THE Fedrigoni Group, a global player in specialty papers for luxury packaging, has acquired a minority stake in SharpEnd / io.tt, the IoT solutions and consulting company led by Cameron Worth.
The deal consists of an initial investment with a path to acquire their entire capital in the longer term and is part of a new corporate venture capital programme launched by Fedrigoni to identify innovative start-ups to accelerate its innovation process and the acquisition of new technologies.
SharpEnd was founded in 2015 as the world’s first Internet of Things (IoT) agency, with a mission to help brands evolve products, packaging and customer engagement through connected solutions. A proprietary SaaS (software as a service) platform, launched in 2019, called io.tt that is now managing billions of touchpoints across packaging and retail.
“The world of connected products is increasingly strategic for us, and this highly complementary and synergic transaction with the recent bolt-on acquisitions of Tageos, a French company specialised in the manufacturing of UHF and NFC inlays, and the Grenoble Research and Development Center, will enhance our solutions portfolio in the world of smart labels and papers,” said Marco Nespolo, CEO at the Fedrigoni Group.
“SharpEnd provides solutions and consulting services to support major brands, particularly in the luxury and FMCG sectors, in the creation of smart products and packaging, which are essential for product safety, authenticity and traceability but also to provide end users with increasingly engaging shopping experiences.”
Cameron Worth, founder and CEO of SharpEnd / io.tt, added, “Fedrigoni and SharpEnd / io.tt is a perfect match in this connected world that strengthens our position in the global market to develop new products and high-performing integrated solutions. The potential synergies with the group’s two businesses of specialty papers and premium labels are countless, and Fedrigoni’s network and global footprint in more than 130 countries will be a strong growth accelerator for us.”
