Pi Labs leads seed funding for Sorted, London recycling tech
Pi Labs led the seed round for Sorted, a London-based recycling tech business, with the aim to reduce landfill and global emissions through AI-enabled material sorting. The seed funding round raised £1.65 million, with Pi Labs at the forefront along with other investors such as Archipelago Ventures, Circular Plastics Accelerator, Conduit Connect, and angel investors. The need to address the 2.12 billion tonnes of waste dumped globally each year has never been more urgent, as it has devastating effects on the environment. Governments are putting pressure on reducing single-use materials and increasing recycled content, creating a $133 billion opportunity that the waste industry is struggling to meet.
Sorted's solution involves computer vision, spectroscopy, and coloured lasers driven by AI to identify, differentiate, and pinpoint valuable items on recycling lines.
By enabling human pickers to better sort and recover targeted materials, Sorted has already improved residual waste recovery by over 50%. This not only generates additional revenue potential for customers but also reduces carbon emissions. The startup boasts some of the largest waste management and recycling firms in the UK and France as its customers, including SUEZ UK and Cawleys. Sorted was co-founded in 2022 by Arthur Goujon and Luis Espinosa, with Arthur bringing over 15 years of experience in waste management and tech, and Luis with a track record of scaling numerous unicorns.
Co-Founder and CTO at Sorted, Arthur Goujon, expressed the company's mission to help waste management companies sort their waste more effectively and maximize the recovery of recyclable materials. Customers are actively seeking ways to reduce materials sent to incineration and avoid increased fees due to upcoming regulations. Pi Labs Founder and Managing Partner, Faisal Butt, highlighted the urgent need for innovative solutions to move towards a zero waste economy, commending Sorted for their contribution to creating healthier, more sustainable cities. With new funding, Sorted aims to expand its business development and technical teams to accelerate its go-to-market strategy and continue making strides towards a circular economy.
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