She Turned Plastic Waste Into Opportunity

She Turned Plastic Waste Into Opportunity

Author: Thomas Ohr August 20, 2026 Duration: 40:03
Join us for an interview with Angela Ivanova, the co-founder and CEO of LAM’ON Compostable Films, a Bulgarian company at the forefront of sustainable packaging solutions. Angela shares her journey of addressing one of the most pressing environmental challenges: the 1.2 million metric tons of laminated paper wasted annually. LAM’ON has developed bio-based, compostable laminating films and packaging foils that seamlessly integrate with paper recycling, offering a circular economy solution without compromising quality. In this discussion, Angela dives into the challenges of building LAM’ON from the ground up. She reflects on the gender gap in entrepreneurship, the moments that led her to focus on biodegradable materials, and the hurdles of product development, industry adoption, and scaling a startup in Bulgaria. The conversation also explores the real-world impact of LAM’ON’s innovations. Angela discusses how companies are transitioning to their compostable films, the barriers to widespread adoption, and whether customers are driven by genuine environmental consciousness or regulatory pressures. With a sharp focus on the future of sustainable materials, she examines the role of technology, infrastructure, and consumer behavior in making compostable packaging mainstream within the next five years.

Hosted by Thomas Ohr, the EU-Startups Podcast pulls back the curtain on the continent's most dynamic and innovative companies. This isn't about abstract theory; it's a direct line to the founders, investors, and operators who are actually building the future across European cities. Each conversation digs into the tangible details-the early struggles for funding, the strategic pivots, the challenges of scaling across borders, and the personal journeys behind the headlines. You'll hear candid stories about what works and what doesn't in the intersecting worlds of technology and business, offering real insights for entrepreneurs at any stage and anyone curious about the mechanics of startup culture. As the audio companion to the leading online magazine EU-Startups.com, this podcast delivers depth and context you won't find elsewhere, turning each episode into a practical case study. Tune in for an authentic, unvarnished look at the ideas and people driving Europe's entrepreneurial landscape forward.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

EU-Startups Podcast
Podcast Episodes
The Shopify of Venture Capital [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:43
Join us for a conversation with Patrick Ryan, co-founder of Odin, as we explore the journey that led him from consumer goods and corporate venture capital to launching a platform that’s transforming how investment firms…
How Europe is Helping Startups Succeed [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:07
Join us for an interview with Momchil Sabev, Director of the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA), as we explore the critical role of public institutions in shaping Europe’s startup and innovati…
Meet the World's Tallest Autonomous Robots [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:08
Join us for a conversation with Oana Jinga, co-founder and Chief Commercial & Product Officer at Dexory, an innovator in warehouse robotics and intelligence. In this interview, Oana shares her journey from leading strate…
Can Bacteria Solve Fashion's Pollution Problem? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:51
Join us for a conversation with Karin Fleck, the CEO and Founder of Vienna Textile Lab, an innovator in sustainable textile dyeing through biotechnology. With a decade of experience in the oil and energy sector, Karin tr…
Enabling People. Not Replacing Them [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:35
In this exclusive interview, we sit down with Nikita Miller, Chief Product Officer at Perk, formerly TravelPerk, to discuss the company’s evolution into an AI-native travel and spend management platform and its global am…
Spider Silk in BioTech [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:00
For today’s podcast, produced in association with the Women TechEU scheme, we sit down with Jekaterina Romanova, CEO and co-founder of Latvian biotech startup PrintyMed, to discuss biomimetic spider silk, its medical pot…
How Europe can Win in Tech [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:45
For today's podcast we sit down with Tom Wehmeier, Partner and Head of Intelligence at Atomico, to discuss European technology, the firm’s investment philosophy, and the influential State of European Tech report. Tom ref…
The Future of European Payments [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:14
In this exclusive interview, we sit down with Lena Hackelöer, founder & CEO at Brite Payments, to explore the company’s growth, the future of European payments, and the challenges facing fintech founders. Lena shares how…
The Fund Selling Climate to Skeptics [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:54
In this exclusive interview, we sit down with Tim Schumacher, the visionary co-founder of saas.group and General Partner at World Fund, to explore the journey, philosophy, and future of his founder-friendly SaaS acquisit…
Is the Office Era Over? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:54
Join us for a deep dive with Job van der Voort, CEO and co-founder of Remote, as he explores the evolution of work, the challenges of global employment, and the principles behind scaling remote-first teams. From his tran…