Clean-tech startup ScrapUncle raises Rs 22 Cr in pre-Series A round

On-demand recycling platform ScrapUncle has raised Rs 22 crore (approximately $2.4 million) in a pre-Series A funding round co-led by Orios Venture Partners and Acumen Fund. The round also saw participation from Upaya Social Ventures, Venture Catalysts, We Founder Circle, Soonicorn Ventures, and angel investor Bharat Jaisinghani. The startup was also featured on Shark Tank India Season 2, where it had a deal with Amit Jain (Rs 60 lakh for 5% equity), and raised 3.2 crore in a seed funding round from the multiple investors.

The fresh capital will be used to deepen its presence across the Delhi NCR region, scale operations to achieve Rs 100 crore in annual recurring revenue, and lay the foundation for expanding the app to other metro cities, ScrapUncle said in a press release.

Launched in 2019 by Mukul Chhabra, ScrapUncle is an on-demand recycling platform that enables households and enterprises to schedule doorstep pickups of e-waste, paper, metals, cartons, plastics, textiles, and even end-of-life vehicles, with a core focus on household collection. Users can schedule doorstep pickups via its app or website and get paid transparently.

The Delhi-based startup operates a consumer app for waste collection, along with a proprietary technology stack covering digital tagging, logistics, traceability, and inventory management across the recycling supply chain. The startup follows a vertically integrated model that provides end-to-end control across the waste value chain. All material collected from households and enterprises is routed to its warehouses, which function like e-commerce fulfillment centres.

The waste is segregated, processed, and sent to authorized recyclers, ensuring responsible recycling and full traceability. By maintaining control over collection infrastructure, ScrapUncle optimizes service quality while delivering stable and predictable earnings for collectors through structured training, safety standards, and dignified working conditions, modernizing a traditionally informal sector.

ScrapUncle claims it has completed over 300,000 pickups, recycled more than 20 million kilograms of waste worth over Rs 45 crore, recorded close to 350,000 app downloads, and empowered nearly 200 informal workers.

It competes with The Kabadiwala, RecycleBaba, and few others.