The firm, which supports printing plate recycling from offset printers, works by targeting specific metals from manufacturers across Europe, allowing it to gather large volumes of metal and deal directly with smelters, cutting out traders and brokers.

Jan Pannenbäcker, CEO and co-founder of Metaloop, told Printweek the new portal was a milestone for the firm and a game-changer for the industry.

“For the first time, industrial companies can manage all their metal scrap operations on a digital platform and get a comprehensive and centralized control hub with real-time oversight and transparency,” he said.

“This is in line with our mission of making the analogue market for metal recycling more digital, transparent, and efficient."

He explained that by cutting out middlemen, the firm could get better prices for companies selling their scrap; the Metaloop Portal itself offers international tendering, and offers access to necessary documentation.

“Additionally, we don’t operate in yards and our machinery has less costs compared to the industry.

“We have developed a digital technology platform that allows us to identify the best buyers in a volatile metal market, aggregate volumes and orchestrate the physical movement of material across borders. This is unique in the world.”

One of the fastest-growing companies in the EU for three years running, the Austria-founded but location-agnostic firm recently celebrated an oversubscribed Series A financing round of more than €16m (£13.8m).

The service is currently available to larger printers with more than 24 tonnes of printing plates to sell.