Radar · Solid Waste Management Tech in United Kingdom
Best Solid Waste Management Tech Companies in United Kingdom
The 162 best Solid Waste Management Tech companies in United Kingdom in 2026, ranked by funding and momentum. Funding, investors, founders, valuation, tech stack and live signals. Top: Plastic Energy.
By Riya SenguptaFinancials
162companies tracked
$730.7Mdisclosed funding
0unicorns
73have raised
Ranked by disclosed equity funding and recent momentum, this directory covers 162 Solid Waste Management Tech companies operating across the United Kingdom, with $731M in total disclosed capital behind them. That's a real number. The global market these firms are competing in sat at roughly $285.2B in 2019 and is forecast to reach $379.1B by 2028, a 3.3% CAGR driven by urbanization, industrialization, and IoT-enabled collection systems. No unicorns here yet, but the funding is concentrating fast: Circtec alone has pulled in $82M, Xampla $18M, and Altilium $12M. So when you're scanning this list, you're looking at a sector where a handful of players are already operating at serious scale while the rest compete for the next tranche.
What strikes me is how institutional the capital base has become, with backers like EIC Fund, UKRI, and government sources anchoring rounds rather than pure-play venture. That changes the risk profile. Epoch Biodesign, Shellworks, Polytag, these are companies raising in a funding environment shaped as much by policy mandates as by market appetite. Regulatory pressure on waste reduction and extended producer responsibility rules in the UK are pushing real procurement budgets toward this cohort. The money's earned, the tailwinds are structural, and the directory you're looking at reflects both.
Sources & further reading
- The Business Research Company
Ranked: Best Solid Waste Management Tech companies in United Kingdom
| # | Company | Disclosed funding | Last round | Employees | Founded | Founder | Market signals (1y) | Patents & IP focus | Recent signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plastic Energy Operator of chemical recycling plants converting end-of-life plastics into recycled feedstock | $168M | 55 mo ago | 200 | 2011 | Carlos Monreal Founder | — | 94 patents Converting end-of-life plastics to pyrolysis oil and refining contaminants | 1 award |
| 2 | CIRCTEC Producer of sustainable fuels and circular chemicals from end-of-life tyres 35Funding top 21%Talent top 38%Growth top 43%Moat bottom 48% All 8 signals ▾Fundingtop 21% Talenttop 38% Growthtop 43% Moatbottom 48% Globalbottom 39% Techbottom 35% Newsbottom 27% Marketbottom 25% Funding: Raised $81.5M across 9 rounds · 9 rounds over 2 yrs (4.5/yr) Talent: 2 named leaders on record · 2 C-suite/founder profiles curated rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 35/100 | $82M | 20 mo ago | 7 | 2009 | Allen Timpany Co-Founder & CEO | — | — | — |
| 3 | Olio Application for waste trading | $51M | 57 mo ago | 50 | 2015 | Tessa Clarke Co Founder & CEO | — | — | — |
| 4 | Worn Again Circular recycling technology for textiles 35Patents top 30%Moat top 32%Innovation top 34%Talent top 39% All 9 signals ▾Patentstop 30% Moattop 32% Innovationtop 34% Talenttop 39% Fundingtop 42% Globalbottom 42% Techbottom 36% Marketbottom 27% Newsbottom 22% Patents: 45 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 17 filings since 2022 vs 18 in 2017-21 Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 4/10 · IP moat: 45 patents rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 35/100 | $48M | 44 mo ago | 13 13 → 21 (+62%) | 2005 | Cyndi Rhoades Founder & CEO | — | 45 patents Recycling and upcycling cellulose-based textiles into regenerated fibers and fabrics | — |
| 5 | Winnow Food waste tracking and management solutions provider 55AI top 20%Talent top 28%Funding top 30%Moat top 32% All 12 signals ▾AItop 20% Talenttop 28% Fundingtop 30% Moattop 32% Techtop 36% Patentstop 44% Producttop 45% Innovationtop 50% Marketbottom 42% Globalbottom 42% Growthbottom 34% Newsbottom 27% AI: Classified as an AI company Talent: Analyst team rating 4/5 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 55/100 | $37M | 27 mo ago | 38 | 2013 | — | — | 27 patents Food waste monitoring and AI-driven food item classification for commercial kitchens | 1 award |
| 6 | 4New Waste to Energy Blockchain Solution | $30M | 102 mo ago | 7 | 2017 | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | Fiberight Provider of waste collection services | $28M | 172 mo ago | 15 | 2009 | Craig Paul Co-Founder & CEO | — | 27 patents Patents concentrated in transport & manufacturing processes | — |
