The French startup GreenBig, launched in December 2017 and awarded the Greentech Innovation label in 2020, completed a €6 million fundraising round in July.
GreenBig develops innovative solutions that address the challenges of the circular economy. The company’s primary focus is the collection and recycling of the 17 billion plastic bottles consumed in France every year.
Their b:bot machine, made in Normandy, collects bottles from individuals using a deposit system and then transforms these bottles into PET flakes, which are resold. The flakes reduce the volume of plastic by a factor of 25, significantly reducing handling and transportation, and therefore the associated costs and pollution.
The approach promotes sorting among citizens by combining it with an incentive, a game, or a donation, and also has an educational dimension by explaining bottle recycling. With this fundraising, Greenbig intends to accelerate the deployment of its b:bot throughout France, increasing its fleet from 150 machines today to 1,500 by the end of 2022, while continuing to invest in R&D to improve the machine, develop large-format outdoor solutions, and launch a mobile application dedicated to the digitalization of incentives.
With this fundraising, the company is establishing, in addition to its Strategic Committee, an Impact Committee, which aims to support the company in monitoring and continuously improving its impacts with the ultimate goal of making GreenBig a mission-driven company.
To learn more about the company, visit their website: