Global segment ranking · Energy & climate › Resources

The world’s most valuable recycling startups

Edition 0 (beta)·Published 6 Oct 2026·Next scheduled update 27 Nov 2026

Companies that turn waste back into materials: batteries, metals and rare earths, plastics, textiles, tyres, e-waste, food waste and construction waste, plus the AI sorting robots and digital platforms that run recycling. Ranked worldwide by AI-estimated valuation. The market sets the value; our AI estimates it.

Twice a year Claude · multi-AI consensus from 1 Dec 2026· Method· Order never changed by a human

Declare an interest in Recycling

Key metrics for this segment: key milestone. Figures as published by each company or the press, dated, not recalculated. The AIs weigh them alongside funding history and comparables.

Not in this segment. Listed, so not ranked: PureCycle, Carbios, Loop Industries, Agilyx, Pyrum, American Battery Technology, Aqua Metals, SungEel HiTech, Rubicon. Nth Cycle and Ace Green Recycling leave the field once their pending listings close. Insolvent or in proceedings: Li-Cycle (taken over by Glencore), Ascend Elements (Chapter 11, Apr 2026), Northvolt’s Revolt, Lithion, Renewcell (now Circulose), Ioniqa, Recycling Technologies, Brightmark’s plastics business. Not eligible because owned or created by a group: Hydrovolt (Norsk Hydro), Fortum Battery Recycling, Cirba Solutions (Heritage Group), Reju (Technip Energies), Revalyu (Heraeus), Nexus Circular (Cox), Cyclyx, ZenRobotics (Terex), Quantafuel (Viridor). Second-hand and refurbished goods have their own segments. Chinese companies are never ranked: Brunp (CATL) and GEM lead battery recycling there. A company appears in one segment only. Method

The segment at a glance

46companies ranked

20companies on the radar

16countries in the ranking

6listed benchmarks

Sources: Company announcements, TechCrunch, Bloomberg, Reuters, Axios, Canary Media, Heatmap, Resource Recycling, Recycling Today, Waste Dive, Sifted, EU-Startups, Tech.eu, Inc42, Entrackr, The Economic Times, FinSMEs, C&EN. Intention counters will be shown above a threshold of amount and number of Backers.

Rankings by region

Filter the ranking and the Radar. Ranks stay worldwide. Regional pages: Asia · Europe · North America · Oceania.

Global ranking · Recycling

Top 46 Radar Challengers

First edition: no movements yet.