| 8 | Greyparrot AI-based solution provider for waste management | $27M | 29 mo ago | 5 | 2018 | Ambarish Mitra Co-Founder | — | 2 patents AI-driven waste source identification via image pattern recognition | 1 award |
| 9 | Binding Solutions Provider of technology for recovering metals from mining waste | $27M | 34 mo ago | 16 16 → 25 (+56%) | 2016 | — | — | 69 patents Production of solid fuel and metallurgical pellets/briquettes for energy and iron processing | 1 expansion |
| 10 | Recycleye Developer of AI-powered robotic waste sorting and analytics equipment solutions 60AI top 30%Funding top 31%Growth top 35%Moat top 39% All 9 signals ▾AItop 30% Fundingtop 31% Growthtop 35% Moattop 39% Techtop 45% Talentbottom 49% Globalbottom 39% Marketbottom 38% Newsbottom 34% AI: Classified as an AI company · Product described with: ai-powered Funding: Raised $23.4M across 4 rounds · 4 rounds over 6 yrs (0.7/yr) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 60/100 | $23M | 20 mo ago | 29 | 2019 | Victor Dewulf Co-Founder & CEO | — | — | — |
| 11 | Recycling Technologies Provider of solutions for plastic recycling | $23M | 75 mo ago | 101 | 2011 | Douglas Brown Managing Director | — | 14 patents Patents concentrated in chemistry & materials | — |
| 12 | Safi Provider of AI solutions to trade recyclables 32Talent top 38%Tech top 42%Funding top 49%Market bottom 41% All 6 signals ▾Talenttop 38% Techtop 42% Fundingtop 49% Marketbottom 41% Globalbottom 36% Growthbottom 35% Talent: 2 named leaders on record · 2 C-suite/founder profiles curated Tech: 24 technologies across 4/8 capability areas · Cloud: Cloudflare, Google Cloud rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 32/100 | $20M | 30 mo ago | 32 | 2021 | Eamon Jubbawy Co-Founder | — | — | 1 job opening |
| 13 | Xampla Manufacturer of plant based bio-degradable packaging products 50Patents top 29%Moat top 32%Funding top 33%Innovation top 35% All 10 signals ▾Patentstop 29% Moattop 32% Fundingtop 33% Innovationtop 35% Growthtop 35% Techtop 36% Talenttop 38% Newsbottom 42% Globalbottom 39% Marketbottom 20% Patents: 55 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 55 filings since 2022 vs 0 in 2017-21 Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 7/10 · IP moat: 55 patents rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 50/100 | $18M | 9 mo ago | 1 | 2018 | Marc Garcia Co-Founder & CTO | — | 55 patents Biodegradable plant‑protein biopolymers for packaging, coatings, and microencapsulation. | — |
| 14 | Wase Developer of modular electro-methanogenic biogas technology | $17M | 26 mo ago | 7 | 2017 | William Gambier Co-Founder & Head of Automation | — | 6 patents Advanced wastewater treatment technologies for contaminant removal | 1 expansion · 1 award |
| 15 | Altilium Developer of technology for recycling electric vehicle batteries into battery materials 24Talent top 28%Funding top 35%Moat top 39%News top 43% All 7 signals ▾Talenttop 28% Fundingtop 35% Moattop 39% Newstop 43% Growthbottom 40% Globalbottom 39% Marketbottom 23% Talent: 3 named leaders on record · 3 C-suite/founder profiles curated Funding: Raised $12.0M across 7 rounds · 7 rounds over 3 yrs (2.3/yr) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 24/100 | $12M | 2 mo ago | 4 | 2020 | Sean Joseph Co-Founder | 6 signals ▼68% Funding · Capital raise | — | — |
| 16 | Itero Provider of solutions to convert plastic waste into petrochemical | $11M | 48 mo ago | 18 | 2010 | Simon Hansford CEO | — | — | 1 expansion |
| 17 | Epoch Biodesign Developer of biorecycling platform for mixed plastics and textiles. 37Funding top 34%Growth top 38%Patents top 45%News bottom 49% All 10 signals ▾Fundingtop 34% Growthtop 38% Patentstop 45% Newsbottom 49% Talentbottom 49% Moatbottom 47% Innovationbottom 44% Globalbottom 42% Techbottom 38% Marketbottom 35% Funding: Raised $11.0M across 4 rounds · 4 rounds over 4 yrs (1.0/yr) Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 37/100 | $11M | 2 mo ago | 25 | 2019 | Jacob Nathan Founder & CEO | 3 signals Funding | 3 patents Enzymatic and chemical recycling of polyolefin plastics | — |
| 18 | Biohm Manufacturer of mycelium-based building materials 48Patents top 22%Innovation top 24%Moat top 32%Tech top 43% All 9 signals ▾Patentstop 22% Innovationtop 24% Moattop 32% Techtop 43% Growthtop 45% Fundingtop 50% Talentbottom 49% Globalbottom 36% Marketbottom 31% Patents: 26 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 18 filings since 2022 vs 8 in 2017-21 Innovation: 26 patents (top 22% of patent-holders) · 18 filings since 2022 vs 8 in 2017-21 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 48/100 | $8M | 24 mo ago | 11 | 2017 | Ehab Sayed Founder | Chief Evolution Officer | — | 26 patents Biodegradable packaging and mycelium‑based construction insulation using bio‑derived materials | — |
