Ahmedabad-based robotic startup, Ishitva has raised $1 million in pre-Series A round funding led by Inflection Point Ventures.
The startup plans to use fresh funding for growing sales and for expanding its Research and Development team.
Founded in 2018 by Jitesh Dadlani and Sandip Singh, Ishitva uses artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and the internet of things (IoT) to build solutions that help sort complex waste.
The company focuses on leveraging industry 4.0 tools to systematically sort waste and assess the quality of recyclable waste.
The startup offers a range of solutions, including SUKA, AI-powered air sorting, YUTA, AI-powered robotic sorting solution stack as well as Netra AI vision system which help in identifying waste and smart bins. The AI-powered Netra identifies waste, learns about its contents by capturing images, and then scans for recyclable material.
Commenting on the funding in Ishitva, Mitesh Shah, Co-founder, Inflection Point Ventures said, “Ishitva’s model is particularly innovative as they are leveraging cutting-edge technology to sort out the waste which is already being generated. Sorting the waste is the first step to a meaningful recycling ecosystem. Ishitva’s business vision and our ESG goals are a seamless synergy which prompted us to invest in the company.”
Ishitva’s AI-powered sorting solutions are already installed in commercial material recovery facilities and the company is in the advanced stage of talks with multiple MRF facilities as well as recyclers in the plastic value chain.
Speaking on the fundraise, Jitesh Dadlani, Founder of Ishitva, said, “Indian waste management industry is a riddle and our unlimited dream is to eliminate the manual sorting of waste which often involves humans to work in unhygienic conditions. Our vision is to install industry 4.0 solutions in 4000+ towns of the country picked up by the Swachh Bharat mission and we are thrilled to have IPV as a part of this journey.”
Further competing on the investment, Sandip Singh, CEO of Ishitva, said, “We are excited that many of the waste industry stalwarts are joining early in our journey. With IPV, we now have access to a large pool of professionals and experts which is immensely useful at this stage for us.”