Originals · Startup · Startups & Fintech
Sachin Tendulkar backs Recykal, extending the waste tech platform's $23 Mn bridge round
The Hyderabad startup, which runs digital marketplaces and deposit return systems for recyclable waste, has brought in the cricketer as a strategic investor for an undisclosed sum.
Hyderabad based Recykal, which builds technology for waste management and the circular economy, has added Sachin Tendulkar as a strategic investor, the company announced on 12 November, as reported by ETEntrepreneur, Entrackr and Entrepreneur India. Neither the size of his cheque nor the valuation was disclosed. The company says the investment extends the $23 million bridge round it closed in June 2026.
That June round, according to the reports, was a mix of primary and secondary capital from existing investors and a few new family offices. Recykal says it is using the money to strengthen its technology platform and Open Marketplace, scale its Deposit Return System and expand abroad. A deposit return system works simply: a shopper pays a small deposit on packaging and gets it back when the empty pack is returned, which gives people a reason to recycle.
Founded in 2015, Recykal runs digital platforms that connect brands, waste aggregators and recyclers so recyclable material can be tracked and traded, and it also designs and makes AI enabled hardware in India, such as reverse vending machines that accept used packaging. The company says it has channelled more than 3 million metric tonnes of waste and works with about 650 brands, including Hindustan Unilever, Samsung and BMW, and more than 5,000 aggregators and recyclers.
Tendulkar's role is meant to be more than money. Recykal says he will front a nationwide push to make returning and recycling waste an everyday habit, building on the Swachh Bharat mission. In the company's statement, Tendulkar said what drew him in was seeing technology used to solve an everyday problem, and co founder and CEO Abhay Deshpande said the company hopes to make doing the right thing for the environment a daily habit.
What to watch: a famous face can lift awareness, but the hard part of deposit return and recycling marketplaces is volume and logistics. The signals to track are how fast Recykal's return points and machines spread, whether more brands sign on, and how its international expansion goes.
