Hey Circle receives an undisclosed amount of funding from Butterfly & Elephant, the investment company of GS1 GermanyThe startup develops reusable shipping packaging and software for tracking its use. The goal is to reduce waste and CO2 emissions in online retail and promote a circular economy in the shipping process.
Standards create transparency
Hey Circle combines robust reusable packaging with a digital solution that documents circulation and savings. Each package carries a unique GRAI (Global Returnable Asset Identifier) code. This allows movements and sustainability metrics to be precisely recorded. The startup also uses the GTIN to identify different packaging types and manage inventory across locations. Doris Diebold, founder and CEO of Hey Circle, explains:
"Using GS1 standards like GTIN and GRAI enables us to uniquely identify packaging and transparently record sustainability data. This makes the circular economy measurable and applicable to companies."
According to the company, reusable packaging reduces waste by around 94 percent, CO2 emissions by 76 percent, and packaging costs by 53 percent. Accompanying software automatically makes these values available for ESG reporting, allowing companies to integrate the data into their sustainability reports.
The Munich startup already works with over 90 customers and has tens of thousands of packages in circulation. Collaborations with parcel service providers promote the integration of reusable models into existing logistics systems.
"Hey Circle makes sustainability scalable. The team combines ecological responsibility with economic strength. Our investment supports a model that uses GS1 standards to bring sustainable innovation into existing value chains,"
so Benjamin Birker, Managing Director at Butterfly & Elephant.
With this investment, Hey Circle aims to expand its market position and further establish standardization as the basis for sustainable logistics processes.
