Oleksandr Sobolenko, former CEO and co-owner of the startup Releaf Paper, sold his stake in the company and launched a new project — Z1RO. The startup develops molded packaging from non-wood biomass: fallen leaves, industrial hemp residues, bamboo, and other agricultural waste.
Oleksandr Sobolenko, former CEO and co-owner of the startup Releaf Paper, sold his stake in the company and launched a new project — Z1RO. The startup develops molded packaging from non-wood biomass: fallen leaves, industrial hemp residues, bamboo, and other agricultural waste.
Recall, the corporate conflict between Sobolenko and co-founder and author of the technology, Valentin Frechka, arose in November 2025. Sobolenko believed that the technology was based on unrealistic estimates and needed an experienced CTO. Frechka insisted that the technology was confirmed by research and was ready for development. The dispute grew into disagreements over the future of the company and the roles of the co-founders.
Sobolenko sold his stake in March 2026. He owned 25% in the Ukrainian legal entity, and 49,9% in the French one. In February 2026, the parties agreed to buy back and cancel 149,699 of Sobolenko’s shares in the French legal entity — the authorized capital of Releaf Paper France was almost halved, to €150,301. The parties did not disclose the amount of the transaction. Frechka declined to comment.
Releaf Paper has a €2.5 million grant from the European Commission. After almost 11 months of silence on social media, the company resumed communication in May 2026: «Silence was necessary. A new phase for Releaf Paper begins now.»
Sobolenko began work on Z1RO in 2025, writes Forbes. The key difference from Releaf Paper is in the technology of processing raw materials. Releaf Paper used chemical treatment with alkali and hydrogen peroxide, Z1RO processes raw materials thermomechanically without chemical elements. According to Sobolenko, the technology works on existing equipment — without the need to develop its own machines or significantly change existing processes.
A patent application for the technology, according to Sobolenko, has already been submitted to the European Patent Office in 2025 — it is under consideration.
The startup’s products include packaging inserts for cosmetics and electronics. The startup has already delivered four test batches to several companies — several tens of thousands of units of products. Sobolenko does not disclose the names of the customers and the amounts of the contracts, calling the pilots a technical validation of the product.
Z1RO does not plan to create its own production. Sobolenko explains the plans: the products will be manufactured through partners in France, Germany and Ukraine. The team currently consists of eight people — a Ukrainian-German team responsible for R&D and the production component. The composition of the top management is being formed.
Sobolenko has invested about $130,000 of his own funds in the project and expects to attract $500,000 in investment by the end of the year. He plans to hold the first public presentation of Z1RO at the VivaTech exhibition in Paris as part of the official Ukrainian delegation. The startup is currently undergoing the Greencubator accelerator.
