Norway-based Tomra has acquired 80% of the shares in c-trace, a German provider of digital waste management solutions. The deal includes an option to acquire the remaining 20% from c-trace’s founders after two years.
Founded in 2005, c-trace uses artificial intelligence (AI) to simplify and optimise complex and cost-intensive processes, such as contamination detection and identification. It has developed an AI-based system for the detection of contaminated material in biowaste collection called c-detect. It checks and evaluates the contents of an organic waste bin at source and automatically detects contamination. The company’s c-ident system can then identify the source of contamination and inform users of bad practice.
The German company is also getting ready to launch a camera-based system for detecting missing bins at the kerbside during collection in real time, called c-gap. This can significantly reduce costs and effort for follow up collections of so-called ‘missed bins’.
Germany, the largest plastics recycling market in Europe, represents 80% of c-trace’s sales. The company has also established a presence in the United Kingdom and Poland. According to its website, it is involved in 870 projects and its software has 4,200 users.
Tomra said in a statement that c-trace employs around 120 people and has shown annual growth of more than 15% over the last years. The company’s revenues in 2023 amounted to €21 million with 23% EBIT adjusted margin, a measure of profitability.
“We are very enthusiastic about joining forces with c-trace,” said Tove Andersen, CEO of Tomra. “This allows Tomra to broaden our offering in the waste management and recycling space and adds new digitalisation capabilities across the recycling value chain…Over the next years, our priority will be to expand c-trace’s international presence by utilising Tomra’s global footprint. Ultimately, our common ambition is to increase collection and recycling rates – turning more waste into valuable resources – by shaping tomorrow’s recycling infrastructure.”
Tomra said its decision to invest in c-trace was motivated by the strong growth and profitability of the digital waste management sector and c-trace’s leading position in the sector.