Glacier, a producer of AI robots that improve recovery and purity rates in the recycling process, has raised $16 million in a recent Series A funding round.
The funding round was led by Ecosystem Integrity Fund (EIF), with participation from existing investors including New Enterprise Associates (NEA), AlleyCorp, Overture Climate VC, Amazon Climate Pledge Fund and VSC Ventures. New investors include Elysium, Overlap Holdings, Cox Exponential, Alumni Ventures, One Small Planet, and Working Capital Fund.
Sasha Brown, Partner at EIF, says: “Glacier’s purpose-built AI solves critical challenges in the recycling industry with a practical, affordable approach. The company’s ability to deploy quickly - without disrupting existing operations - combined with its impressive growth trajectory, makes Glacier precisely the kind of technology and team we’re proud to support.”
In recent years, Glacier has expanded its presence across the United States in major markets like San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, and Phoenix.
Coinciding with the funding announcement, Glacier revealed that Recology’s King County Material Recovery Facility (MRF) in Seattle has deployed a fleet of its AI recycling robots.
“After seeing Glacier’s technology in action at our other facilities, it became clear they offered a faster, safer, and more accurate way to recover valuable materials back into the circular supply chain,” said Sal Coniglio, CEO of Recology.
“We’re excited to bring their AI robotic system to Seattle, one of the nation’s most forward-thinking communities when it comes to recycling and sustainability.”
Glacier’s system uses advanced computer vision and smart robotic arms to identify and sort 30+ types of materials, ranging from common items like PET plastic and aluminium cans to specific packaging types like toothpaste tubes and cat food tins.
The company says that its machines are capable of sorting 45 items per minute, cost half as much as conventional options, are space-efficient (requiring just 3 feet of conveyor space), and can typically be installed in less than one day without facility downtime.
Beyond improving sorting at recycling facilities, Glacier’s AI data platform provides data insights to recyclers in a bid to improve real-time operational efficiency, while also allowing major consumer brands like Colgate-Palmolive and Amazon to understand the recyclability of their packaging at scale. Using AI models, the technology can identify specific materials—such as toothpaste tubes and bioplastics.
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