The waste management industry includes a wide range of companies addressing everything from recycling to hazardous materials. Startups in this space are using technology to create more efficient and specialized disposal methods.
Among them, AMP has secured $266.1 million to apply artificial intelligence to sorting recyclables. Meanwhile, companies like Deep Isolation are tackling difficult areas such as the disposal of nuclear waste.
Below is our list of 68 Waste Management startups worth keeping an eye on.
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Get the Sheet for $50Deep Isolation has developed a new method for the permanent disposal of nuclear waste. Their technology relies on deep horizontal boreholes to safely position and isolate spent fuel far from the biosphere.
| Headquarters | Berkeley, California, United States |
| Year Founded | 2016 |
| Founders | Elizabeth Muller, Richard Muller |
| Funding Amount | $55.6M |
| Startup Size | Lean Team (11-50) |
| Last Funding Status | Venture Round |
| Top Investors | SkyDeck Berkeley, Nuclear Assurance Corporation, Segra Capital, Mark Tompkins, ARPA-E |
Thames Water operates as the UK's largest water and wastewater company, serving 15 million customers. They manage the entire water cycle for London and the Thames Valley, from supplying clean drinking water to treating sewage.
| Headquarters | Reading, Reading, United Kingdom |
| Year Founded | 1989 |
| Founders | — |
| Funding Amount | £2.3B |
| Startup Size | Enterprise Organization (5,001+) |
| Last Funding Status | Debt Financing |
| Top Investors | Universities Superannuation Scheme, Wren House Infrastructure, OMERS Infrastructure |
Mill builds a kitchen system that dries, shrinks, and de-stinks food scraps right from your home. Through their membership service, these processed grounds are collected and converted into chicken feed, keeping food out of landfills.
| Headquarters | San Bruno, California, United States |
| Year Founded | 2020 |
| Founders | Matt Rogers |
| Funding Amount | $70.4M |
| Startup Size | Mid-Size Team (51-250) |
| Last Funding Status | Series C |
| Top Investors | Lowercarbon Capital, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Fifth Wall, Energy Impact Partners, Springdale Ventures |
AMP builds AI-powered robotic systems, like its Cortex platform, to automate sorting in recycling facilities. This technology helps operators increase the speed and efficiency of their operations while recovering more high-value materials for reuse.
| Headquarters | Louisville, Colorado, United States |
| Year Founded | 2015 |
| Founders | James Bailey, Matanya Horowitz |
| Funding Amount | $266.1M |
| Startup Size | Mid-Size Team (51-250) |
| Last Funding Status | Series D |
| Top Investors | National Science Foundation, Wellington Management, Valor Equity Partners, Sequoia Capital, Closed Loop Partners |
Allonnia develops advanced biological solutions to tackle some of the world's most persistent environmental contaminants. Their work centers on using microbes and proteins to manage waste in industries like mining and to break down challenging materials such as plastics and PFAS.
| Headquarters | Boston, Massachusetts, United States |
| Year Founded | 2020 |
| Founders | Nicole Richards |
| Funding Amount | $90M |
| Startup Size | Lean Team (11-50) |
| Last Funding Status | Series A |
| Top Investors | General Atlantic, Ginkgo Bioworks, Vale, Battelle, Bison Ventures |
Windfall Bio uses natural microbes to capture methane from industries like agriculture, waste, and energy. Their process transforms this potent greenhouse gas into an organic fertilizer that enriches soil for farmers.
| Headquarters | San Mateo, California, United States |
| Year Founded | 2022 |
| Founders | Josh Silverman, Louis Stenmark |
| Funding Amount | $37M |
| Startup Size | Lean Team (11-50) |
| Last Funding Status | Series A |
| Top Investors | Bessemer Venture Partners, Mayfield Fund, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Global Brain Corporation, SOSV |
Vaulted Deep has developed a technology for permanent carbon removal that sequesters organic waste deep underground. This process is designed to improve local environmental health and support the communities it operates in.
| Headquarters | Houston, Texas, United States |
| Year Founded | 2023 |
| Founders | Julia Reichelstein |
| Funding Amount | $40.3M |
| Startup Size | Lean Team (11-50) |
| Last Funding Status | Series A |
| Top Investors | Plug and Play, Rethink Impact, Lowercarbon Capital, Collaborative Fund, WovenEarth Ventures |
Mycocycle employs fungi to detoxify and transform industrial waste from sources like construction and demolition. This innovative approach turns harmful materials into new, commercially viable raw materials.
| Headquarters | Bolingbrook, Illinois, United States |
| Year Founded | 2018 |
| Founders | Joanne Rodriguez |
| Funding Amount | $8.8M |
| Startup Size | Lean Team (11-50) |
| Last Funding Status | Seed |
| Top Investors | Alumni Ventures, Right Side Capital Management, gener8tor, TELUS, Closed Loop Ventures |
Too Good To Go built a marketplace app to combat food waste by connecting businesses with consumers. Their platform allows people to purchase surplus food at a discount from local restaurants and stores, saving it from being discarded.
| Headquarters | London, England, United Kingdom |
| Year Founded | 2015 |
| Founders | Chris Wilson, Jamie Crummie |
| Funding Amount | $45.7M |
| Startup Size | Major Organization (1,001-5,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Venture Round |
| Top Investors | Blisce, Audeo Ventures, Azuro Capital, KIMPA, VF Venture |
Dimension has built a modern software platform that serves as the operating system for the waste management industry. Their all-in-one system helps haulers manage everything from dispatch and routing to billing and analytics.
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California, United States |
| Year Founded | 2019 |
| Founders | Lily Shen, Lumin Chen |
| Funding Amount | $12.5M |
| Startup Size | Lean Team (11-50) |
| Last Funding Status | Seed |
| Top Investors | Alumni Ventures, 500 Global, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Amino Capital, Greylock |
58 Additional Waste Management Startups Worth Following
Our top ten picks are just the beginning of the story. Dozens of other companies, from new ventures to established players, are also tackling big challenges in this space.
Together, they have raised billions of dollars for work in areas like AI-powered recycling and new forms of energy. Here are the other startups making a difference in the world of waste management.
