Following its investment in Tageos and the Grenoble R&D Center, Italian papermaker Fedrigoni announces the acquisition of a minority stake in connected solutions company SharpEnd through a capital increase.
SharpEnd, founded in 2015 and based in London, bills itself as the world's first Internet of Things (IoT) agency. The company uses technologies such as NFC, QR codes and augmented reality to develop connected packaging, product and retail experiences for brands. SharpEnd manages billions of packaging and retail touchpoints across 130 countries.
"SharpEnd provides solutions and consultancy services to support major brands, particularly in the luxury and FMCG sectors, in the creation of smart products and packaging, essential for product safety, authenticity and traceability, but also to offer end-users increasingly engaging shopping experiences." says Marco Nespolo, Fedrigoni Group CEO.
This agreement is part of a new venture capital program launched by Fedrigoni to acquire new technologies.
Marco Nespolo adds: "The world of connected products is becoming increasingly strategic for us, and this operation is highly complementary and in strong synergy with the recent acquisitions of Tageos, a French company specializing in the manufacture of UHF and NFC inlays (acquired in 2022) and grenoble-based R&D Center (which joined the Group in 2023), will enrich our portfolio of solutions in the world of labels and smart papers".