World · 46 ranked companies

#	Company	Last round · Key metrics	Estimated valuation (AI) · range	Confidence	Back
1	Redwood MaterialsUnited States · North America	Series E · USD 425M · Jan 2026Processed more than 20 GWh of lithium-ion batteries in 2024; launched an energy storage business in 2025 · 2024	Last known equity round: Series E · USD 425M · Jan 2026 (Eclipse; NVentures (Nvidia), Google, Capricorn, Goldman Sachs Alternatives); USD 350M announced Oct 2025, extended by USD 75M at final close Jan 2026 Published valuation: about USD 6bn (reported) (Jan 2026) Confidence index: HighMethod	Solid sources	Back
2	Noveon MagneticsUnited States · North America	Series C · USD 215M · Jan 2026Sintered NdFeB magnet production, expanding beyond 2,000 t/yr; supply deals with GM and ABB; closed-loop magnet recycling with LG Electronics · Jan 2026	Last known equity round: Series C · USD 215M · Jan 2026 (One Investment Management (OneIM)) No confirmed published valuation Confidence index: HighMethod	Solid sources	Back
3	DivertUnited States · North America	Series C · Apr 2026Facilities in Turlock CA (Dec 2024) and Longview WA (Apr 2026), each 100,000 t/yr of wasted food; North Carolina under construction · Apr 2026	Last known equity round: Series C · Apr 2026 (Mitsubishi Corporation; Ara Partners (existing)); controlling shareholder: the fund Ara Partners Published valuation: over USD 1bn (reported) (Apr 2026) Confidence index: HighMethod	Solid sources	Back
4	SyreSweden · Europe	Series A · USD 100M · Jun 2024Multi-year offtake agreement with Nike; plant planned in central Vietnam by 2027 · Nov 2025	Last known equity round: Series A · USD 100M · Jun 2024 (TPG Rise Climate; H&M Group, Giant Ventures, IMAS Foundation, Norrsken VC, Volvo Cars) No confirmed published valuation Confidence index: MediumMethod	Partial sources	Back
5	Mura TechnologyUnited Kingdom · Europe	Strategic · USD 100M · Jun 2022Wilton (Teesside) plant, the first commercial-scale site for its process; licensed plants with Mitsubishi Chemical and LG Chem · 2025	Last known equity round: Strategic · USD 100M · Jun 2022 (KBR; Dow, LG Chem, Six Pints (Chevron Phillips), Mitsubishi Chemical (licensee)) No confirmed published valuation Confidence index: MediumMethod	Partial sources	Back
6	CaresterFrance · Europe	Strategic equity · USD 93M · Jul 2026Caremag plant in Lacq (magnet recycling and heavy rare earth separation), commissioning late 2026 · 2026	Last known equity round: Strategic equity · USD 93M · Jul 2026 (USA Rare Earth; InfraVia Capital Partners); two strategic investors each took 13.6% (Jul 2026) No confirmed published valuation Confidence index: LowMethod	Weak sources	Back
7	AMPUnited States · North America	Series D · USD 91M · Dec 2024400+ AI systems deployed and 3 full-scale facilities; 2.5M+ tons of recyclables sorted · Dec 2024	Last known equity round: Series D · USD 91M · Dec 2024 (Congruent Ventures; Sequoia, XN, Blue Earth Capital, Liberty Mutual Investments, CalSTRS, Wellington) Published valuation: about USD 458M post-money (Forge estimate from Series D share price) (Dec 2024) Confidence index: LowMethod	Weak sources	Back
8	Cyclic MaterialsCanada · North America	Series C · USD 75M · Jan 2026First commercial-scale rare earth recycling plant in Mesa, Arizona opened spring 2025; South Carolina campus planned for 2028 · 2025	Last known equity round: Series C · USD 75M · Jan 2026 (T. Rowe Price; Canada Growth Fund (USD 25M), BMW i Ventures, Energy Impact Partners, Hitachi Ventures, Microsoft, Amazon, JLR; ERI (strategic, Sep 2026)) No confirmed published valuation Confidence index: LowMethod	Weak sources	Back
9	MillUnited States · North America	Series C · USD 70M · Sep 2023About USD 20M revenue over the 12 months to Apr 2025; more than 10M lb of food waste recycled · Apr 2025	Last known equity round: Series C · USD 70M · Sep 2023 (Breakthrough Energy Ventures, GV, Prelude, Lower Carbon (existing backers)) No confirmed published valuation Confidence index: LowMethod	Weak sources	Back
10	Samsara EcoAustralia · Oceania	Series A extension · AUD 100M (about USD 65M) · Jun 202420,000 t/yr commercial plant targeted for 2028 · 2026	Last known equity round: Series A extension · AUD 100M (about USD 65M) · Jun 2024 (Temasek, Main Sequence; lululemon, Hitachi Ventures, Titanium Ventures, DCVC, Wollemi Capital); a Series B of about AUD 100M was launched in Jul 2026 No confirmed published valuation Confidence index: MediumMethod	Partial sources	Back
