PAPERO®

What PAPERO® does

PAPERO® is a privately held German sustainable accessories brand founded in 2018 and operated by founders Tim and Julia, with the legal entity 17Terra Limited registered in Paphos, Cyprus and commercial operations anchored in Bavaria, Germany. The company designs and sells backpacks, bags, crossbody bags, shoppers, wallets and accessory merchandise, all built around a proprietary washable kraft paper material composed of 80% cellulose and 20% latex, sourced from FSC-certified German forests. The material is waterproof, tear-resistant, washable and vegan-certified by PETA; every product is sold as climate-neutral via a CO2-offset partnership with Yook, and one tree is planted per bag sold through PRIMAKLIMA e.V.

The product catalog ranges from an 8L kids' backpack (€37) and slim RFID wallet (€29.50) to 28L rolltop bags and a 26L YETI PRO EDITION premium tier (€129), supplemented by BIO T-shirts, hoodies and gift certificates, with a dedicated Firmenbranding page for corporate customers. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through a Shopify-hosted storefront with multi-language support (DE/EN/ES/FR/IT/NL); checkout integrates Klarna, PayPal, Amazon Pay, SOFORT and Stripe; fulfillment is outsourced to PELA Fulfillment UG (Kirchheim bei München) with DHL as the exclusive carrier. Customer acquisition leans on Instagram, an organic blog, customer reviews (1,404 verified reviews averaging 4.8 stars; 98% recommend rate), a GoAffPro affiliate program, and partnerships such as the 2024 DB Rad+ cycling initiative.

Commercially, PAPERO is a small founder-operated D2C brand (around 11 employees, no disclosed external funding) that has shipped to 45,000+ customers cumulatively across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the UK, the USA, Australia and additional European markets. Revenue is transactional with no recurring component, and award recognition (Fokus Open Gold 2020, German Design Award 2021, PETA Vegan Travel Award 2022, Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitspreis 2022 nominee) underpins the brand's premium positioning in the sustainable accessories niche.

Name

PAPERO®

Legal name

17Terra Limited

Website

https://papero-bags.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

PAPERO® is a German D2C brand (founded 2018, operated by founders Tim and Julia out of Bavaria) that designs and sells vegan backpacks, bags and accessories made from a proprietary washable kraft paper material, selling through its own Shopify storefront across Europe, the UK, the USA and Australia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Backpacks & Bags

NAICS

Paper Bag and Coated and Treated Paper Manufacturing (322220)

SIC

Plastics, Foil & Coated Paper Bags (2673)

akta.pro primary industry

Paper-Based Packaging & Single-Use Paper Products (Paper Bags, Wraps, Cartons) (CRADALAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Paper Bags & Sacks (retail, industrial, multiwall) (IMAMAHAC)

Keywords

• Sustainable kraft paper bags
• Washable paper backpacks
• Vegan travel accessories
• Eco-friendly daypacks
• Plant-based fashion bags

Headquarters

HQ city

Paphos

HQ country

Cyprus

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: One-time purchase revenue from selling kraft paper backpacks, bags, wallets, and accessories. Products range from €29.50 to €129.00 with various sizes and styles. Revenue is transaction-based with no recurring component.
2. Gift Certificates: Gift vouchers available for purchase starting at €10.00, providing additional revenue stream and customer acquisition mechanism.
3. Apparel and Merchandise: BIO T-shirts and hoodies sold under 'Fans & Friends' collection, expanding product range beyond bags.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

PAPERO designs and sells backpacks, daypacks, rolltop packs, crossbags, shoulder bags, shoppers, lunchbags, wallets, and apparel accessories manufactured from a proprietary washable kraft paper material (80% cellulose, 20% latex) that is FSC-certified, tear-resistant, water-resistant, washable, and vegan. All products are climate neutral, with one tree planted per bag sold through the PRIMAKLIMA partnership. The portfolio spans 8L to 28L capacities across multiple configurations for daily commuting, cycling, travel, and outdoor use.

