generated through bulk orders from business customers.
3. Marketplace sales: Sales through Bol.com marketplace platform as part of external sales channels.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Straw by Straw manufactures and sells eco-friendly, biodegradable drinking straws made from natural agricultural materials, primarily wheat stalks and reed stems. The company serves both retail consumers (B2C) and HORECA (hotel, restaurant, café) business customers (B2B), offering standard drinking straws, jumbo milkshake/smoothie straws, and customized/branded bamboo straws for promotional use.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wheat Straws

Quantifiable outcome

• SUP compliant - replaces plastic straws with natural alternatives
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and support.

• HANOScoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor Dutch food service wholesaler and one of the first distributors to carry Straw by Straw products. Offers wheat straws and reed straws in various sizes through their Netherlands catalog.
• BidfoodcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEuropean food service distributor offering Straw by Straw wheat straws and reed straws for smoothies to their HORECA customers.
• SligrocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDutch wholesale company that introduced reed straws in March 2022. Stocks reed straws and milkshake/smoothie straws.
• ScanwicminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFood service supplier offering reed straws for milkshakes and iced coffee in 20cm and 25cm sizes.
• BiofuturaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSustainable products distributor offering reed straws for milkshakes and smoothies in 15cm, 20cm, and 25cm sizes.
• BiodisposablesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEarly wholesale partner offering wheat straws in various sizes. One of the first distributors to carry Straw by Straw.
• Bol.comminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor Dutch e-commerce marketplace where Straw by Straw products are sold as part of external sales channels.
• Dimass Group BVsupportTechnology or IntegrationLogistics and fulfillment partner handling delivery and shipping. Uses GLS, DHL, and DPD as subcontractors.
• ShopifysupportTechnology or IntegrationE-commerce platform provider powering the Straw by Straw online store with product catalog and payment processing capabilities.
• MailChimpsupportTechnology or IntegrationEmail marketing service provider handling newsletter communications and automated emails.
• MolliesupportTechnology or IntegrationPayment processor handling payment transactions including credit card information securely.
• KlarnasupportTechnology or IntegrationPayment provider offering buy now, pay later options and installment payment capabilities.
• SprinquesupportTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner enabling Pay by Invoice payment option for business customers.
• BSCI-certified farmers and producerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSuppliers of wheat stalks and reed stems with BSCI certificate ensuring honest working environments and wages according to international standards.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• BioPak: Australia-headquartered maker of compostable single-use foodservice packaging including straws, cups, and cutlery. Targets HORECA buyers with similar sustainability positioning to Straw by Straw.
• Huhtamaki: Global food packaging giant with growing sustainable/plant-based product lines including straws. Massive scale and resources make them a likely dominant competitor as HORECA chains consolidate suppliers.
• Lollicup (World Centric): US-based foodservice disposables company with a strong compostable/sustainable product line under World Centric. Much larger scale, competing globally for HORECA sustainable packaging contracts.
• Vegware: UK-based specialist in compostable food packaging and tableware. Larger and broader portfolio than Straw by Straw, with global distribution and institutional backing - directly competing for HORECA sustainable packaging contracts.

Emerging players

• Wasara: Japanese plant-based, single-use tableware brand using tree-free materials (bamboo, reed, sugarcane pulp). Competes in the premium sustainable HORECA and event market with a similar aesthetic-positioning.
• Footprint (formerly Earthcycle Packaging): North American sustainable foodservice packaging company producing compostable straws, cutlery, and containers from plant-based fibers. Direct product overlap in natural fiber straws for HORECA.
• Bambuu Brush: European bamboo-based sustainable products brand (straws, brushes, cutlery) targeting eco-conscious HORECA and consumer markets. Adjacent plant-based material approach with similar brand-led positioning.

Direct peers

• PacknWood: Eco-friendly disposable foodservice products including paper and plant-based straws. Targets the same HORECA and foodservice customer base with comparable product breadth and sustainability claims.
• Biodisposables: Early Dutch wholesale partner carrying Straw by Straw wheat straws and an independent sustainable foodservice disposables brand. Direct overlap in wheat straw product and HORECA channel.
• Biofutura: Dutch sustainable products distributor and a current wholesale partner of Straw by Straw. Sells reed straws for milkshakes/smoothies and competes in the same Dutch/Benelux HORECA distribution channels.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/strawbystraw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/strawbystraw

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Straw by Straw