| 19 | Vuala Provider of food waste collection and recyling solutions | $8M | 24 mo ago | — | 2021 | Abiel Ma Co-Founder & CEO | — | 5 patents Food-waste bioreactors for anaerobic digestion and bioproduct processing | — |
| 20 | Shellworks Biotech startup Shellworks is focused on creating sustainable alternatives to plastic packaging by turning… 32Funding top 37%Talent top 38%Moat top 41%Growth top 45% All 9 signals ▾Fundingtop 37% Talenttop 38% Moattop 41% Growthtop 45% Techbottom 49% Globalbottom 42% Patentsbottom 41% Marketbottom 33% Innovationbottom 30% Funding: Raised $6.2M across 4 rounds · 4 rounds over 4 yrs (1.0/yr) Talent: 2 named leaders on record · 2 C-suite/founder profiles curated rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 32/100 | $6M | 8 mo ago | 21 | 2018 | Insiya Jafferjee Co-Founder & CEO | — | 2 patents Sterile primary packaging solutions for injectable medical devices and drug delivery systems. | — |
| 21 | Big ATOM Provider of a platform connecting stakeholders in tyre recycling | $5M | 35 mo ago | 28 28 → 19 (-32%) | 2017 | — | — | 5 patents Induction-heated pyrolysis reactors for waste material recycling and processing | — |
| 22 | Cuantec Developer of biopolymer-based degradable packing materials | $5M | 52 mo ago | 13 | 2016 | Cait Murray-Green CEO | — | — | — |
| 23 | SEaB Developer of energy from micro waste | $4M | 40 mo ago | 6 | 2008 | Sandra Sassow CEO & Co-Founder | — | — | — |
| 24 | Reconome Solutions for recycling used electronic devices | $4M | 18 mo ago | 14 | 2018 | — | — | — | — |
| 25 | Polytag Provider of drinking water services 37Talent top 28%Tech top 34%Product top 46%Growth top 47% All 10 signals ▾Talenttop 28% Techtop 34% Producttop 46% Growthtop 47% Innovationbottom 46% Fundingbottom 46% Newsbottom 46% Globalbottom 37% Partnersbottom 35% Marketbottom 26% Talent: 3 named leaders on record · 3 C-suite/founder profiles curated Tech: 29 technologies across 4/8 capability areas · Cloud: Amazon Cloudfront, Amazon Web Services rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 37/100 | $4M | 4 mo ago | — | 2018 | Phil Frsa Co-Founder | 3 signals ▼40% Contracts · New product · Announcements | — | 1 partnership |
| 26 | Poseidon Plastics Developer of chemical recycling technology for PET plastic waste | $4M | 36 mo ago | 1 | 2018 | Martin Atkins Founder & CEO | — | 32 patents Advanced polymer recycling and synthesis processes for specialty plastic production | — |
| 27 | KEW Thermal treatment solution provider for converting waste to energy | $3M | 35 mo ago | 3 | 2010 | Kamal Kalsi CEO | — | — | — |
| 28 | Bio‑Sep Provider of solutions to convert biomass into cellulose | $3M | 28 mo ago | 18 | 2010 | — | — | — | — |
| 29 | Ecosheet Eco-friendly and recycled durable board made from recycled plastic | $3M | 86 mo ago | 31 | 2007 | — | — | — | — |
| 30 | Litta Provider of apps to connect waste carriers with customers | $3M | 57 mo ago | 8 | 2017 | Aaron Georgiou Founder & CEO | — | — | — |
| 31 | Wild Hydrogen Provider of hydrogen generation using biomass | $3M | 35 mo ago | 3 | 2021 | James Milner CEO | — | 10 patents Biomass gasification technology for producing hydrogen and syngas from organic feedstocks. | 1 launch |
| 32 | ReVentas Developer of dissolution technology for recycling plastic waste into polymers 37Innovation top 25%Patents top 27%Moat top 32%Funding top 45% All 8 signals ▾Innovationtop 25% Patentstop 27% Moattop 32% Fundingtop 45% Talentbottom 49% Techbottom 42% Globalbottom 42% Marketbottom 25% Innovation: 23 patents (top 25% of patent-holders) · 21 filings since 2022 vs 2 in 2017-21 Patents: 23 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 21 filings since 2022 vs 2 in 2017-21 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 37/100 | $2M | 12 mo ago | — | 2020 | Thomas Rose Founder & CEO | — | 23 patents Advanced plastic recycling technologies for polymer recovery and waste reduction | 2 partnerships |
| 33 | Lithium Salvage Platform offers a service to recycle lithium-ion batteries | $2M | 16 mo ago | — | 2021 | Simon Robeson Founder | — | — | — |
| 34 | Ichthion Provider of ocean plastic waste solutions | $2M | 68 mo ago | 4 | 2017 | Robert Rouse Co-Founder | — | 7 patents Aquatic environmental remediation: debris removal and marine pollution reduction technologies. | — |