11	cylibGermany · Europe	Series A · EUR 55M (about USD 60M) · May 2024Building industrial LFP/NMC recycling plant in Dormagen backed by EUR 63.4M + EUR 26.1M grants · 2025	Last known equity round: Series A · EUR 55M (about USD 60M) · May 2024 (Porsche Ventures, Vsquared Ventures, World Fund; Speedinvest, 10x Founders, others) No confirmed published valuation Confidence index: MediumMethod	Partial sources	Back
12	RecykalIndia · Asia	Bridge (pre-Series D) · USD 23M · Jun 2026FY26 gross revenue INR 1,498 crore (+53%), loss INR 60 crore · 2026	Last known equity round: Bridge (pre-Series D) · USD 23M · Jun 2026 (Ajay Parekh; Biological E, 360 ONE Large Value Fund, Trinity Combine, Strat Venture); primary and secondary shares Published valuation: about INR 2,587 crore (about USD 280M) post-money (reported) (Jun 2026) Confidence index: HighMethod	Solid sources	Back
13	Plastic EnergyUnited Kingdom · Europe	Growth · EUR 145M (about USD 160M) · Nov 2021Two operating plants in Spain (Almeria, Seville) + SPEAR JV with SABIC (NL); Grandpuits stake transferred to TotalEnergies Sep 2026 · Sep 2026	Last known equity round: Growth · EUR 145M (about USD 160M) · Nov 2021 (L1 New Energy (LetterOne); Axens, M&G) No confirmed published valuation Confidence index: MediumMethod	Partial sources	Back
14	Sortera TechnologiesUnited States · North America	Growth · USD 45M · Nov 2025Markle, Indiana plant (200,000 sq ft); expansion to ~240M lb/yr recycled aluminium incl. Tennessee site · Nov 2025	Last known equity round: Growth · USD 45M · Nov 2025 (T. Rowe Price, VXI Capital; Yamaha Motor Ventures, Overlay Capital) No confirmed published valuation Confidence index: HighMethod	Solid sources	Back
15	Infinited Fiber CompanyFinland · Europe	Growth · EUR 40M (about USD 44M) · Mar 2024Environmental permit for EUR 400M textile fibre factory at Kemi (Finland); final investment decision not yet taken · 2025	Last known equity round: Growth · EUR 40M (about USD 44M) · Mar 2024 (Inditex, TTY Management (Fast Retailing founder), Youngone, Goldwin; H&M Group, Adidas, Bestseller, Zalando) No confirmed published valuation Confidence index: MediumMethod	Partial sources	Back
16	WastefrontNorway · Europe	Strategic · EUR 38.4M (about USD 43M) · Jul 2023First plant in Sunderland UK (83,000 t/yr of tyres) expected operational 2026 · 2023	Last known equity round: Strategic · EUR 38.4M (about USD 43M) · Jul 2023 (VTTI) No confirmed published valuation Confidence index: LowMethod	Weak sources	Back
17	MecawareFrance · Europe	Series A · EUR 40M (about USD 42M) · Oct 2023Industrial operations planned from 2025 recycling gigafactory scrap (Verkor partnership) · 2023	Last known equity round: Series A · EUR 40M (about USD 42M) · Oct 2023 (Crédit Mutuel Innovation, Bpifrance SPI2; EIT InnoEnergy, UI Investissement, Kreaxi, BNP Paribas Développement, Crédit Agricole Création) No confirmed published valuation Confidence index: MediumMethod	Partial sources	Back
18	Recycle Track Systems (RTS)United States · North America	Growth equity · USD 40M · Jan 202510-year NYC commercial waste zone contract (3 zones); Pello AI fill-level sensors deployed · Jan 2025	Last known equity round: Growth equity · USD 40M · Jan 2025 (Edison Partners; Volition Capital, StepStone Capital Partners) No confirmed published valuation Confidence index: HighMethod	Solid sources	Back
19	Mint InnovationNew Zealand · Oceania	Series C · NZD 60M (about USD 37M) · Feb 2023Commercial-scale biorefinery in Sydney recovering metals from e-waste · 2024	Last known equity round: Series C · NZD 60M (about USD 37M) · Feb 2023 (Movac, Icehouse Ventures; existing investors) No confirmed published valuation Confidence index: MediumMethod	Partial sources	Back
20	Worn Again TechnologiesUnited Kingdom · Europe	Growth · GBP 27.6M (about USD 36M) · Oct 2022Demonstration plant in Winterthur, Switzerland · 2022	Last known equity round: Growth · GBP 27.6M (about USD 36M) · Oct 2022 (Existing shareholders incl. Sulzer, Oerlikon, H&M) No confirmed published valuation Confidence index: MediumMethod	Partial sources	Back
21	Princeton NuEnergyUnited States · North America	Series A · USD 30M · Jun 2024Selected for USD 50M DOE grant (Aug 2026) for a Georgia direct-recycling plant · Aug 2026	Last known equity round: Series A · USD 30M · Jun 2024 (Samsung Venture Investment, Helium-3 Ventures; Honda, LKQ, SCG, Traxys, Wistron) No confirmed published valuation Confidence index: MediumMethod	Partial sources	Back
22	GreyparrotUnited Kingdom · Europe	Series B · about EUR 23M (USD 27M) · Jul 2026More than 1 trillion waste objects detected; clients include WM, Veolia, Biffa and FCC · Jul 2026	Last known equity round: Series B · about EUR 23M (USD 27M) · Jul 2026 (Omar Mir; Bollegraaf (strategic, existing)) No confirmed published valuation Confidence index: HighMethod	Solid sources	Back
