ZenRobotics develops systems that use off-the-shelf industrial robots augmented with artificial intelligence to identify and pick recyclable items from conveyor belts. The systems include load sensors, infrared scanners, metal detectors and weighing to assess surface area, weight and potential resale value of picked pieces. Units are put together in Finland and include remote monitoring to detect wear and maintain performance. Systems start at roughly €500,000 and the company has sold five units since launching about a year ago. ZenRobotics estimates a global market of about 8,000 such units and highlights the economics of extracting higher-value materials (for example, selling a ton of metal versus paying for disposal). After the recent funding the company brought in Juho Malmberg as CEO and Jorma Eloranta as chairman to help scale operations.

Total raised

$17M

Funding rounds

1

Latest round

Equity

Latest activity

Jun 2013