Amazon-Backed Glacier Raises $16 Million for AI-Powered Recycling Robots

Glacier has raised $16 million in a Series A funding round to scale its artificial intelligence (AI)-powered recycling robots across the U.S.

The company’s robots are used at recycling centers in major markets like San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit and Phoenix, and will soon be added in Seattle, Glacier said in a Monday (April 28) press release emailed to PYMNTS.

“After a year of rapid growth and successful deployments across major markets, we’re now positioned to scale our technology even faster,” Glacier CEO and Co-Founder Rebecca Hu-Thrams said in the release.

Glacier Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder Areeb Malik said in the release: “We’ve seen data transform entire industries — and now, it’s the circular economy’s turn.”

The company’s machines can sort 45 items per minute, using computer vision and smart robotic arms to identify and sort items like PET plastic and aluminum cans, toothpaste tubes and cat food tins, according to the release.

In addition to sorting the items at recycling centers, Glacier’s AI platform can provide data insights that help recyclers improve their operational efficiency and that help major consumer brands understand the recyclability of their packaging and measure their sustainability initiatives, the release said.

Glacier’s latest funding round was led by Ecosystem Integrity Fund (EIF), with participation from Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund and other existing investors, per the release.

EIF Partner Sasha Brown said in the release: “Glacier’s purpose-built AI solves critical challenges in the recycling industry with a practical, affordable approach.”

AI-powered recycling operations can help the recycling industry meet the challenges of rising costs and stricter contamination standards, PYMNTS reported in December.

AMP said in December that it raised $91 million to expand its system, which uses robots with advanced vision systems to sort trash faster and more accurately than humans.

Several other AI-powered systems have also gained traction in waste management facilities.

There is also a crowded market developing robotics AI for other applications.

Some big competitors like Meta, Google-funded Apptronik and Tesla are among those who have made recent announcements about their work on humanoid robots powered by AI and designed to perform household chores and other tasks.