23	LohumIndia · Asia	Growth round · INR 2.3bn (about USD 26M) · Jul 2026Revenue of INR 529 crore in FY24 (+72%), profitable; IPO targeted for 2027 · 2024	Last known equity round: Growth round · INR 2.3bn (about USD 26M) · Jul 2026 (Ambit GPC via Poonawalla Vision Fund 1; family offices); a larger pre-IPO round was reported in Nov 2025, closing not confirmed Published valuation: about USD 422M (data aggregator, Series B) (Mar 2024) Confidence index: LowMethod	Weak sources	Back
24	CircUnited States · North America	Growth · USD 25M · Mar 2025First commercial plant in France (about USD 500M, approx. 65 kt/yr target) announced May 2025 · May 2025	Last known equity round: Growth · USD 25M · Mar 2025 (Taranis; Inditex, Patagonia Tin Shed Ventures, Zalando, Youngone, Avery Dennison) No confirmed published valuation Confidence index: HighMethod	Solid sources	Back
25	CirculoseSweden · Europe	Private equity · SEK 220M (about USD 22M) · Dec 2025Sundsvall (Ortviken) 60 kt/yr plant restarting Q4 2026; 11 brand partners incl. H&M, Mango, M&S · 2026	Last known equity round: Private equity · SEK 220M (about USD 22M) · Dec 2025 (Altor); Altor invested SEK 160M (2024) + SEK 220M (2025) No confirmed published valuation Confidence index: LowMethod	Weak sources	Back
26	NovoloopUnited States · North America	Series B · USD 21M · Jun 202550 patents in 18 regions; Oasis TPU from post-consumer PE commercialised with footwear brands · 2025	Last known equity round: Series B · USD 21M · Jun 2025 (Taranis; existing investors) No confirmed published valuation Confidence index: HighMethod	Solid sources	Back
27	Green Li-ionSingapore · Asia	Pre-Series B · USD 20.5M · Mar 2023First commercial installation in Oklahoma (United States) · 2023	Last known equity round: Pre-Series B · USD 20.5M · Mar 2023 (TRIREC; Banpu NEXT, Equinor Ventures) No confirmed published valuation Confidence index: MediumMethod	Partial sources	Back
28	RoadRunnerUnited States · North America	Series D extension · USD 20M · Nov 2022Nationwide commercial recycling collection; acquired Compology (AI container sensors) in 2022 · 2022	Last known equity round: Series D extension · USD 20M · Nov 2022 (Fifth Wall); Extends USD 70M Series D (Apr 2022); Series D total about USD 90M Published valuation: about USD 1.15bn post-money (Forge) (Nov 2022) Confidence index: LowMethod	Weak sources	Back
29	Epoch BiodesignUnited Kingdom · Europe	Series A · USD 18.3M · Mar 2025Enzymes that break down plastic and textile waste, now extending to nylon · 2025	Last known equity round: Series A · USD 18.3M · Mar 2025 (Inven Capital; Extantia, Hitachi Ventures, Lowercarbon, Inditex, others) No confirmed published valuation Confidence index: HighMethod	Solid sources	Back
30	MetaloopAustria · Europe	Series A · EUR 16M (about USD 17.6M) · Sep 2023Digital scrap metal marketplace with pricing, logistics and financing in one platform · 2023	Last known equity round: Series A · EUR 16M (about USD 17.6M) · Sep 2023 (FirstMark Capital; Silence VC, Statkraft Ventures, FJ Labs) No confirmed published valuation Confidence index: MediumMethod	Partial sources	Back
31	Gr3nSwitzerland · Europe	Series B · EUR 15.5M (about USD 17M) · Jun 2026Financing first industrial plant MODUS in Spain, 40,000 t/yr PET to virgin-grade chips · Jun 2026	Last known equity round: Series B · EUR 15.5M (about USD 17M) · Jun 2026 (360 Capital; VP Textile (VP Capital)) No confirmed published valuation Confidence index: LowMethod	Weak sources	Back
32	RecycleyeUnited Kingdom · Europe	Series A · USD 17M · Feb 2023Robots in UK, Ireland, Germany, France, Australia and US; orders in Italy and Belgium · Feb 2023	Last known equity round: Series A · USD 17M · Feb 2023 (DCVC; Promus, Playfair, MMC, Creator Fund, Atypical, Seaya Andromeda) No confirmed published valuation Confidence index: MediumMethod	Partial sources	Back
33	EverestLabsUnited States · North America	Series A · USD 16.1M · Sep 2022RecycleOS robotic cells installed at Sims Municipal Recycling Brooklyn (2024) · 2024	Last known equity round: Series A · USD 16.1M · Sep 2022 (Translink Capital; NEC Orchestrating Future Fund, BGV, Sierra Ventures, Xplorer) No confirmed published valuation Confidence index: MediumMethod	Partial sources	Back
34	PolystyvertCanada · North America	Series B (first tranche) · USD 16M · Jul 2024First commercial plant in Quebec expected operational 2026; 40+ patents · 2024	Last known equity round: Series B (first tranche) · USD 16M · Jul 2024 (Infinity Recycling; SWEN Blue Ocean, Earth Foundry); Series B targeted about USD 30M across two tranches No confirmed published valuation Confidence index: MediumMethod	Partial sources	Back
