SHERIDAN, WYOMING – October 9, 2025 – K 2025 will again dedicate a packed Start-up Zone to young companies pushing the plastics and rubber industry toward data-driven efficiency and lower-carbon production, signaling where plant investments and supplier partnerships are headed this year in Düsseldorf.
Innovation focus: AI, analytics and circular economy take center stage
The Start-up Zone returns as a curated arena for early-stage technologies with direct plant-floor impact. Located in Hall 7 and fully subscribed with 20 exhibitors, the area concentrates on artificial intelligence, data exchange, biobased materials, and digitally supported production—capabilities buyers increasingly seek to meet quality, compliance, and sustainability objectives. A Start-up Pitch on Monday, October 13, 2025, will give selected founders a fast track to prospective partners on the show floor.
Technical upgrades that translate to workflow value
Beyond buzzwords, showcased tools map to measurable outcomes:
- Process intelligence & uptime: predictive maintenance, AR-assisted troubleshooting, and real-time optimization aim to cut unplanned downtime and scrap.
- Production transparency: interoperable data pipes across converters, recyclers, and OEMs promise traceability for materials and compliance reporting.
- Energy and carbon control: AI-guided electricity procurement and PV/LED retrofits target cost and emissions reductions with auditable progress.
- Next-gen materials: algae- and seaweed-derived biopolymers and PHAs open design windows for packaging and consumer goods while supporting circular flows.
Market context: procurement meets regulation and ROI
Buyers arrive at K 2025 under simultaneous pressure to de-risk supply, document recycled content, and maintain margins. That puts a premium on MRI-like visibility for the plant—clean, standardized data across machines, materials, and suppliers—plus materials innovation that scales without disrupting existing tooling or cycle times. Start-ups that combine compliance-ready reporting with fast payback on OEE or energy spend are positioned to move from pilot to program.
Representative companies and what they offer
To help visitors prioritize meetings, here’s a quick orientation by theme (non-exhaustive; all companies exhibit in the Start-up Zone, Hall 7):
- AI for production & maintenance: Hyppos A.I (chemical-process analytics), Maintastic (mobile maintenance with AI/AR), iDOO (extrusion insights), Simreka (virtual experimentation).
- Data & interoperability: R-Cycle – ProData (turnkey SaaS for secure, standardized packaging-chain data exchange), TOOLPLACE (digital sourcing and supplier pool for tooling).
- Energy & decarbonization: ECO2GROW (AI energy “autopilot” and PPAs), Saflux (PV/LED solutions with measurable savings), be2morrow (end-to-end carbon strategy and reporting).
- Circular materials & recycling: ERANOVA (algae-based recyclable resins), Paques Biomaterials (PHAs from organic waste streams), noriware (seaweed-based packaging), REPLACE (direct conversion of composite plastic waste into recyclable profiles).
- Chemicals & high-performance resins: Jade Chemical (BMI and specialty resins), Saen Engineering (high-efficiency machinery with ROI and energy focus), Emerging Motif (regulatory and recyclability expertise).
- AR for complex machinery: Vithrough by talsand (augmented-reality product digitization for machine builders).
- Biobased elastomers: KUORI (bio-based, recyclable elastics from food by-products).
In their words
“A special highlight is the Start-up Pitch, which will take place on Monday, 13 October 2025, on the stage of the K special show ‘Plastics shape the future’, organized by Plastics Europe Germany and Messe Düsseldorf in Hall 6.”
Strategic implications for converters, recyclers and OEMs
For operations leaders, the Start-up Zone is less about novelty and more about portfolio fit: which tools can plug into existing MES/ERP stacks, deliver traceable data for customer audits, and shorten the path to recycled-content targets? For brand owners, new biopolymers and seaweed-based materials expand design options while keeping one eye on cost and scale-up. The smart move: build a short list that pairs a materials bet (PHAs, algae resins) with a data backbone (interoperable IDs, packaging-chain records) and an energy-savings quick win.
K 2025 essentials and how to engage
K 2025 runs October 8–15, 2025 in Düsseldorf, daily 10:00–18:30. Day tickets are €60 (three-day: €125; pupils/students: €20). The Start-up Zone is in Hall 7; the Start-up Pitch takes place October 13 in Hall 6. Plan meetings early and map your route to compress discovery cycles into actionable trials. Learn more at k-online.com.