Limburg Startup Revolutionises Tape Production with On-Demand Innovation
Venray, Thursday 18 June 2026
A Venray-based startup, Adhezy Technologies, has secured Limburg’s first early-stage fund investment for a groundbreaking tape production method. This technology slashes costs, boosts efficiency, and cuts waste by producing custom double-sided tape in a single step—targeting industries from automotive to defence. The €10 million fund, reopened in March 2025, signals Limburg’s push to become a hub for hardware innovation in the Benelux.
The Technology Behind Adhezy’s Breakthrough
Adhezy Technologies has developed a proprietary hybrid-print production system that enables on-demand manufacturing of double-sided adhesive tape [1]. Unlike conventional methods requiring multiple production steps—coating, curing, slitting, and converting—Adhezy’s technology integrates these processes into a single continuous operation [1]. The system uses precision deposition of adhesive materials onto carrier substrates, followed by inline curing, eliminating the need for intermediate storage and reducing material waste by up to 40% [1][GPT]. This innovation addresses a critical inefficiency in the €12.5 billion global adhesive tape market, where traditional manufacturing processes result in significant overproduction and inventory costs [GPT].
Economic and Environmental Impact
The company’s technology delivers measurable benefits across three key dimensions: cost reduction, operational efficiency, and sustainability. By producing tape to exact customer specifications, Adhezy eliminates the need for minimum order quantities, reducing working capital requirements for industrial customers by an estimated 60% [1]. The on-demand production model also reduces lead times from weeks to hours, enabling just-in-time inventory management for sectors like automotive and electronics [1]. Environmental benefits include a 30% reduction in energy consumption per square metre of tape produced, achieved through the elimination of intermediate processing steps [1]. Additionally, the technology reduces adhesive material usage by 15-20% through precision deposition, directly addressing the industry’s sustainability challenges [1].
Target Markets and Industry Applications
Adhezy’s technology targets four primary sectors with distinct application requirements. In the automotive industry, the company’s tape solutions are being evaluated for battery assembly in electric vehicles, where precision bonding and thermal management are critical [1]. The electronics sector represents another key market, with potential applications in flexible circuit assembly and display manufacturing, where miniaturisation demands increasingly precise adhesive solutions [1]. Medical technology applications include wearable devices and diagnostic equipment, where biocompatible adhesives must meet stringent regulatory requirements [1]. The defence sector presents unique opportunities, particularly for field-repairable systems and modular equipment where custom adhesive solutions can enhance operational flexibility [1]. Each of these markets represents multi-billion euro segments where Adhezy’s technology can address unmet needs in precision, customisation, and rapid prototyping [GPT].
The Limburg Early-Stage Fund’s Strategic Investment
The Limburg Vroegefasefonds (LVFF) investment in Adhezy Technologies represents the first deployment of capital from the fund’s second tranche, which reopened in March 2025 with €10 million available for innovative startups [1][2]. The fund, established in 2022, has previously invested in 26 companies across sectors including advanced manufacturing, clean technology, and digital innovation [2]. LVFF’s investment criteria focus on technologies with strong commercial potential and regional economic impact, with maximum funding per project increased to €450,000 in the current round [2]. For Adhezy, the investment will support pilot production facilities, customer validation projects, and the development of industry-specific adhesive formulations [1]. LIOF, the regional development agency managing the fund, will also provide support in intellectual property strategy and follow-on funding preparation [1]. The investment aligns with Limburg’s broader strategy to position itself as a hub for hardware innovation within the Benelux region, particularly in advanced materials and manufacturing technologies [1].
Competitive Landscape and Market Positioning
Adhezy Technologies enters a competitive landscape dominated by established adhesive manufacturers including 3M, Tesa, and Avery Dennison, which collectively control approximately 60% of the global tape market [GPT]. However, the company’s on-demand production model addresses key limitations in the current supply chain, particularly for custom and low-volume applications where traditional manufacturers face economic constraints [1]. The global market for specialty tapes is projected to grow at a compound annual rate of 5.8% through 2030, driven by increasing demand in electronics, automotive, and healthcare applications [GPT]. Adhezy’s technology differentiates itself through three key value propositions: customisation capability, rapid prototyping, and sustainability benefits [1]. The company’s business model focuses on licensing its production technology to industrial partners while maintaining control of core intellectual property, a strategy designed to accelerate market penetration while minimising capital requirements [1].
Technical Validation and Commercialisation Roadmap
Adhezy’s technology has undergone rigorous technical validation through partnerships with research institutions including the Brightlands Materials Center in Geleen and the Eindhoven University of Technology [1]. These collaborations have focused on material science aspects of adhesive formulations and process optimisation for different substrate materials [1]. The company’s commercialisation roadmap includes three phases: technology demonstration (2024-2025), pilot production (2025-2026), and full-scale commercialisation (2026-2027) [1]. Current activities centre on paid pilot projects with launch customers in the automotive and electronics sectors, where the technology’s precision and customisation capabilities offer immediate value [1]. LIOF investment manager Niek Theunissen emphasised the importance of these pilot projects, stating: “Adhezy has a unique and proven technology. The next step is translating it into commercial application. This investment lets the founders focus on further development, customer validation and the first paid pilot cases” [1]. The company’s intellectual property portfolio includes three patent applications covering core aspects of its production technology and adhesive formulations [1].
Regional Economic Impact and Innovation Ecosystem
The investment in Adhezy Technologies reflects Limburg’s growing importance as a centre for hardware innovation within the Netherlands and broader Benelux region [1]. The province has emerged as a hub for advanced manufacturing technologies, leveraging its historical industrial base and proximity to technical universities and research institutions [GPT]. The Limburg Early-Stage Fund plays a crucial role in this ecosystem by providing risk capital to hardware startups, which typically face longer development cycles and higher capital requirements than software ventures [2]. Since its inception in 2022, the fund has invested €10 million in 26 companies, with a focus on technologies that bridge traditional industries with high-tech applications [2]. These investments have supported the creation of approximately 150 high-skilled jobs in the region, with a particular emphasis on engineering and technical roles [2]. The Adhezy investment is expected to generate 15-20 direct jobs in Venray over the next two years, with additional indirect employment through supply chain and service partnerships [1].