35	GlacierUnited States · North America	Series A · USD 16M · Apr 2025Robots deployed at Recology Seattle MRF and sites in SF, LA, Chicago, Detroit and Phoenix; identifies 30+ material types · Apr 2025	Last known equity round: Series A · USD 16M · Apr 2025 (Ecosystem Integrity Fund; NEA, AlleyCorp, Overture, Amazon Climate Pledge Fund, Cox Exponential) No confirmed published valuation Confidence index: HighMethod	Solid sources	Back
36	METYCLEGermany · Europe	Series A · EUR 14.1M (about USD 15.5M) · Feb 2025AI-supported trading platform for secondary metals · Feb 2025	Last known equity round: Series A · EUR 14.1M (about USD 15.5M) · Feb 2025 (2150; DFF Ventures, Market One Capital, Partek, Project A) No confirmed published valuation Confidence index: HighMethod	Solid sources	Back
37	AtteroIndia · Asia	Series C · USD 15M · Aug 2014FY25 revenue INR 961 crore (2.2x YoY), profit ~INR 14.6 crore · 2025	Last known equity round: Series C · USD 15M · Aug 2014 (Forum Synergies; DFJ, Granite Hill, IFC, Kalaari) No confirmed published valuation Confidence index: LowMethod	Weak sources	Back
38	DePolySwitzerland · Europe	Series A · CHF 12.3M in equity (about USD 15M) · Apr 2025500 t/yr showcase plant in Monthey (CH) launching summer 2025; first commercial plant planned 2027 · 2025	Last known equity round: Series A · CHF 12.3M in equity (about USD 15M) · Apr 2025 (MassMutual Ventures; Founderful, ACE & Company, Zürcher Kantonalbank, BASF VC, Beiersdorf VC, Syensqo) No confirmed published valuation Confidence index: LowMethod	Weak sources	Back
39	ReclinkerUnited Kingdom · Europe	Series A · GBP 10M (about USD 13M) · Oct 2026Scaling from trial production to commercial operations in Cardiff (electric arc furnace route) · Oct 2026	Last known equity round: Series A · GBP 10M (about USD 13M) · Oct 2026 (Clean Growth Fund, AP Ventures; Development Bank of Wales, Kibo Invest, Zero Carbon Capital, Cambridge Enterprise) No confirmed published valuation Confidence index: HighMethod	Solid sources	Back
40	tozeroGermany · Europe	Seed · EUR 11M (about USD 11.7M) · Nov 2024Gendorf industrial plant opened Mar 2026: 1,500 t/yr battery waste, >100 t/yr lithium carbonate · Mar 2026	Last known equity round: Seed · EUR 11M (about USD 11.7M) · Nov 2024 (NordicNinja; In-Q-Tel, Honda, JGC (Mirai CVC), Atlantic Labs, Verve Ventures, Possible Ventures) No confirmed published valuation Confidence index: HighMethod	Solid sources	Back
41	BatX EnergiesIndia · Asia	Series A · INR 105 crore (about USD 11M) · Jul 20265,000 t/yr shredding + 5,000 t/yr hydrometallurgy; micro-facility network >20,000 t/yr · Jul 2026	Last known equity round: Series A · INR 105 crore (about USD 11M) · Jul 2026 (IvyCap Ventures; Zephyr Peacock, Mankind Pharma FO, Excel Industries FO, JITO) No confirmed published valuation Confidence index: HighMethod	Solid sources	Back
42	WeSort.AIGermany · Europe	Growth · EUR 10M (about USD 11M) · Mar 2026Systems running since 2024 at KORN Recycling and PreZero · Mar 2026	Last known equity round: Growth · EUR 10M (about USD 11M) · Mar 2026 (Infinity Recycling, Green Generation Fund, Vent.io) No confirmed published valuation Confidence index: HighMethod	Solid sources	Back
43	SeenonsNetherlands · Europe	Series A · EUR 10M (about USD 11M) · Apr 2023Six-year partnership with the Dutch national government · 2023	Last known equity round: Series A · EUR 10M (about USD 11M) · Apr 2023 (Invest-NL, Swiss Post, Shamrock Ventures; CapitalT, Tablomonto) No confirmed published valuation Confidence index: MediumMethod	Partial sources	Back
44	AmbercycleUnited States · North America	Strategic · USD 10M · Aug 2024Inditex three-year offtake for cycora worth over EUR 70M · 2024	Last known equity round: Strategic · USD 10M · Aug 2024 (Shinkong Synthetic Fibers) No confirmed published valuation Confidence index: MediumMethod	Partial sources	Back
45	Waste RoboticsCanada · North America	Growth · CAD 10M (about USD 7.3M) · Sep 2023Autonomous sorting system expanding in North America and Europe · 2023	Last known equity round: Growth · CAD 10M (about USD 7.3M) · Sep 2023 (Mirova, Fondaction) No confirmed published valuation Confidence index: LowMethod	Weak sources	Back
46	RekosistemIndonesia · Asia	Series A · USD 7M · May 20254,500 t/month of waste processed; 90,000+ users, 200+ B2B clients · Mar 2025	Last known equity round: Series A · USD 7M · May 2025 (Saratoga, K3 Ventures; AppWorks, Skystar Capital, Orvel Ventures) No confirmed published valuation Confidence index: LowMethod	Weak sources	Back

