Molg Secures $5.5 Million Seed Funding to Combat Electronics Waste through Circular Manufacturing
STERLING, Va., Oct. 9, 2024 — Molg Inc. (“Molg”) has successfully raised $5.5 million in seed funding to expand its innovative circular manufacturing processes for electronics and electrical components. The funding round was led by Closed Loop Partners’ Ventures Group, with additional support from notable investors, including Amazon Climate Pledge Fund, ABB Robotics & Automation Ventures, Overture, Elemental Impact, and Techstars. This capital will be used to scale production capabilities and meet the increasing demand for automated circular supply chains.
This investment comes at a critical juncture as the world grapples with the rising volume of electronic waste and the scarcity of essential minerals required for the clean energy transition. Annually, tens of millions of tonnes of electronic devices are discarded, with only 22.3 percent recycled in 2022, according to the UN Global E-waste Monitor. The remaining e-waste, containing valuable resources like critical minerals and precious metals worth over $62 billion, is largely sent to landfills, exacerbating environmental harm.
Molg’s mission is to revolutionize this landscape by creating a fully circular manufacturing model. The company’s robotic microfactories autonomously disassemble complex electronic devices, recovering valuable components for reuse, remanufacturing, or recycling. Additionally, Molg collaborates with major electronics manufacturers to design products with circularity in mind, ensuring a product’s lifecycle seamlessly transitions into the next.
“Having spent a decade in consumer electronics manufacturing, we founded Molg to address the challenges of e-waste,” said Molg’s co-founder and CEO, Rob Lawson-Shanks. “True circularity requires a rethinking of both product design and recovery systems. Our approach combines smarter design with dynamic automation. This funding allows us to accelerate our vision of designing products for circularity from the outset and enabling efficient recovery of valuable materials through automated disassembly.”
Building the Circular Economy
Molg’s investors recognize the vast potential of the company’s solution. “We invested in Molg because they are transforming how critical materials are recovered from electronics—a largely untapped resource,” said Aly Bryan, Investor with the Closed Loop Partners’ Ventures Group. “Their technology maximizes material recovery while enabling local solutions, which are vital for advancing a truly circular economy.”
Amazon Climate Pledge Fund echoed this sentiment. “We are committed to decarbonizing and improving the circularity of our supply chains,” said Sam LaPierre, Investor at Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund. “Molg’s innovations in demanufacturing and material recovery align with these goals, and we are thrilled to support their growth.”
Scaling Innovation
Molg’s microfactories have already been installed at leading facilities like Sims Lifecycle Services and are set to expand to IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) centers of major hyperscalers. The company also collaborates with top industry players like HP, Dell, and ABB Robotics to redesign electronics, making them more recoverable and reducing waste.
“Molg’s approach to automated disassembly is groundbreaking for the data center industry,” said Craig McDonnell, Managing Director at ABB Robotics. “Their innovation will drive the circularity of electronics and contribute significantly to sustainability goals.”
Future Outlook
The $5.5 million seed funding will propel Molg’s efforts to expand its operations and meet the growing global demand for circular supply chains. As e-waste continues to rise, Molg’s scalable solutions will help address two urgent challenges: reducing environmental impact and securing a domestic supply of critical materials.
For more information, visit Molg’s website.
About Molg
Molg is at the forefront of tackling the global e-waste challenge through circular manufacturing. With robotic microfactories that can autonomously disassemble electronics, Molg is revolutionizing how valuable materials are recovered and kept in circulation. Molg works closely with manufacturers to design products with reuse in mind, ensuring that every product’s end is a new beginning. For more information, visit molg.ai.
About Closed Loop Partners
Closed Loop Partners is a leader in building the circular economy, investing in early-stage innovations in material science, robotics, and other sectors. Through its venture capital arm, the Closed Loop Ventures Group, it supports companies working towards a more sustainable future. To learn more, visit closedlooppartners.com.
About ABB Robotics & Automation Ventures
ABB Robotics & Automation Ventures is a strategic venture capital unit focused on investments that align with ABB’s portfolio in electrification, robotics, and automation. Since its inception in 2009, ABB Ventures has invested around $500 million into startups that drive industrial innovation. Visit abb.com/ventures for more information.
About Elemental Impact
Elemental Impact is a non-profit investment platform that focuses on scaling climate technologies with a deep local impact. The platform has supported projects that create cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable communities for over 15 years. Learn more at elementalimpact.org.
About Overture Climate VC
Overture Climate VC is an early-stage climate technology fund that helps startups navigate complex regulatory landscapes and secure government support. Visit overture.vc for further details.
