With backing from Orios, Acumen, and others, the cleantech startup aims to scale operations, invest in infrastructure, and lay groundwork for in-house e-waste recycling.
ScrapUncle Secures â‚ą22 Cr to Power Next Phase of Growth
Cleantech startup ScrapUncle has raised â‚ą22 Cr (~$2.4 Mn) in its pre-Series A round, co-led by Orios Venture Partners and Acumen Fund, with participation from Upaya Social Ventures, Venture Catalysts, We Founder Circle, Soonicorn Ventures, and angel investor Bharat Jaisinghani.
Founded in 2019 by Mukul Chhabra, ScrapUncle is working to digitise and formalise India’s fragmented scrap collection sector. The fresh capital will support expansion across Delhi NCR, fund capital expenditure for fulfillment infrastructure, and initiate plans for a future in-house e-waste recycling facility.
“Our vision is to scale ScrapUncle pan-India and become the first company to truly organise the recycling supply chain at scale,” Chhabra said.
From Doorstep Pickup to Digital Traceability
Operating out of Delhi NCR, ScrapUncle offers doorstep collection of household recyclable waste—e-waste, plastics, paper, metals, textiles, cartons, and even end-of-life vehicles.
- Scrap is collected by gig workers onboarded via the platform.
- Items are weighed, tagged, and processed at ScrapUncle’s warehouses.
- From there, materials are routed to authorised recyclers, ensuring compliance and traceability.
The platform’s front end handles user interactions like booking, dynamic pricing, and real-time weighing, while its backend tech stack powers digital tagging, logistics, and inventory management, enabling end-to-end visibility.
Since inception, ScrapUncle claims to have:
- Completed 300K+ pickups
- Recycled 20 million kg of waste
- Generated â‚ą45 Cr+ worth of recycled material
Building Infrastructure for Circular Economy 2.0
The raise is a strategic step towards building India’s first tech-integrated recycling infrastructure at scale. A large share of the funding will go into:
- Warehousing and logistics upgrades
- Hiring across operations and tech
- Foundational work for an in-house e-waste recycling unit
- App readiness for expansion into other metro cities
ScrapUncle’s approach targets middlemen elimination, price transparency, and greater traceability, critical for ESG compliance and institutional partnerships.
“The scrap sector has long operated informally. We’re digitising it from pickup to processor,” said Chhabra.
A Sector Gaining Investor Traction
While India’s scrap and recycling industry remains largely informal, tech-enabled platforms like ScrapUncle are drawing new investor interest.
- ScrapUncle earlier raised â‚ą60 Lakh on Shark Tank India S2 from CarDekho cofounder Amit Jain for a 5% stake.
- In 2023, it secured â‚ą3.7 Cr from Bestvantage and others.
Its growing list of competitors includes Scrapdeal, ClearScrap, Let’scrap, ScrapJi, and Atterro, all eyeing a piece of the $15Bn+ waste management market in India.
The DPIIT has recognized 1,411 waste management startups as of 2025, 54% of which operate in non-metro cities. States with the highest startup activity include Maharashtra, Delhi, UP, Karnataka, and Gujarat.
What’s Next: From Metro-First to Nationwide Scale
ScrapUncle is now building the foundation to become India’s go-to consumer brand for household recycling, starting with metros.
- The e-waste vertical could become a future revenue anchor as compliance mandates around extended producer responsibility (EPR) tighten.
- Longer term, ScrapUncle could evolve into a recycling-as-a-service (RaaS) platform for B2B clients and OEMs.
As awareness around sustainability and traceable recycling grows, the platform’s tech-first model offers both consumer convenience and industrial-grade traceability.
TL;DR
ScrapUncle raised ₹22 Cr from Orios, Acumen, and others to expand across Delhi NCR, invest in recycling infrastructure, and prep for an in-house e-waste facility. The cleantech startup has recycled 20 Mn kg of waste and completed 300K+ pickups, aiming to organise India’s scrap industry with tech and traceability.
AI Summary
- ScrapUncle raised â‚ą22 Cr in pre-Series A round led by Orios and Acumen
- Capital will fund expansion, infra upgrades, and future e-waste recycling unit
- Offers doorstep pickup of recyclables with traceability and gig-based fulfilment
- Has recycled 20 Mn kg of waste and completed 300K+ pickups
- Competes with Scrapdeal, ScrapJi, and others in India’s growing waste tech space