Back · Declaring an intention does not mean this company is raising funds. · Terms

Corporate investor? Back the startups of your own segment

Ranking in descending order of AI-estimated valuation, based on public information, with no human intervention on the order. The valuations, ranges and brackets shown are editorial estimates produced by AI, purely indicative and imperfect by nature: neither a financial valuation, nor an offer, nor investment advice. Only the market sets a company’s value, through a funding round or a sale. Ranking established by Claude (Anthropic) from public information, following the published rules. A consensus of several AIs will apply from 1 December 2026. Eligibility: at least $1M raised in equity, non-listed company, main activity in this segment (recycling). Country shown is the country of main operations. Request a correction

Get every new edition

New entries, exits and movements, twice a year.

One e-mail per edition. One-click unsubscribe. No data passed on to third parties. See our Privacy policy.

How to read this ranking

Rank

Companies are ranked by AI-estimated valuation, highest first. The market sets the value; our AI estimates it.

Estimate

An AI-estimated valuation, its uncertainty range and its order of magnitude. Indicative, and imperfect by nature.

Hundreds of k$
Millions $
Tens of M$
Hundreds of M$
Unicorn
Decacorn
Hectocorn

Confidence

High: recent, solid public information.
Medium: older or partial information.
Low: sparse or single-sourced information.

Full method →

Invest in recycling, together

Uback aggregates investment intentions from business angels, family offices, corporates and sector specialists worldwide. Every ranked company already has professional investors on its cap table, who have negotiated a shareholders’ agreement: you don’t start from a blank page.

Strength in numbers

Alone, a small ticket opens no doors. Together, Backers carry weight.

Declare an intention

On a company, whether or not it has agreed, or on this segment, worldwide, in a region or in a country, with a ticket range. Paid, to show you are serious; valid for life, and movable until a deal process opens.

Critical mass is reached

When the pool’s combined amount reaches its critical mass, a floor amount estimated by the AI, the pool is passed to the local partner, who presents this demand to the companies concerned.

The local partner structures

If the company’s expectations and the Backers’ converge, the partner builds a transaction and presents it directly to the Backers concerned.

