There is a global issue impacting waste recycling: Conventional waste sorting methods rely heavily on manual labour, which is not only labour-intensive but also time-consuming. Sorting through mixed waste to separate recyclables from non-recyclables is a painstaking process that consumes valuable resources, manpower, and money. Further, recyclables generated through this process tend to be highly contaminated. This can pose major health risks to personnel and is profoundly inefficient, the upshot being that companies are losing tens of millions of pounds in potential revenue each year.
Greenbackers is pleased to introduce Edinburgh-based Danu Robotics, who have developed an AI-guided, retrofittable robotic system for dry mixed waste recycling at industrial scale. They are generating strong commercial traction and are Greenbackers pick for ‘Deal of the Week’.
Why Danu Robotics:
- Innovative technology: Their AI-guided multi-picker robotic sorting system, called HERO, can fully automate the whole manual waste sorting process, with increased speed and improved accuracy. It can help customers to produce high-quality recyclable outputs while saving on operational costs ranging from 30% to 70% and significantly reducing health risks to personnel.
- Commercial traction: Danu Robotics successfully completed their beta system trial at Blochairn Recycling Centre, Glasgow UK last year, secured two paid-for projects with EGF (Portugal’s largest waste management company), and have an LOI from Enva for the purchase of 4 units of HERO.
- Investment Traction: Danu raised a pre-seed investment of £200k from Sustainable Ventures and are now looking for follow on support to scale commercially and deliver on the purchase orders.
- Market potential: Targeted customers are private waste management companies with a SAM of £1.6bn. The robotic machinery (hardware) is sold at a competitive market price and a monthly fee is charged for the use of the AI (software). Danu Robotics is successfully proving market appetite after having completed their beta system trial, and securing two paid-for projects with EGF, as well as an LOI from Enva for 4 units of their HERO.
- De-risked investment: Technical Due Diligence available on request.
Investment Snapshot:
- Type: Seed Round
- Target amount: £2m
- EIS tax relief pre–assured for UK Investors and relevant Funds
See Danu Robotics Pitch Video >
For further information or to speak with Danu Robotics directly contact: Annika Borrmann at [email protected]
