Karo Sambhav, a circular economy enterprise, has secured Rs 56 crore in a Pre-Series A funding round led by Rainmatter by Zerodha. The company aims to enhance its capabilities in recovering critical minerals from electronic and related waste streams.
Investment to Expand Recycling Infrastructure
Over the past nine years, Karo Sambhav has developed e-waste collection and recycling networks across India. The fresh capital will be used to expand infrastructure designed to recover valuable, precious, and critical materials from discarded electronics and other waste streams.
Company Background and Achievements
Established in 2017 and funded through internal resources until this round, Karo Sambhav operates two recycling plants and has built collection networks spanning more than 50 cities. The company has processed over 150,000 metric tonnes of waste. It has also received recognition for advancing India's circular economy, including the Social Entrepreneur of the Year India 2021 award from the Schwab Foundation of the World Economic Forum.
Strategic Importance of Critical Minerals
Materials such as gold, silver, copper, lithium, tin, indium, and platinum group metals are increasingly strategically important due to their use in electric vehicles, renewable energy equipment, defence systems, aerospace applications, and consumer electronics. With these resources concentrated in limited regions and often difficult to mine, extracting them from discarded products has emerged as a key focus for India to strengthen supply security and reduce reliance on imports amid evolving geopolitical challenges.
Leadership Perspectives
Viraj Joshi, Vice President at Zerodha and Rainmatter, stated that Karo Sambhav has delivered sustained execution and created meaningful impact at a systems level in a challenging sector. He added that Rainmatter supports organisations working on long-term solutions that promote resource efficiency and strengthen climate resilience.
Pranshu Singhal, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Karo Sambhav, said the company's efforts over the last nine years were aimed at preparing for this phase of growth. He noted that many materials required by India's manufacturing sector already exist within products that have reached the end of their lifecycle, and the new funding will help build the infrastructure needed to recover those resources responsibly.