Closing

Capital raise or sale of existing shares: small tickets are pooled in a common vehicle set up by the local partner. Each Backer decides whether to take part.

Uback does not advise, does not negotiate, collects nothing. Each transaction is run by the local partner of the company’s country, under the law that governs its shares.

Get notified when intentions open What happens after my declaration? Intention declarations open once the local partner signs · price per ticket band · valid for life · movable until a deal process opens

Challengers

A registered company raising funds that is not in the ranking will be able, for a fee, to appear in a separate list labelled “Challengers”, for a set period, with a memo available to verified Backers. The listing has no effect on the ranking. Not open yet.

Sponsored space · no Challenger listed yet

Radar · known eligible companies, not ranked

Sorted by date of last round, with no judgement and no AI call.

JEPLAN · Japan · AsiaAug 2026Back
Altilium · United Kingdom · EuropeJun 2026; Series B raised in tranches since Jan 2025 (Marubeni, Mizuho Bank, SQM, then retail investors)Back
Circular11 · United Kingdom · EuropeJun 2026 · USD 3M; EUR 2.7M to turn low-grade plastic waste into building materialsBack
ROSI · France · EuropeApr 2026Back
Renewable Metals · Australia · OceaniaApr 2026 · USD 7.8M; AUD 12M (about USD 7.8M); 2,000 t/yr demo plant in Kewdale, WABack
ScrapUncle · India · AsiaJan 2026 · USD 2.4M; INR 22 crore; digitises informal scrap collection; 300,000+ pickupsBack
Licella · Australia · OceaniaJul 2025Back
Circular Brain · Brazil · Latin America & CaribbeanMay 2025 · USD 3.5M; E-waste compliance and logistics platform across Latin AmericaBack
Bolder Industries · United States · North AmericaFeb 2025Back
Librec · Switzerland · Europe2025 · USD 3.3M; CHF 3M seed; Biberist battery recycling plant inaugurated May 2025Back
Black Bear Carbon · Netherlands · Europe2025 · USD 8.2M; EUR 7.5M for tyre-to-carbon-black plantsBack
Recoma · Sweden · Europe2025 · USD 2.9M; EUR 2.6M to turn construction waste into building materialsBack
Resynergi · United States · North America2025 · USD 6.4M; USD 6.4M for modular microwave pyrolysis plastic recyclingBack
MacroCycle Technologies · United States · North America2025 · USD 6.5M; USD 6.5M (MIT spin-out) to upcycle PET/polyester wasteBack
Ridwell · United States · North America2025 · USD 15MBack
Alterra Energy · United States · North AmericaOct 2024Back
SOLARCYCLE · United States · North AmericaAug 2024 · USD 31.6MBack
Sorted · United Kingdom · EuropeApr 2024 · USD 2.1M; GBP 1.65M; AI and laser-guided picking for MRFs (SUEZ UK)Back
GreenySystem · South Korea · Asia2024 · USD 6.7M; KRW 10bn; AI-automated HDD/ICT dismantling, rare earth and precious metal recoveryBack
CleanHub · Germany · EuropeJun 2023 · USD 7M; EUR 6.4M; plastic collection platform with 500+ brand partnersBack

Listed benchmarks

Not ranked: no intention is possible on a listed company.

TOMRA Systems · NorwayOslo Børs · TOM
PureCycle Technologies · United StatesNasdaq · PCT
Carbios · FranceEuronext Growth Paris · ALCRB
Loop Industries · CanadaNasdaq · LOOP
American Battery Technology Company · United StatesNasdaq · ABAT
SungEel HiTech · South KoreaKOSDAQ · 365340

Sources and method for this segment

Calendar. Global segment rankings are published twice a year. Next edition: November 27, 2026.

Eligibility. At least $1M raised in equity, non-listed company, main activity in this segment (recycling). A company appears in one segment only.

Sources. Company announcements, TechCrunch, Bloomberg, Reuters, Axios, Canary Media, Heatmap, Resource Recycling, Recycling Today, Waste Dive, Sifted, EU-Startups, Tech.eu, Inc42, Entrackr, The Economic Times, FinSMEs, C&EN.

Method and rules, common to all rankings →

The world’s most valuable recycling startups

Rankings by region

World

Asia

Europe

Latin America & Caribbean

Middle East & North Africa

North America

Oceania

Sub-Saharan Africa