ScrapUncle, a clean-tech startup, just got ₹22 crore (about $2.4 million) in a pre-Series A funding round. Investors seem to really believe in the future of waste management and sustainability in India.
Orios Venture Partners and Acumen Fund co-led the round. Others who participated include Upaya Social Ventures, Venture Catalysts, We Founder Circle, Soonicorn Ventures, and angel investor Bharat Jaisinghani. This funding is a big deal for the Delhi-based startup. It helps them move faster toward their goal of modernizing recycling with a tech-based, direct-to-consumer model in India.
Mukul Chhabra started ScrapUncle in 2019. It runs an on-demand recycling platform where people and businesses can schedule pickups for their trash right from their door. They take all sorts of stuff, from old electronics to paper, metal, cardboard, plastic, clothes, and even old cars. ScrapUncle sets itself apart by being convenient, open, and easy to track. People care more and more about sustainability, responsibility, and good online experiences.
They’ll use the new funding to grow in the Delhi area, work toward a ₹100 crore yearly revenue, and get ready to expand to other big cities. They’re also planning to improve their tech, improve their logistics, and make their operations better to support growth in the long run. Before this, ScrapUncle received ₹3.2 crore in seed funding and also appeared on Shark Tank India Season 2, where they got ₹60 lakh from Amit Jain for 5% of the company.
ScrapUncle’s business plan depends on managing the entire recycling process themselves, from start to finish. They have an app for consumers and a system that handles tagging items, managing logistics, tracing materials, and keeping track of inventory. All the waste they collect goes to ScrapUncle’s warehouses, kind of like how online stores handle shipping. Workers sort, process, and send the materials to recycling centers, ensuring the recycling is done right all the way through.
This system allows ScrapUncle to keep their service consistent and create stable income for collectors. They provide training, safety guidelines, and good work conditions.
Because they do so much good and get things done, it has drawn strong interest from impact-focused as well as venture investors.
So far, ScrapUncle says they’ve done over 300,000 pickups, recycled over 20 million kilograms of waste (worth more than ₹45 crore), had about 350,000 app downloads, and helped almost 200 workers in the informal sector. As news in India shows that brands are moving toward doing more good, ScrapUncle is able to create profits while having a positive impact on the environment and society.
With people becoming more aware, rules getting stricter, and more people using online services, ScrapUncle is in a good spot to become a leader in India. This pre-Series A funding gives them the chance to grow nationwide, strengthen their tech, and shape how recycling is done in India.
