Butterfly Equity acquires digital flexible packaging firm ePac

USA – Butterfly Equity has completed the acquisition of ePac Flexible Packaging, a US-based producer of digitally printed flexible packaging, from an investor consortium that included Amcor and Indevco North America.

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Founded in 2016, ePac has built a strong position in the fast-growing digital flexible packaging segment, supplying consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies with a particular focus on food and beverage brands.

The company operates 14 manufacturing facilities across the US and Canada, serving both emerging brands and established players seeking speed, flexibility and shorter production runs.

At the core of ePac’s model is its proprietary ePacONE platform, which enables order-to-demand manufacturing through automated quoting, rapid turnaround times and short-run production.

This approach has resonated with brands responding to changing consumer preferences, SKU proliferation and the need to reduce inventory risk while accelerating time to market.

ePac’s existing leadership team, led by CEO and co-founder Virag Patel, will continue to run the business and has retained a significant ownership stake.

Patel said the partnership with Butterfly marks “a new phase of acceleration” for the company, adding that Butterfly’s connectivity across the food and beverage ecosystem would support further deployment of next-generation technologies and platforms.

Butterfly partner and head of investment team Vishal Patel described the acquisition as the firm’s first platform investment in the packaging sector, calling packaging “a critical component of the food value chain”.

He noted that Butterfly’s deep expertise in food end markets would help accelerate ePac’s growth while maintaining its customer-centric service model.

Butterfly managing director Eric Tommarello highlighted ePac’s strong execution track record, pointing to the combination of digital technology, speed of service and customer experience as a scalable foundation for continued growth in digitally printed packaging.

The deal comes amid heightened private equity interest in packaging assets that support agility, customization and sustainability.

Digital flexible packaging, in particular, is gaining traction as brands seek to minimize waste, enable more frequent design changes and support regionalized production.

Recent industry moves include Amcor’s increased focus on digital print partnerships and Mondi’s investments in short-run and sustainable flexible packaging solutions, reflecting broader shifts in brand requirements.

For Butterfly, which has traditionally focused on food, agriculture and related supply chains, the acquisition positions ePac as a strategic entry point into packaging, aligning material innovation and manufacturing flexibility with evolving food and beverage market demands.

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