| 35 | OCO TECHNOLOGY Provider of carbon capture technology and sustainable construction aggregate products | $2M | 62 mo ago | 84 84 → 64 (-24%) | 1999 | — | — | — | 1 partnership · 1 expansion |
| 36 | Topolytics Data visualization and analytics platform for the waste management industry | $2M | 39 mo ago | 2 | 2013 | — | — | — | — |
| 37 | Erasteel Manufacturer of fabrics and garments | $2M | 30 mo ago | 850 | 1992 | Denis Hugelmann CEO & President | — | — | — |
| 38 | LabCycle Developer of a circular economy for single-use plastic waste 9Funding top 45%Talent bottom 49%Global bottom 48%Patents bottom 43% All 6 signals ▾Fundingtop 45% Talentbottom 49% Globalbottom 48% Patentsbottom 43% Marketbottom 22% Innovationbottom 22% Funding: Raised $1.3M across 1 rounds · 1 rounds over 1 yrs (1.0/yr) Talent: 1 named leader on record · 1 C-suite/founder profile curated rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 9/100 | $1M | 4 mo ago | 5 | 2020 | Colin Francis Co-Founder & CEO | — | 2 patents Decontamination systems for hazardous chemical and biological waste treatment | 1 job opening |
| 39 | Fibe Developer of natural textile fibers derived from agricultural harvest waste | $1M | 26 mo ago | — | 2022 | Idan Shohet Co-Founder & CEO | — | 5 patents Biobased plant fiber production from potato haulm for textile applications | — |
| 40 | Gaea Developer of software for advanced recycling operations, including background scanning | $999K | 9 mo ago | — | 2022 | George Postlethwaite Co-Founder & CEO | — | — | 1 job opening · 1 launch |
| 41 | Hydrogen Utopia Developer of systems that convert non-recyclable waste plastic into alternative energy sources and chemical… | $799K | 6 mo ago | — | 2020 | Aleksandra Binkowska CEO | 8 signals ▲700% Contracts · Leadership · Funding | — | 1 launch · 1 partnership |
| 42 | Lynkeos Provider of solutions for nuclear waste recycling | $789K | 43 mo ago | 3 | 2016 | — | — | — | 1 partnership |
| 43 | HyProMag Manufacturer of recycled rare earth magnet alloys from scrap materials | $654K | 20 mo ago | 4 | 2018 | Allan Walton Co-Founder | 11 signals ▲22% Announcements · Contracts | — | 1 expansion · 1 award |
| 44 | Reath Provider of tech-enabled solutions for waste management | $575K | 39 mo ago | 3 | 2019 | Emily Rogers Co-Founder | — | — | — |
| 45 | Danu Robotics AI-controlled robotic waste sorting systems | $376K | 24 mo ago | — | 2020 | Xiaoyan Ma Founder & CEO | — | 7 patents Autonomous robotic picking and sorting systems for warehouse and e‑commerce fulfillment | — |
| 46 | Scindo Developer of sustainable enzyme systems for bio-based products | $250K | 8 mo ago | 21 21 → 11 (-48%) | 2020 | Ben Davis Co-Founder & CSO | — | — | — |
| 47 | Carbon Cell Developer of biodegradable polymer-based foams | $250K | 18 mo ago | — | 2022 | Juan Rion Co-Founder | — | — | — |
| 48 | Amphico Textile manufacturing from recyclable source material | $209K | 15 mo ago | 7 | 2018 | Jun Kamei Founder & CEO | — | — | 1 launch |
| 49 | Aeropowder Technology to convert feather waste to bio-composites | $191K | 24 mo ago | 3 | 2016 | — | — | 5 patents Feather-derived absorbent composites for oil spill remediation | — |
Top 12 Solid Waste Management Tech companies in United Kingdom
#1
Series B · Plymouth, England · founded 2020 · 4 employees$12Mraised▾
Series B · Plymouth, England · founded 2020 · 4 employees
Developer of technology for recycling electric vehicle batteries into battery materials. The company’s technology transforms used batteries and gigafactory scrap into high-purity, battery-grade metal salts. These salts become precursor cathode active material and cathode active material essential for sustainable battery production. The company’s process recovers critical minerals and graphite for use in new anodes.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 24how this company ranks against its industry peers
Talent
top 28%Funding
top 35%Moat
top 39%News
top 43%Growth
bottom 40%Global
bottom 39%Talent: 3 named leaders on record · 3 C-suite/founder profiles curated
Funding: Raised $12.0M across 7 rounds · 7 rounds over 3 yrs (2.3/yr) · Last round Grant (prize money) (Apr 2026)
Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 7/10 · 9 curated direct competitors tracked
Audience (LinkedIn): 7k LinkedIn followers — 2.7% of this cohort's audience
Funding rounds
- Apr 2026Grant (prize money)$24.8M
- Mar 2025Series B$3.2M
- Dec 2024Series B$6.3M
- May 2024Grant (prize money)$808.2K
Founders & team
Investors
SQM Lithium, Marubeni, Mizuho Financial Group, Ukri, Gov, Advanced Propulsion Centre UK
#2
Series A · London, England · founded 2019 · 25 employees$11Mraised▾
Series A · London, England · founded 2019 · 25 employees
