Augeas

Augeas – AI-powered Smart Waste Management for Circular Cities

Augeas transforms waste into a valuable resource through smart collection, AI-powered sorting and digital traceability.

Waste mismanagement is a major challenge for cities worldwide, particularly in emerging markets. Recyclable materials are lost because collection and sorting systems are inefficient, waste is improperly disposed of, and citizens lack incentives to sort correctly. Deposit return systems have proven effective in improving collection and sorting, resulting in less littering and higher recycling rates.

Augeas is building a similar solution for emerging markets, without the need for deposit return regulations. Our incentives are based solely on the material value of the waste collected.

Augeas addresses this challenge with smart, incentivized containers deployed in cities.

Our smart containers use computer vision to identify and verify deposited waste, starting with aluminium cans. Citizens can be rewarded for correctly sorting their waste, encouraging behavioural change and increasing collection rates. Integrated sensors monitor fill levels and container status, while solar power enables autonomous operation in locations with limited infrastructure.

Our digital platform provides real-time operational data and traceability throughout the collection process. It enables municipalities, waste operators and recycling companies to monitor collection performance, optimize logistics, improve the quality of recovered materials and access reliable data on waste flows. This information can also support circular economy strategies, environmental reporting and producer responsibility initiatives.

We delegate our local operations through a franchise model. Franchisees purchase our containers, and we share the revenue from scrap sales. Franchisees can achieve a return on investment within eight months, while Augeas delegates its capital expenditure (CapEx) and local operations to scale efficiently. Franchisees manage maintenance, security and local compliance, while Augeas manages manufacturing, technology development, commercial expansion and integration into waste value chains.

Inhabitants are incentivized to collect and sort waste to fill the containers. Franchisees are incentivized to operate the systems efficiently and achieve a return on investment. Recyclers are incentivized to collect the containers and obtain a traceable supply of feedstock for their facilities.

This makes Augeas a comprehensive, economically viable and replicable solution for locations where waste is mismanaged. The problem is global, and the market is enormous, as more than one-third of the world's population still lacks access to waste collection services.