Sortrace develops AI-powered waste analysis technology that uses cameras and computer vision to monitor household waste sorting, helping municipalities and waste management companies identify sorting issues and improve recycling processes.
Tamara Djurickovic2 hours ago
Stockholm-based Sortrace, a company
developing AI-powered technology for waste analysis, has raised approximately
$800,000 in a funding round led by Almi Invest, with participation from Antler,
Gorilla Capital and several angel investors.
Founded by Rahel Surshi (CEO) and Tomas Kjellstrand, Sortrace develops technology that combines computer vision, camera
sensors and data analytics to help municipalities and waste management
companies monitor household waste sorting and identify areas where improvements
are needed.
Swedish municipalities have taken on
increasing responsibility for ensuring that household waste is sorted
correctly. However, limited access to data on waste composition makes it
difficult to assess the effectiveness of collection systems and initiatives
aimed at improving recycling rates.
Sortrace aims to address this challenge by
using cameras installed on waste collection vehicles to analyse household waste
as bins are emptied. Its AI technology identifies and analyses waste contents,
converting images into structured data that can be used to detect incorrect
sorting and monitor waste collection patterns.
Municipalities face new requirements and
are investing heavily in collection and in information to households. But
without data, no one knows whether those efforts work. We make mis-sorting
visible at every emptying, so municipalities can act where the problems
actually are,
said Rahel Surshi, CEO and co-founder of Sortrace.
The results are linked to individual bin and
collection route data, allowing municipalities and waste management companies
to identify areas where sorting practices need improvement.
The technology is
designed to support more informed decision-making, potentially reducing waste
management costs, limiting the amount of waste sent to incineration and
increasing recycling rates. According to Sortrace, the analysis is
privacy-protected, with images stored within the EU.
Sortrace already works with several
municipalities and organisations in the recycling sector.
The new investment will support Sortrace’s
efforts to meet growing demand from municipalities and expand the application
of its technology beyond waste collection vehicles to other stages of the waste
management process.
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