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Fliar Intelligence Index™ 37how this company ranks against its industry peers
Funding
top 34%Growth
top 38%Patents
top 45%News
bottom 49%Talent
bottom 49%Moat
bottom 47%Funding: Raised $11.0M across 4 rounds · 4 rounds over 4 yrs (1.0/yr) · Last round Series A (Mar 2026)
Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo
Patents: 3 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 3 filings since 2022 vs 0 in 2017-21 · Latest publication 2025
Audience (LinkedIn): 9k LinkedIn followers — 3.7% of this cohort's audience
Funding rounds
- Mar 2026Series A$12M
- Mar 2025Grant (prize money)$1M
- Mar 2025Series A$18.3M
- Jun 2022Seed$11M
Founders & team
Investors
Lowercarbon Capital, Amadeus Capital, Zero Carbon Capital, Voyagers, TVC Capital, BoxGroup
Tech stack
CloudflareCloudflare Bot ManagementGoogle WorkspaceHstsHttp/3Jquery
#3
Series A · Cambridge, England · founded 2018 · 1 employees$17.9Mraised▾
Series A · Cambridge, England · founded 2018 · 1 employees
Manufacturer of plant based bio-degradable packaging products. It provides users with bio-based vegan material made from plant protein, enabling companies to produce packaging products. The catalog includes polymer stretch film, wrapping papers, microcapsules, and more. Its product ranges from microplastics within homecare products to edible packaging for the food and beverage industry.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 50how this company ranks against its industry peers
Patents
top 29%Moat
top 32%Funding
top 33%Innovation
top 35%Growth
top 35%Tech
top 36%Patents: 55 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 55 filings since 2022 vs 0 in 2017-21 · Latest publication 2026
Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 7/10 · IP moat: 55 patents · 9 curated direct competitors tracked
Funding: Raised $17.9M across 5 rounds · 5 rounds over 6 yrs (0.8/yr) · Last round Series A (Sep 2025)
Audience (LinkedIn): 12k LinkedIn followers — 4.9% of this cohort's audience
Funding rounds
- Sep 2025Series A$14M
- Jan 2024Seed$7M
- Jan 2024Grant (prize money)—
- Aug 2021Grant (prize money)$222.6K
Founders & team
Investors
Amadeus Capital, Cambridge Enterprise, Sky Ocean Rescue, Martlet Capital, Parkwalk, Europa
Tech stack
AlbacrossCdnjsCloudflareCloudflare Bot ManagementCookieyesCore-Js
#4
Series A · Deeside, Flintshire · founded 2018$3.6Mraised▾
Series A · Deeside, Flintshire · founded 2018
Polytag is a technology that enables packaging to be tagged and traced, generating data about packaging as it moves through the recycling process. The company's goal is to enable the packaging circular economy by reducing the use of virgin plastic. Polytag has partnered with companies like Ocado and Blighty Booch to implement its technology.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 37how this company ranks against its industry peers
Talent
top 28%Tech
top 34%Product
top 46%Growth
top 47%Innovation
bottom 46%Funding
bottom 46%Talent: 3 named leaders on record · 3 C-suite/founder profiles curated
Tech: 29 technologies across 4/8 capability areas · Cloud: Amazon Cloudfront, Amazon Web Services · Security: Hsts, Http/3
Product: 1 product launch event in 12 mo · Company stage: Series A
Audience (LinkedIn): 4k LinkedIn followers
Activity (LinkedIn): 1 partnerships (incl. GS1 UK) announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Jan 2026Grant (prize money)—
- Sep 2024Grant (prize money)$132K
- Mar 2024Series A$3.6M
- May 2022Seed—
Founders & team
Investors
Collateral Good, Knop Ventures, Gov Wales, Ukri, Horizonplantationsplc, Horizon Plant
Tech stack
Amazon CloudfrontAmazon Web ServicesComplianzGoogle Font ApiGoogle Tag ManagerHsts
#5
Series C · London, England · founded 2009 · 7 employees$81.5Mraised▾
Series C · London, England · founded 2009 · 7 employees
Producer of sustainable fuels and circular chemicals from end-of-life tyres. The company refines and produces sustainable fuels and liquid chemicals. It uses technologies and chemistry to contribute to a cleaner world. The company’s process focuses on energy efficiency and emissions control. It substitutes fossil fuel use with sustainable fuel products and circular chemicals.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 35how this company ranks against its industry peers
Funding
top 21%Talent
top 38%Growth
top 43%Moat
bottom 48%Global
bottom 39%Tech
bottom 35%Funding: Raised $81.5M across 9 rounds · 9 rounds over 2 yrs (4.5/yr) · Last round Series C (Oct 2024)
Talent: 2 named leaders on record · 2 C-suite/founder profiles curated
