Foldcast secures €160K to reduce concrete use with recyclable paper moulds

Swiss
construction technology startup Foldcast has secured €160,000 (CHF 150,000) from
Venture Kick to advance its recyclable paper mould technology for concrete
construction and move towards commercial deployment.

A spin-off from
Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Foldcast was founded by Fabio Amicarelli and Ena Lloret-Fritschi to develop a construction method combining
recyclable paper-based moulds with design software and digital manufacturing to
produce material-efficient concrete elements.

The company is
addressing the environmental impact and material inefficiencies associated with
conventional concrete construction. Concrete is estimated to account for around
eight per cent of global CO₂ emissions, while traditional wood and metal formwork can limit the
production of structurally optimised shapes and add to construction costs.

Foldcast uses
flexible paper moulds to produce customised concrete elements, allowing
material to be placed where structurally needed. Its software supports the
design and optimisation of structural components, while digital manufacturing
is used to produce the corresponding formwork. The company says the approach
can reduce material consumption and associated emissions while maintaining
structural performance.

Foldcast is
initially targeting sustainability-focused real estate developers and
institutional asset owners in Switzerland and other European markets. In the
longer term, the company plans to work with precast concrete manufacturers as
production and licensing partners.

The new funding
will support Foldcast’s transition from technology validation to market entry.
The company plans to complete two pilot projects, develop a minimum viable
product for its software, establish industrial production partnerships in
Switzerland and strengthen its sales and business development activities.