Product overview

PAPERO® is a sustainable backpack and bag company founded in 2018, specializing in products made from washable FSC-certified kraft paper (80% cellulose, 20% latex). The product portfolio centers on paper-based backpacks and bags with a range of sizes (8L-28L) and configurations including rolltop designs (FOX, YETI, YETI PRO EDITION), daypacks (COUGAR MINI 13L, COUGAR 24L), compact packs (LYNX II 12L, OWL 13L), and versatile options (SALAMANDER 3-in-1). The range extends to crossbags (SQUIRREL, BUTTERFLY), lunch bags (RACOON), shoppers (KANGOO), shoulder bags (PHEASANT), and wallets (RAVEN with RFID protection). All products are vegan, waterproof, tear-resistant, and carbon-neutral. The company also offers BIO t-shirts and hoodies as merchandise. Distribution is through their Shopify e-commerce platform with operations in Germany (Munich, Berlin, Hamburg) and customer support via WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Telegram.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• FOX Roll Top Backpack Classic rolltop backpack made from washable kraft paper (80% cellulose, 20% latex), waterproof, tear-resistant, and vegan. Features 22L capacity, suitable for daily commuting and travel.
• COUGAR KIDS Backpack

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% climate neutral products through CO2 offset via Yook partnership
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration14 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• DB Rad+minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 October 2024Partnership with Deutsche Bahn's cycling program. Customers can make their cycling kilometers valuable through this initiative. Targets cyclists as a key customer segment.
• PRIMAKLIMA e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit environmental organization. PAPERO plants one tree for every bag sold through this partnership to contribute to climate neutrality. Each tree absorbs approximately 10 kg of CO2 per year. This partnership is central to PAPERO's sustainability mission.
• YookcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClimate protection partner. Yook helps PAPERO offset the CO2 footprint of its products through selected climate protection projects, enabling climate-neutral product certification.
• PELA Fulfillment UGminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFulfillment partner handling warehousing and shipping operations from Kirchheim bei München location. Manages order processing and logistics for PAPERO products.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Fjällräven: Swedish outdoor brand (Fenix Outdoor AB) with deep sustainability credentials (Kånken backpack, recycled materials). Comparable on backpack form factor and outdoor/commute use cases, but much larger scale, broader product portfolio, and global retail distribution.
• Deuter: German backpack and outdoor-bag specialist with broad hike/commute/school lines. Comparable product form factors and DACH-market relevance, but lacks PAPERO's paper-material sustainability narrative and is much larger and more wholesale-driven.
• Herschel Supply Co. Canadian backpack and travel-bag brand with global distribution and design-led positioning. Comparable on design-award aesthetics, mid-premium price tiers, and D2C plus retail presence, though Herschel's positioning is style-driven rather than sustainability-driven.
• Patagonia: US sustainable outdoor apparel and bag brand with long-established ESG credentials. Comparable sustainability narrative and backpack/crossbody categories, but operates at vastly larger scale with multi-channel wholesale and a 1% For The Planet giving model analogous to PAPERO's PRIMAKLIMA partnership.

Emerging players

• Baggu: US reusable bag and accessory brand (famous for the standard reusable shopping bag) with a sustainability-led value proposition. Comparable on lightweight, durable, reusable-bag positioning and direct-to-consumer sales model, though more apparel-adjacent than backpack-led.
• Ucon Acrobatics: German sustainable bag and backpack brand using recycled PET and vegan materials. Closely comparable on geography (Berlin), premium price positioning, design-award focus, and D2C plus selective retail distribution.
• QWSTION: Swiss/European bag brand using plant-based materials (banana-fiber, recycled cotton) with a sustainability narrative similar to PAPERO's. Comparable on premium sustainable positioning and European D2C channels, though QWSTION's material innovation is in fabric alternatives rather than paper.
• Cotopaxi: US B Corp sustainable outdoor brand using recycled and remnant fabrics for backpacks and gear. Comparable sustainability positioning, B-Corp/certification-led marketing, and use of 'one product = one impact' messaging similar to PAPERO's tree-per-bag initiative.

Direct peers

• Matt & Nat: Canadian vegan bags and accessories brand using recycled and plant-based materials (including PVC-free synthetics). Directly comparable on vegan positioning, accessory breadth (backpacks, totes, wallets), and mid-premium price points.
• Freitag: Swiss maker of bags and accessories from recycled materials (truck tarpaulins), with comparable premium sustainable positioning, D2C + flagship-store retail, and a strong design-award reputation. Closest analog to PAPERO's European sustainable-bag DNA, differing only in feedstock (recycled tarp vs. kraft paper).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/papero-bags
• Instagraminstagram.com/papero
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/papero%C2%AE

Compliance4 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 PAPERO®