Growth: Web rank 10,000,000 → 50,000,000 YoY · 1 acquisition/expansion move in 24 mo · Fresh capital in last 24 mo
Audience (LinkedIn): 2k LinkedIn followers
Activity (LinkedIn): 2 expansions announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Oct 2024Series C$17M
- May 2024Grant (prize money)$24.5M
- May 2024Series C$81.5M
- Jul 2022Series B$588.7K
Founders & team
Investors
Novo Holdings, A P Moller Holding, Government of the Netherlands, British Business Bank, North Sol Invest, M-Invest
Tech stack
GodaddyGoogle AnalyticsGoogle Font ApiHttp/3JqueryJquery Migrate
#6
Series A · London, England · founded 2018 · 21 employees$6.2Mraised▾
Series A · London, England · founded 2018 · 21 employees
Shellworks is a biotech startup that aims to eliminate plastic waste by creating sustainable bio-polymer products. They use waste crustacean shells to develop biodegradable and compostable alternatives to plastic packaging.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 32how this company ranks against its industry peers
Funding
top 37%Talent
top 38%Moat
top 41%Growth
top 45%Tech
bottom 49%Global
bottom 42%Funding: Raised $6.2M across 4 rounds · 4 rounds over 4 yrs (1.0/yr) · Last round Series A (Oct 2025)
Talent: 2 named leaders on record · 2 C-suite/founder profiles curated
Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 7/10 · IP moat: 2 patents · 9 curated direct competitors tracked
Funding rounds
- Oct 2025Series A$15M
- May 2022Seed$6.2M
- Jun 2021Seed$229K
- Jul 2020Seed$710K
Founders & team
Investors
LocalGlobe, Alter Equity, JamJar Investments, Founder Collective, Third Sphere, True Global
Tech stack
Framer SitesGoogle AnalyticsGoogle Font ApiGoogle WorkspaceHstsHttp/3
#7
Seed · Bath, England · founded 2020 · 5 employees$1.3Mraised▾
Seed · Bath, England · founded 2020 · 5 employees
Developer of a circular economy for single-use plastic waste. It developed a circular economy solution for recycling single-use plastic waste from laboratories and healthcare settings.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 9how this company ranks against its industry peers
Funding
top 45%Talent
bottom 49%Global
bottom 48%Patents
bottom 43%Market
bottom 22%Innovation
bottom 22%Funding: Raised $1.3M across 1 rounds · 1 rounds over 1 yrs (1.0/yr) · Last round Seed (Jan 2026)
Talent: 1 named leader on record · 1 C-suite/founder profile curated
Global: Investors from 1 country beyond United Kingdom
Audience (LinkedIn): 2k LinkedIn followers
Hiring (LinkedIn): 2 hiring posts in 12 mo (public) · momentum +0 · hiring: Operations Technician, Engineering Technician
Funding rounds
- Jan 2026Seed$1.3M
Founders & team
Investors
QantX, Angel Academe, Angel Investors Bristol, MassChallenge, British Design Fund
#8
Acquired · London, England · founded 2019 · 29 employees$23.4Mraised▾
Acquired · London, England · founded 2019 · 29 employees
Developer of AI-powered robotic waste sorting and analytics equipment solutions. The company provides equipment that can be retrofitted into existing waste management facilities. It offers solutions for sorting various materials, including plastics, non-ferrous metals, fiber, cartons, and WEEE. The company aims to improve profitability and purity in waste sorting operations.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 60how this company ranks against its industry peers
AI
top 30%Funding
top 31%Growth
top 35%Moat
top 39%Tech
top 45%Talent
bottom 49%AI: Classified as an AI company · Product described with: ai-powered
Funding: Raised $23.4M across 4 rounds · 4 rounds over 6 yrs (0.7/yr) · Last round Series A (Oct 2024)
Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo
Audience (LinkedIn): 21k LinkedIn followers — 8.6% of this cohort's audience
Funding rounds
- Oct 2024Series A—
- Aug 2023Series A—
- Feb 2023Series A$17M
- Sep 2021Seed$4.8M
Founders & team
Investors
Bryson Recycling, Norse Group, DCVC, Promus Ventures, MMC Ventures, Creator Fund
Tech stack
AosBugherdCdnjsCloudflareCloudflare Bot ManagementElementor
#9
Acquired · London, England · founded 2020$799.1Kraised▾
Acquired · London, England · founded 2020
Developer of systems that convert non-recyclable waste plastic into alternative energy sources and chemical products. These systems utilize thermochemical processes to transform complex waste streams into synthetic gas, hydrogen, electricity, and heat. The technology focuses on processing various waste materials to produce clean fuels and reusable outputs. It also providing infrastructure for waste conversion, the company supports the transition toward circular resource management and the production of renewable energy.
