AkzoNobel said it acquired a stake in startup Qlayers.

Qlayers’ coating technology offers a fully automated solution that is safer, more consistent and faster than the manual coating processes used now in the industry, according to AkzoNobel. 

By eliminating overspray, it’s a sustainable solution that saves costs, according to AkzoNobel.

“This collaboration with Qlayers is not only a strategic investment for AkzoNobel and our co-investor ECFG, but it’s also a win-win-win for us all,” said Menno van der Zalm, global director Innovation at AkzoNobel. “It fits our vision to make the paints and coatings value chain more sustainable and efficient with innovative products and solutions for our customers. ECFG is adding another promising enterprise to its portfolio. And Qlayers is now ready to scale up and accelerate its growth. Working together, we’re going to make progress and be successful.”

Qlayers is part of AkzoNobel’s Paint the Future collaborative innovation ecosystem and has been working with the company ever since earning a partnership agreement in its 2019 global startup challenge. 

Qlayers’ technology has already been used by customers to successfully apply anti-corrosive coating systems on storage tanks, where the benefit of automated application has enhanced worker safety and delivered increased sustainability and process efficiency results, according to AkzoNobel.

“We’re thrilled that AkzoNobel and ECFG have decided to make this investment in our company,” says Josefien Groot, co-founder and CEO of Qlayers. “Our solution is a unique technology in the market. This investment brings us closer to our dream of a future in which paints and coatings are applied in a more efficient and sustainable way.”

AkzoNobel’s investment has been jointly made with ECFG’s Eindhoven Venture Capital Fund II (EVCF II), an investment fund primarily focused on innovative small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with distinctive product/market combinations.