Evolve your solution with the Amcor Lift-Off Winter 2025/26 Challenge

Are you developing the next generation of more sustainable packaging materials, high-performance compostable packaging barriers, or revolutionary adhesives for fiber-based packaging? Amcor invites innovative startups to apply for the Amcor Lift-Off Winter 2025/26 Challenge for a chance to secure R&D collaboration, strategic partnerships and potential investment of up to $500,000. Apply by December 12, 2025 and accelerate your path to business impact.

Amcor Lift-Off is an open call initiative that supports early-stage start-ups developing innovative packaging solutions and related technologies. Through this initiative, startups have the opportunity to obtain funding, collaborate on R&D or launch a commercial pilot with Amcor.

Amcor is the global leader in the development and production of responsible consumer packaging for the nutrition, health, beauty and wellness categories. THE Amcor Lift-Off, last challenge of winter 2025/26 has just launched and is now accepting applications.

If you are a startup, apply now for your chance to gain exposure within Amcor and secure funding and other support to take your idea to the next level!

As a global leader in design, innovation and manufacturing, Amcor has approximately 1,500 R&D experts who innovate new materials, formats and technologies to help its customers grow and meet the needs of millions of consumers every day. Amcor operates 10 innovation centers around the world, including:

Ghent, Belgium – where they coordinate global R&D efforts to make increasingly sustainable flexible packaging.
Evansville, Indiana, United States — where Amcor experts work with customers to design, design, prototype and test flexible and rigid packaging.
Neenah, Wisconsin, United States – where Amcor accelerates packaging ideas from concept to market through collaboration, rapid prototyping and hands-on research.

This extensive global R&D infrastructure allows Amcor to rapidly evaluate, test and scale emerging solutions from promising startups.

Why should you apply for the Amcor Lift-Off Challenge?

Exposure to Amcor’s senior R&D leaders: Selected candidates will report directly to Amcor’s global innovation and R&D leadership team, providing unparalleled access and visibility.
Joint development and collaboration: Selected companies can secure collaboration with Amcor technical teams to scale, test and scale their solutions through active R&D projects.
Potential financial support: Amcor could explore stock investment up to 500,000 USDbased on strategic fit and technological maturity.
Access to Amcor’s global network: Startups can gain access to Amcor specialists, technical advice and potential business avenues, including sourcing, R&D cooperation and long-term partnerships.

“As a global packaging leader, we are proud to champion circularity through innovative and more sustainable solutions. The Amcor Lift-Off initiative has delivered exceptional results and we look forward to continuing this success. With the launch of our new initiative, we reaffirm Amcor’s commitment to advancing circularity and environmental responsibility through collaboration with the brightest minds in the start-up ecosystem.”
– Frank Lehmann, Amcor Vice President, Corporate Venturing & Open Innovation

Are you a good candidate for the Amcor Lift-Off Challenge?

THE Amcor Lift-Off Challenge Winter 2025/26 focuses on three critical areas of innovation that are shaping the future of recycle-ready and compostable packaging. Startups are encouraged to submit solutions that meet any of the following:

1. Home Compostable Adhesives

Solutions include flexible packaging adhesives that:

Are certified home compostable
Deliver solid bond performance
Comply with regulatory requirements
Are compatible with paper and other compostable substrates

2. High performance compostable OTR barriers

Amcor is pursuing advanced barrier technologies for paper-based packaging that:

Provide excellent oxygen transmission rate (OTR) protection for paper packaging
Are suitable for dispersion coating
Meet sustainability and regulatory standards

3. Natural barrier additives for film formulation

The additives must be:

Preferably derived from natural sources
Compostable and scalable
Able to increase resistance to oxygen, grease and moisture

Challenge Structure and Schedule

Amcor Lift-Off Challenge Winter 2025/26 involves a three-phase process:

Application deadline: December 12, 2025 (24:59 CET)
Selection and comments: Until December 19, 2025
Pitch day: January 13, 2026 (virtual)

Startups must be incorporated and TRL 5+with sufficiently mature technologies for testing and validation. Start-up and growing businesses are encouraged to apply.

Successful candidates will approach Amcor’s R&D experts directly for the opportunity to secure technical collaboration or investment.

Building on a successful track record of Amcor’s takeoff challenges

Launching in April 2022, Amcor Lift-Off targets revolutionary and cutting-edge technologies that further advance Amcor’s goal of making the future of packaging more sustainable.

Circolution, one of the 2022 winners, is a provider of reusable packaging solutions for pre-packaged retail products. In addition to providing high-quality containers, they also offer comprehensive reverse logistics activities and data to measure economic and ecological performance.

“We are excited to be able to support circulation at this early stage and see great synergies with our existing products and other investments as we work towards a circular system for packaging. Amcor is passionate about supporting the development of a circular economy and innovation is essential to achieving our goals. Collaboration and investment drive progress and it is this philosophy that led to the formation of the Amcor Lift-Off initiative. Our team continues to discover the most impressive innovative startups in industry, and we can’t wait to see what fruit this latest partnership will bear.
– Frank Lehmann, Amcor Vice President, Corporate Venturing & Open Innovation

Amcor provided the lid sealing solution for Circolution’s first product in the coffee, cocoa and powder sector, launching in 2022, using Amcor’s ready-to-recycle AmFoil and AluFix peelable can lids.

Circolution co-founder Alessandro Marchiaro said: “We are very excited to win Amcor as the first ticket in our funding round. After successfully launching in 2022 and beginning to scale up our operations, Amcor’s expertise and funding will be invaluable. We are excited to reach this important milestone.”

Circolution is the third company to secure funding through Amcor’s Lift-Off initiative. In 2023, Amcor announced seed funding for:

Infinite Nanotechnology – an advanced materials company that leverages smart nanocoatings to make packaging recyclable and compostable.
Bloom Biorenewables – chemistry and biomaterials company that transforms plant waste into chemicals used in packaging.
Gray parrot – the company uses AI waste analysis to unlock a new understanding of discarded resources called waste intelligence.