LinkedIn Pulse recent public activity · Jul 2026
Audience: 2k LinkedIn followers
Activity: 1 product launches · 2 partnerships · 1 expansions (incl. RECYCLEE) announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Dec 2025Post IPO$799.1K
Founders & team
Tech stack
AngularCart FunctionalityCore-JsGoogle AnalyticsGoogle Font ApiGoogle Tag Manager
#10
Seed · London, England · founded 2022$998.8Kraised▾
Seed · London, England · founded 2022
Developer of software for advanced recycling operations, including background scanning. The software facilitates process management for recycling businesses. It offers features such as QR code scanning. The software aims to address the specific needs within the advanced recycling sector.
LinkedIn Pulse recent public activity · Jul 2026
Audience: 2k LinkedIn followers
Hiring: 1 hiring post in 12 mo (public) · hiring: Customer Success Manager
Activity: 1 product launches announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Sep 2025Seed$279.7K
- Dec 2024Seed$348.1K
- Dec 2023Seed$371K
Founders & team
Investors
Charlotte Street Capital
#11
Series A · Livingston, England · founded 2020$2.2Mraised▾
Series A · Livingston, England · founded 2020
Developer of dissolution technology for recycling plastic waste into polymers. The technology processes post-consumer feedstock, removing contaminants and producing virgin-like polymer. The process involves feedstock preparation, polymer dissolution, filtration, polymer separation, and drying extrusion. The resulting material can displace virgin plastics across multiple industries.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 37how this company ranks against its industry peers
Innovation
top 25%Patents
top 27%Moat
top 32%Funding
top 45%Talent
bottom 49%Tech
bottom 42%Innovation: 23 patents (top 25% of patent-holders) · 21 filings since 2022 vs 2 in 2017-21
Patents: 23 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 21 filings since 2022 vs 2 in 2017-21 · Latest publication 2026
Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 4/10 · IP moat: 23 patents
Audience (LinkedIn): 2k LinkedIn followers
Activity (LinkedIn): 2 partnerships (incl. KBR) announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- May 2025Series A—
- Aug 2022Grant (prize money)$50.1K
- Jan 2021Grant (prize money)$2.1M
Founders & team
Investors
EIC Fund, Europa, ORLEN, Beiersdorf, Scottish Enterprise
#12
Series C · London, England · founded 2013 · 38 employees$36.7Mraised▾
Series C · London, England · founded 2013 · 38 employees
Food waste tracking and management solutions provider. The platform provides smart waste metering technology enabling users to monitor the food waste. The data is collected and recorded in the software to provide real-time insights into the type and quantity of food waste. It provides a touchscreen display system for chefs to record information regarding the type and the stage at which the food is thrown. The system analyses the recorded data to generate reports on a daily basis to track the performance.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 55how this company ranks against its industry peers
AI
top 20%Talent
top 28%Funding
top 30%Moat
top 32%Tech
top 36%Patents
top 44%AI: Classified as an AI company
Talent: Analyst team rating 4/5
Funding: Raised $36.7M across 11 rounds · 11 rounds over 13 yrs (0.8/yr) · Last round Series C (Mar 2024)
Audience (LinkedIn): 49k LinkedIn followers — 19.8% of this cohort's audience
Activity (LinkedIn): 1 awards announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Mar 2024Series C$2.5M
- Sep 2023Series C—
- Jun 2023Series C$10M
- Aug 2021Series B$38.3K
Investors
Mustard Seed, Axel Johnson, Seedcamp, ABC Impact, Circularity Capital, Mustard Seed + Partners
Tech stack
6SenseAmazon SesAmazon Web ServicesAnimate.CssCdnjsCloudflare
Funding & investor landscape
$730.7Mtotal disclosed funding
66companies funded
186disclosed rounds
2rounds last 90 days
Most active investors
Gov7 rounds
Notable founders
Sean Joseph
Co-Founder · Altilium
Christian Marston
Co-Founder · Altilium
Jacob Nathan
Founder & CEO · Epoch Biodesign
Marc Garcia
Co-Founder & CTO · Xampla
Tuomas Knowles
Co-Founder · Xampla
Phil Frsa
Co-Founder · Polytag
Alice Rackley
Co-Founder & CEO · Polytag
Allen Timpany
Co-Founder & CEO · CIRCTEC
Robert Harper
Co-Founder & CEO · CIRCTEC
Insiya Jafferjee
Co-Founder & CEO · Shellworks
Amir Afshar
Co-Founder · Shellworks
Colin Francis
Co-Founder & CEO · LabCycle
Prism market signals · United Kingdom · country-scoped Prism corpus, 3,745,883 docs
Market landscape — 10 sub-themes by coverage
Share of Solid Waste Management Tech coverage by sub-theme.
