The value of disruption | Interview with Edgar Arribas, CEO of Fizzycaps
Fizzycaps is the most innovative Barcelona startup on the market in terms of caps. Its products focused on the sparkling wine sector (cava and champagne) and carbonated beverages (soft drinks, mineral water, kombucha and beer) have already been awarded for their good circular economy practices and their innovation in Packaging and machinery.
Free Falling has joined the project for a few months, as a shareholder partner and is collaborating closely with the co-founders of Fizzycaps to lead the marketing strategy.
Our team is carrying out a series of actions to help the brand grow in its sector and today we interview one of the protagonists, Edgar Arribas, CEO of FIzzycaps, who explains how he is experiencing this great moment of change and growth.
1. Tell us about FIZZYCAPS and how it has been introduced to the market, how did it come about?
The FIZZYCAPS project began as an idea a few years ago, following a visit to the facilities of a Cava producer. It was observed that the vast majority of the bottles were stained with rust, this being a common problem in the sector when iron crown corks are used in humid environments. From that moment on, the search began for a solution that could replace the plastic obturator and crown cap assembly with a single piece made entirely of a single material, and this was our first product, but we have more.
2. What is the differential value of FIZZYCAPS in Spain, and, therefore, in the world?
Today it is on the agenda to talk about extended producer responsibility, as something new, but we have been doing it for a long time out of conviction. We are not aware of any closure supplier in this country that includes a recovery system for the closures it supplies, committing to recover and recycle the entirety. This is not something you can do overnight, in addition to creating a logistics network for recovery, you need your products to be designed for it.
3. Explain to us what is “Being ZIRCULAR”?
It is something that is aligned with our values. The linear economy should be a thing of the past. Being ZIRCULAR implies changing, collaborating and getting involved in everything that a circular economy can generate, taking advantage of synergies between companies or sectors that can promote the reuse of resources to, in the end, need fewer resources for the same level of production. Being sustainable is not about changing plastic for cardboard to appear more “green”, but about taking concrete actions that generate a positive and real impact on the environment. We, at FIZZYCAPS, do our bit by offering capping systems that allow circular economy models to be introduced where today it is impossible.
It is very comfortable to drink a coffee that comes in a capsule and throw it away, or open a beer that comes with a metal and plastic sheet, and throw it away. But where will this packaging end up? Imagine the amount of garbage that is generated with these linear systems just in one day.
4. From your point of view, what growth opportunities will Fizzycaps have with the contribution of Free Falling as a project partner?
The entry of Free Falling into our capital has marked a milestone in terms of the management of our start-up. The co-founders, who are José Luis and I, carry the project forward with our best know-how, creating and turning disruptive products into reality, and very focused on the technical part. Free Falling is giving us a more marketing vision, which is giving us the final push to scale our products in the market.
5. How do you see the change in conception from the traditional tapado to the sustainable tapado in the current market?
As it is said in English, “it’s a must”.
I think that traditional closure solutions solved a problem in the past, when the circular economy and sustainability did not matter, and that now the producers of packaging and, in our case, of closures, must rethink our business model to be truly sustainable. and get our customers to be too.
To be able to do it, you need to have generated an ecosystem of partners around a product that is specially designed for it. That is our vision of sustainable covering.
It may sound somewhat abstract, but I will give you an example: every time we open a beer in a glass bottle in a bar, notice that the bartender immediately throws the cap in the trash. Today, that glass bottle will be collected, washed, and reused about 25 times. Why not do the same with the covers? Well, maybe because with the current capping system it is not profitable. What if we design a product that makes this process profitable, and we create an ecosystem that allows these lids to be recovered, recycled and remanufactured?
6. Explain to us how the union of Fizzycaps with Free Falling has been and how their strategic vision is an added value to the project.
Our project has attracted the interest of investors from various sectors and countries. From the beginning, we liked the Free Falling proposal since we were not only looking for capital, but also to provide ourselves with strategic vision and support to bring our products to market. Thanks to Free Falling's contributions in this field, we have come a long way in recent months.
7. What do you value most about having a Partner as Free Falling to build the path?
At the stage that FIZZYCAPS was in at the time of the investment round, silly money was of no use to us. I explain. What we needed was not an injection of capital per se, but to create a professional and multidisciplinary team that would allow us to grow at the rate we are currently doing, and Free Falling is being one of the key pieces in this.
8. Together with David Garcia, founding partner of Free Falling, and the rest of the Council, you are leading the circular economy value proposition within the packaging and packaging sector. What have been the initial starting points?
When we started the project, we practically had nothing more than a few ideas, which little by little we were carrying out between the co-founder José Luis and me, not without various difficulties.
When we decided to launch the investment round, FIZZYCAPS already started with some traction and diverse interest generated in the market, so we didn't start from scratch. One of our challenges was to find a way to correctly convey exactly what we are aiming for, which goes way beyond just selling closures, and together with the help of David and the Free Falling team we are shaping the vision we want our clients to have. of us.
9. At what time do you meet? What are the next steps for Fizzycaps?
We are in a very beautiful moment. We are making visits to potential clients explaining what this sustainable cover up is and they are enjoying it. Our next milestone to meet is the industrialization of one of our products, to meet the demand that little by little we have been generating in the market.
10. Lastly, for those entrepreneurs who are thinking of creating a business, explain how important it has been for you and for the project to have a partner capable of turning an idea into reality.
One of my mentors always told me that the secret to creating a good company is to have a good team. I think this is one of the best messages that can be given to an entrepreneur who is starting a project. Together, you go much further.
We are living this in first person since the entrance of Free Falling in our capital. Now we have the opportunity to compare qualified opinions and strategies, and that gives us solidity in our decisions.