The past 20 months of building Topanga have been a marathon and a sprint. We’ve built a comprehensive suite of products and services that enable businesses and organizations to transition from single-use to reusable packaging. Our innovative track-and-trace technology not only helps clients eliminate waste but also drives measurable economic return on investment.
For the past 12 months we’ve been focused on building successful reusable programs in the campus and higher-education market. On the heels of incredible market momentum, we’re excited to share that we’ve closed an oversubscribed $3.6 million seed round. This round was led by Amasia and joined by the teams at Struck and Wonder Ventures. Ramanan Raghavendran, Amasia’s co-founder, will join our board. In today’s unpredictable market, we’re thrilled to be backed by investors that share a belief in our mission.
And in some ways, our mission is simple: build technology that proves sustainable choices can drive economic and environmental ROI.
But the real-world problem we’re solving is complicated - we’re changing consumption by way of changing consumer behavior. And we’re doing so in fast-paced, retail food environments where efficiency is everything.
Our technology reflects this dichotomy. We deliver clear and engaging user experiences backed by thoughtful operator tools. Our products are the output of years of R&D efforts, built by a world-class technology team with deep expertise in QSR environments.
This round of funding will allow us to grow our team and double down on our mission. We’re continuing to expand the presence of our ReusePass program in the campus space. By partnering with universities and colleges, we can drive systemic change and create a culture of responsible consumption in the generation that will live in a world changed by climate. Simultaneously, we’re exploring tomorrow's mass-market opportunities, seeking new avenues where our innovative solutions can make a significant difference.
This past semester, over 12,000 university students nationwide participated in our ReusePass program across 7 campuses, achieving container return rates of 98%+. By choosing to reuse vs continuing to purchase single-use, these campuses helped divert 89,000 lbs of GHG emissions from entering our atmosphere.
At 98% return rates, each reusable container we track is likely to be reused at least 34 times. One of our containers went on over 85 loops this semester alone! This is important. The impact of reusable packaging can’t be evaluated by guesstimating return rates, it must be measured by looking at the data to understand return rates and reuse rates. If you don’t know how many times a container will be reused, then you can’t know the environmental or economic impact.
That’s part of what sets Topanga’s programs apart: real data.
In addition to being thankful to our new investors, we’re proud to be working with innovative clients who have helped us prove the efficacy of Topanga’s approach to reuse.
And most importantly, to be building alongside an incredible team. Every individual on our team makes an impact on the culture and the work we do each day. Our mission and our values are what fuels us.
Forward we go!
-Page, Adam, Max
—
Be quick but don’t hurry: We’re scrappy and we know when to push forward, we strive for the best without letting perfection get in the way of progress. We always take pride in the quality of our work.
Communicate with Candor: We communicate proactively, honestly, and directly whether it is 1:1, across Topanga teams, or with external stakeholders.
Disagree and Commit: While we always come to the table with strategic opinions, we’re open to changing our perspective. Once we’ve come to a conclusion, we rally behind our team to get it done.
Freedom with responsibility: As teammates, we prioritize hitting our objectives. We have the freedom to achieve goals in a way that fulfills us.
Design for reuse: We’re intentional with what we produce. We aim for the outputs of our daily efforts to be reusable.
Blaze the trail but bring a compass: We’re not afraid to innovate and design new ways to solve a problem. We know the best innovation is purposeful.