MIWA and the EIC Accelerator: Refill Stations in the Supermarket

Dry groceries such as pasta, rice and cereals are sold almost entirely in single-use packaging. MIWA, a Prague company founded by Petr Báča, replaces it with a closed loop: producers fill reusable, trackable capsules, stores place them in electronic dispensers, and shoppers fill their own containers, paying by weight. The capsules go back to be cleaned and refilled.

The European Innovation Council granted €2.5 million towards a €3.81 million project to upgrade the dispensers, extend the system to liquids and larger products, and build a consumer app. MIWA ran pilots with Albert in the Czech Republic, Albert Heijn in the Netherlands, Aldi UK, Continente in Portugal, and REWE and dm in Germany. Its latest dated milestone is the dm pilot in March 2024. We found no announcement of a full commercial rollout.

Where MIWA Stands Today

The Czech business register ARES lists MIWA Technologies as active, with no insolvency record and an update in July 2026. MIWA's website lists its expansion as Albert CZ (October 2021), Albert Heijn (April 2022), REWE (October 2023) and dm-drogerie markt (March 2024), and its management team led by Petr Báča. Its news page has no dated company news after 2024 that we could find.

The Technology: Packaging That Carries Data

MIWA's capsules carry both the goods and data about them, working with dispensers that weigh, price and log each purchase. The CORDIS report says the project completed MIWA 1.7 for dry goods with upgraded valves and integrated scales, developed a version for liquids expected in production by early 2024 and one for large products such as nuts and pasta shapes, and designed a consumer app and smart containers. MIWA claims the system needs "only 10% of the packaging material" and has a "62% lower carbon footprint" than single-use packaging.

What the EIC Project Promised, and What CORDIS Shows

The project ran from January 2022 to February 2024, with the grant agreement signed in August 2022. It reports the product development above and pilots in the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, the UK, Portugal and Germany with Albert Heijn, Aldi UK, Continente, REWE and dm. It gives no store counts beyond the pilots, no sales and no reuse rates.

1. Upgraded dispensersDeliveredMIWA 1.7 with integrated scales.
2. Liquids and large productsPartialLiquids version heading into production in 2024.
3. International pilotsDeliveredSix retailers, five countries.
4. Commercial rolloutNot shownNo rollout announced after the pilots.

What Has Happened Since the Award

The Money

The award was blended finance. In March 2023 MIWA told Silicon Canals it was receiving €5.2 million from the EU: the €2.5 million grant and a €2.7 million investment from the EIC Fund. It said it was opening a €7 million round to private investors, nearly 40% of it already confirmed through the EIC Fund, and that its system was used by Aldi in the UK, Albert Heijn and supermarkets in Czechia and Portugal. We found no announcement that the €7 million round closed, and Czech financial statements were not accessible for this article.

Why Europe Should Care

The EU's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation sets reuse targets and pushes retailers to offer refill options. MIWA is a Czech company with a refill system already tested by several of Europe's biggest grocers. Whether it becomes standard shop equipment depends on retailers committing beyond pilots.

The Verdict

MIWA has not been asked for comment for this article. It is based entirely on public records, company statements and EU project data, linked throughout.