Swaay Technologies secures US$2.35M to replace can labels with direct printing

IRELAND – Swaay Technologies has raised over €2 million (US$2.35 million)  to commercialise a digital printing platform that applies artwork directly onto beverage cans, bypassing the plastic labels and shrink sleeves that complicate recycling and add supply chain complexity.

Rather than applying pre-printed plastic film or sleeves, the system prints graphics straight onto the container surface. 

This eliminates the label procurement step entirely, removing the need for converters, label inventories, and separate application machinery. 

For beverage producers, direct printing shortens lead times by allowing artwork changes without waiting for new label stock, a significant advantage for promotional runs, regional variants and limited editions.

Format Simplifies Deposit Return Scheme Compliance

The elimination of labels also addresses a growing regulatory headache across Europe.

National deposit return schemes increasingly require material separation and label compatibility assessments, and differing rules across jurisdictions fragment production planning. 

Containers printed directly avoid the label-material variables that complicate compliance, simplifying the path for brands distributing across multiple European markets with distinct recycling mandates.

BVP Leads Round Targeting Short-Run Economics

The funding round was led by BVP with participation from the BVP Investor Club, supporting new roles in Mullingar, Ireland. 

Swaay has established initial management and technical teams in Mullingar and Quebec, Canada, to serve European and North American clients. 

Stephen Burdock, head of investments at BVP, said short-run labelling represented a real and rising cost problem for brands, noting that cans continued taking share from other packaging formats. 

He added that Swaay had a credible plan to make direct-to-shape printing work at scale.

Founders Target Long-Tail Complexity

Mark O’Donnell, chief commercial officer and co-founder, said brands cared whether they could get a market-ready product in weeks, in the quantity needed and in the markets they wanted to serve or test. 

Ciarán Gorman, chief executive and co-founder who previously co-founded Bevcraft Group, said he saw a huge opportunity to build a global technology-driven company from Ireland, applying technology to solve long-tail complexity. 

The platform targets beverage co-packers and producers seeking alternatives to conventional decoration, competing with systems such as Tonejet’s Cyclone C4+ and Videojet’s 1880 C printer. 

Scaling direct-to-shape technology depends on matching the print quality, speed and cost thresholds that currently make pressure-sensitive labels and sleeves the default choice for high-volume beverage production.

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