ZenRobotics embraces the four R’s: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Robots

ZenRobotics has raised $17 million by creating Wall-E for industry.

The company brings together high technology and recycling to address the world’s trash problem. Its flagship product is the ZenRobotics Recycler, an artificial intelligence system that separates raw materials from waste. The Recycler uses sensors like cameras, 3D laser scanners, metal detectors, and Near Infrared Radiation (NIR) to analyze waste. It then sorts through to reclaim raw materials and remove contaminants.

Customers are commercial and industrial organizations, particularly those that generate construction and demolition waste. The result is not only good for the environment, it is good for business. Reducing the amount of garbage sent to landfills saves businesses money in high disposal costs.

The investment was provided by international equity investment firm Invus and Lifelife Ventures, a Finnish technology accelerator. ZenRobotics is a Finnish company, based in Helsinki, with distribution in 49 countries around the world.

The funding will go towards “world domination”, as well as growing the company globally. ZenRobotics was founded in 2007, but the ZenRobotics Recycler only became available for purchase in July. The first customer was Mes Containers, a Belgian sustainable recycling company.

Whether the ZRR has is own version of EVE and if the robots will embark together on a galactic adventure is unclear, as the technology is still new. I, personally, hope the robots decide to remain on earth where they can make it a cleaner place to live.

Read the full press release.