Regulatory-risk over time rising
Funding & growth over time
funding rising · growth rising
RESEARCH SIGNALS · United Kingdom
How research on Circular Economy is moving in the United Kingdom
A read on the academic research around Circular Economy — which themes are gaining ground, the institutions and researchers driving them, and how the tone is shifting. Based on 2,412 United Kingdom-affiliated papers.
research sentiment over time
200820172026
enthusiastic · positive · guarded tone
Tone is overwhelmingly optimistic and steady — the enthusiastic (strongly-positive) share moved 42% → 40% across 2008–2026.
top research entities
- University of Cambridge99
- Cranfield University93
- Loughborough University93
- University College London92
- University of Manchester86
leading researchers
Jose Arturo Garza‐Reyes · Peter Lacy · Wesley Spindler · Jessica Long · Konstantinos Salonitis · Fiona Charnley · Andrea Genovese · Vikas Kumar
▲
Breakthroughs275 · 11%
▲ 10%→12% share
▲1.2× share momentum4 median citations78% since 2021mostly methods-led
Greenhouse gas research newly emerged (14 papers) in Breakthroughs, signalling rising climate-impact framing within UK circular economy innovation.
rising sub-themes (early→recent)
- Sustainability4→72
- Resource (disambiguation)7→31
- Sustainable development1→22
- Supply chain5→21
- Context (archaeology)1→17
Newly emergingGreenhouse gas 0→14 · Ecology 0→12 · Scalability 0→10
Landmark The Emergence of Circular Economy: A New Framing Around Prolonging Resource Productivity · 1,266 cites
◆
Advancements827 · 34%
▲ 32%→36% share
▲1.1× share momentum4 median citations78% since 2021mostly empirical
Supply chain papers surged 8→81 in Advancements, reflecting intensifying focus on circular supply chain implementation across UK institutions.
rising sub-themes (early→recent)
- Sustainability17→244
- Supply chain8→81
- Sustainable development3→68
- Resource (disambiguation)28→91
- Industrial organization4→52
Newly emergingValue (mathematics) 0→25 · Natural resource economics 0→21 · Supply chain management 0→20
Landmark Green, circular, bio economy: A comparative analysis of sustainability avenues · 1,002 cites
▼
Concerns1,074 · 45%
▼ 45%→43% share
▲1.0× share momentum8 median citations73% since 2021mostly empirical
Ecology papers rose 2→63 in Concerns, indicating growing scrutiny of ecological trade-offs in UK circular economy transitions.
rising sub-themes (early→recent)
- Sustainability26→280
- Supply chain6→100
- Sustainable development8→85
- Context (archaeology)10→76
- Ecology2→63
Newly emergingMarketing 0→23 · Digital economy 0→22 · Scope (computer science) 0→19
Landmark Product design and business model strategies for a circular economy · 3,466 cites
RESEARCH HOTSPOTS · United Kingdom
Where circular economy is researched across United Kingdom
Location clusters by institution affiliation — each city's volume, stance tone, and a quick read on its hot topic, what's advancing, the opening opportunity, and the main concern.
London365 · +0.18
Manchester113 · +0.08
Cambridge99 · +0.09
Birmingham75 · +0.09
Edinburgh66 · +0.13
Glasgow64 · +0.21
Oxford46 · +0.22
Bristol23 · +0.20
PATENT SIGNAL · United Kingdom
Who's filing circular economy patents in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom circular economy patent filing is accelerating — 4 filings from 5 assignees (2016–2025), led by British American Tobacco, Altilium Metals, PARK KIE SEON; annual filings 1→3.
4 filings5 assigneespeak 3/yr2016–2025
filing momentum (YoY 2016–2025)
top patent filers
- British American Tobacco5
- Altilium Metals2
- PARK KIE SEON1
- Whiffen Robert1
- UNIV Birmingham1
Common questions
How many Solid Waste Management Tech companies are there in United Kingdom?
Radar tracks 162 indexable Solid Waste Management Tech companies headquartered in United Kingdom that meet our profile-completeness bar.
What is the total funding raised by Solid Waste Management Tech companies in United Kingdom?
The Solid Waste Management Tech companies in United Kingdom on this list have raised a combined $730.7M in disclosed equity funding across 66 funded companies.
Which is the highest-funded Solid Waste Management Tech company in United Kingdom?
Plastic Energy is the highest-funded Solid Waste Management Tech company in United Kingdom, with $167.7M in disclosed equity funding.
How many Solid Waste Management Tech companies in United Kingdom are funded?
66 of the 162 Solid Waste Management Tech companies in United Kingdom on this list have disclosed at least one equity funding round.
How many Solid Waste Management Tech unicorns are there in United Kingdom?
None of the Solid Waste Management Tech companies in United Kingdom on this list currently has a disclosed valuation of $1B or more.
Who are the top investors in United Kingdom Solid Waste Management Tech companies?
The most active investors in United Kingdom Solid Waste Management Tech companies on this list include Undaunted, Europa, EIC Fund, Gov, Ukri.
Riya SenguptaFinancials
Riya reads income statements for fun. She covers the real money in a sector — revenue, growth, who actually earns — and never met a vague claim she didn't want a number for.