After 10 years in #circularity, I have put together a list of 100 people and organizations, who I think you should follow. The list is being released across 25 posts until Christmas and acts as an unconventional #zerowaste alternative to an advent calendar.

In this twentieth post, I am focusing on people and organizations using #artificialintelligence and robotics to enhance circularity. Here are four teams to follow, who work on automating and increasing efficiency in recycling.

77) Ambarish Mitra, Mikela Druckman, and Nikola Sivacki are the co-founders of Greyparrot. The cleantech uses AI to provide recycling facilities with detailed analytics and insights into the composition and financial value of their waste streams. Their camera and AI-based systems can identify over 100 categories of waste. Thereby, the startup helps the waste sector recover more value from their waste processing lines – and also contributes to keeping millions of tonnes of waste from ending up in incinerators, landfills, or the ocean. Greyparrot has identified over 100 billion waste objects to date.

78) Davide Labolani, Jacopo Lottero, Michele Olivieri, and Tomaso Manca are the co-founders of Hiro Robotics. The cleantech uses AI and robotics to provide solutions for disassembling e-waste. Hiro Robotics has created a modular system for the disassembly of flat-screen monitors and TVs, a robotic module to remove screws from inverters, servers, and telecom equipment, and a sorting system for printed circuit boards. The startup is also working on systems to automate the stripping of photovoltaic panels, to detect batteries in mixed waste, and to disassemble electric vehicle batteries.

79) Hans Hon Sang Chan and Martin Holicky co-founded Matoha. The cleantech uses infrared sensors and AI to create material identification devices for plastics and fabrics. The tools they produce make it possible to carry out material analyses quickly and on-the-spot at warehouses, recycling facilities, and labs. By helping identify different material types (such as PET, polyester, cotton, and blends), the startup contributes to improving material recovery and making fashion and waste management more efficient and circular. Their devices are used by companies to sort textile and plastic waste, and by universities and NGOs to identify ocean waste.

80) Peter Hedley and Victor Dewulf co-founded Recycleye. The cleantech uses AI and robotics to produce sorting equipment and analytics for the waste sector. The startup’s robotic and optical sorters lower sorting costs and increase waste plants’ performance. By improving material management and increasing the profitability within waste management, Recycleye has helped companies in Europe and the USA improve their recycling rates.

🔔 Stay tuned to to see the whole list of 100 people and organizations to follow unfold on LinkedIn, our blog, and our app.