Anna Altner’s scale-up collaborates with global partners to tackle sustainability challenges in the packaging industry.

Anna Altner, a Chemical Engineer, transitioned to entrepreneurship after a career in the traditional forest industry, where she has led production and various projects, such as energy efficiency deployment, strategic investments and innovation. Having worked in various roles, she wished to work with a different approach; with a collaborative mindset and to drive disruptive innovation, why she founded The Loop Factory in 2014.

“Even before launching, I had encountered dry forming—a disruptive method for creating rigid, cellulose-based packaging. After some years of development, this led to the creation of the new startup Yangi,” says Anna Altner, who now works primarily as an active Founder at Yangi.

The packaging industry is undergoing a significant sustainability transformation, driven by legislation and increasing pressure from both brands and consumers. With Yangi’s dry-forming technology, both energy and water consumption are seriously reduced, and cutting the CO2 footprint by approximately 70-80% compared to traditional packaging alternatives, like plastic.

”Compared to the traditional startup journey, we were relatively late in bringing in capital. Today, we have four strategic investors and have had the privilege of working closely with customers from the start, as there is significant interest in sustainable technologies within the packaging industry” says Anna Altner.

As a sole founder, it has been crucial to build a strong team with a shared vision and drive. Today, the team consists of 30 individuals with unique expertise in their field. Now is the time to scale and Anna is looking forward to Sweden Sustaintech Venture Day, and to meet growth investors to make a Series A /Seed+ round.

“I’m the visionary, and I’m absolutely thrilled to have such a talented team supporting me on this incredible journey. Watching everyone grow both professionally and personally, while challenging each other to create new solutions for our customers, is what I love most about being a process tech entrepreneur,” Anna says, clearly proud of all she has achieved.

As an entrepreneur, work naturally blends into her hobbies. In addition to that, her greatest passions are skiing and horseback riding, as well as spending quality time with her family.

Age: 48

Education: MSc Chemical and Environmental Engineering

Future Vision: To develop Yangi into a global packaging solutions company that makes a significant impact and inspires the industry and individuals to embrace change for a sustainable future.

Best book to read: Clara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

Sustainable leisure tip: Take a mountain bike and explore the beautiful natural surroundings nearby.