B2B packaging waste management startup Sirsak secures $600K Pre-Seed funding
Pre-seed funding of $600,000 has been raised by Sirsak, a business-to-business (B2B) packaging waste management startup based in Indonesia, to expand its flagship Packaging Recovery Program (PRP) technology and speed up packaging waste collection and recycling throughout the country.
The Radical Fund participated in the round, which was led by Openspace Ventures, Sirsak said in a statement on Tuesday.
The money will go toward Sirsak’s research and development of low-value packaging, the development of an improved traceability system, and the growth of its network of recycling partners.
The organization intends to reach 1,000 waste collection locations and recover 4,000 tons of waste in the upcoming months.
“Indonesia’s packaging waste crisis demands innovative solutions that complement, rather than disrupt, existing value chains,
“Our PRP platform formalizes the waste ecosystem by providing financial and in-kind incentives to different stakeholders including the waste pickers while helping brands meet Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) mandates with transparent, auditable documentation,” said Angeline Callista, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Sirsak.
Sirsak, which was established in 2023, tackles the crucial issue of EPR compliance in Indonesia’s disjointed waste management system.
Indonesia produces more than 60 million tons of waste a year, with 30–40% of that amount coming from packaging waste.
By linking brands with waste pickers, aggregators, and recyclers, the company’s tech-enabled solution offers end-to-end traceability for post-consumer packaging waste.
Despite the fact that there are an increasing number of waste management startups in Indonesia, Sirsak provides a distinctive strategy that makes use of the country’s vast human capital resources and collaborates with conventional waste collectors rather than going up against them.
In order to create a more equitable and sustainable circular economy model, the platform intends to pay social security to 50,000 waste workers and give aggregators and recyclers extra money by valuing previously worthless waste and encouraging them to digitize.
“Sirsak is uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) brands and Indonesia’s informal waste sector,
“Their localized approach addresses both regulatory compliance and socioeconomic inclusion, making them a key enabler for Indonesia’s transition to circular economy practices,” said Alina Truhina, Managing Partner of The Radical Fund.
