butterfly & elephant, the investment company of GS1 Germany, is investing in Borro. The Brussels based startup has developed a patented digital deposit infrastructure for reusable cups in high frequency environments such as stadiums and event venues. The goal is to make return processes simpler, more economical, and smoother for visitors.
Digital Deposit Systems for High Frequency Environments
Borro’s solution is based on a software driven approach that combines 2D codes with camera-based return technology. At the point of sale, each reusable cup is registered directly via an invisible 2D code and linked to the payment transaction. During the return process, an intelligent return station identifies the cup using camera technology, even when cups are stacked, and automatically triggers the refund within seconds. For visitors, this means faster return processes without the need for an app or long queues. At the same time, venues benefit from lower staffing requirements, reduced operational effort, and lower fraud risks. The successful deployment at Belgian football club Club Brugge demonstrates that the approach works even under peak conditions: more than 45,000 cups are processed per home game, with an average return rate of 93 percent.
“We have shown that digital deposit systems can work even in environments where large numbers of people need to be served within a short period of time,” says Co-Founder Glenn Verhaege, who founded Borro together with Kasper Albers and Niels Willems. “That is exactly why joining forces with butterfly & elephant is so important for us, as it enables expansion through globally established structures.”
Standards for the Next Stage of Growth
As Borro expands into additional markets and use cases, the requirements for interoperability are also increasing. Once digital deposit systems are expected to function not only within individual stadiums or event venues, but across larger connected ecosystems, a common language for data exchange becomes essential. In its next growth phase, Borro will therefore rely on GS1 Digital Link and EPCIS. While GS1 Digital Link enables unique identification across digital touchpoints, EPCIS provides the foundation for standardized exchange of return and movement data between different systems. This allows Borro to scale its digital deposit infrastructure beyond individual locations without having to create separate data models for every partner and market.
“Borro demonstrates how a familiar mechanism can be translated into a digital high frequency application. This is particularly relevant for us because a real use case is meeting the next level of standardization here. These are exactly the kinds of connections we need in order to turn innovations into robust solutions for larger markets,” comments Benjamin Birker, Managing Director at butterfly & elephant.
Image material:
2. Intelligent return point in operation – Credits: Borro BV
3. Return of stacked reusable cups at the return point – Credits: Borro BV
4. Benjamin Birker, Managing Director butterfly & elephant - Credits: butterfly & elephant
Press contact:
GS1 Germany GmbH
Marie Euler
Manager Corporate Communications
Stolberger Straße 108 a, 50933 Köln
Phone: +49 170 7009027
E-Mail: marie.euler@gs1.de
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