Ball shakes up its business by handing off a major stake of Aluminum Cup ® to Ayna.AI

Ball Corporation, a global leader in sustainable aluminium packaging solutions, has recently announced the formation of a strategic joint venture aimed at advancing the growth of the aluminium cup category.

Image source: Ball Corporation

The joint venture, named Oasis Venture Holdings, LLC, is a collaboration with Ayna.AI (Ayna), with Ball Corporation holding a 49 per cent stake and Ayna owning 51 per cent. This venture will oversee the Ball Aluminum Cup ® business, including its commercial operations, supply chain, manufacturing teams, and production facility in Rome, the largest city in Georgia, which will serve as the new headquarter for the venture.

The aim of this partnership is to broaden the customer base for the Aluminum Cup ® while delivering exceptional customer service and maintaining high operational standards. This move follows a series of successful collaborations by Ball Corporation that have driven both financial and category growth, such as the heritage glass business in the late 1980s and early 1990s, as well as Ball Metalpack.

Reshaping the business model intermittently through partnerships, whether by divesting significant shares or acquiring companies to integrate into its portfolio, is a long-standing strategy of Ball Corporation. A recent example includes the acquisition of Alucan in November 2024, which bolstered its aluminium aerosol and bottle operations with the addition of manufacturing facilities in Llinars del Vallés (Barcelona), Spain, and Lummen, Belgium.

This time, Ball Corporation has relinquished a share of its business, acknowledging Ayna.AI (Ayna) as capable of efficiently managing the Aluminium Cup® business. The transfer of the entire Aluminium Cup® operations, while retaining a strategic investment stake, signals a move towards portfolio optimisation rather than a response to financial necessity.

Jay Billings, senior vice president and president of Growth Ventures at Ball Corporation, said: "We believe that partnering with Ayna, with its deep expertise and experience in this space, is the natural next step in our transformation as we continue to bring best-in-class innovative products to our customers. They bring proven expertise in executing joint ventures of this scale, offering essential operational know-how and strategic partnerships to ensure the success of this venture. The team has been working diligently to start up this business and position it to meet the need for more sustainable packaging choices, and we're excited about the many opportunities ahead." 

Nick Santhanam, chairman at Ayna, said: "I want to express my sincere gratitude to the Ball team for entrusting us as their partner in shaping the path of the Aluminum Cup. We firmly believe in the long-term potential of the Aluminum Cup to redefine the market's approach to single-use products and recycling, all while delivering a premium experience for consumers. We see significant opportunities to strengthen connections with existing customers and suppliers, expand awareness and adoption of the Cup and enhance its value proposition across all key verticals."