Chi Impact Capital's investment in German-based reusable packaging business VYTAL has been named this year's impact project/investment of the year within the pollution and waste management sub-category.

It first invested in the technology company in 2021 and more recently provided additional capital as part of its €6.2 million ($6.5 million) Series A funding round in July 2024. VYTAL mitigates single-use plastics by providing durable, ready-to-consume packaging for food and drink.

"We at Chi Impact Capital are proud to be an early investor in Vytal and, in particular, that Vytal has already avoided more than 15 million single use packages with its solution. Vytal and we share a common vision: to transform the packaging industry towards circularity and to foster behaviour change among consumers," Christin ter Braak-Forstinger, founder and chief executive officer at Chi Impact, said.

The past 12 months have proven strong for the business, surpassing its 2023 revenue mark already in mid-2024.

Chi Impact supported the business in the past year as it entered the events business, supplying major events such as the UEFA Euro 2024 football championship and major venues during the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

Its increased use has promoted the circular economy, lowered carbon emissions and reduced landfill waste.

"How much of their efforts are really counting for creating a long-term impact? We define with the management team three metrics to see the impact created. For this investment, they were 'avoided single-use packages'; 'the users'; and 'the average time of the usability of the containers'," Enrique Alvarado Hablutzel, co-founder at Chi Impact, told Environmental Finance.