The construction industry generates more than one-third of all waste produced annually in the European Union. In the United States, the construction industry generates more than twice as much waste each year as households.
Sensorita wants to help reduce waste in the construction industry by addressing what Sensorita co-founder and CEO Ulrikke Lien sees as the root of the problem: a lack of reliable data in the industry. Lien told TechCrunch that many waste management companies collect waste from so many construction sites that they often don't know where the bins are, how many there are, or when they need to be emptied.
“What stood out to us from the beginning, and what remains the same today, is that the data we have access to in our industry is very limited,” Lien says. “Compared to other process industries, no one is open to this level of data, insight and knowledge. That's the general problem.”
The Oslo-based startup installs sensors in construction waste bins and uses radar and machine learning technology to create a digital twin of each bin. Using Sensorita's software, waste disposal companies can get up-to-date information on the location and fullness of their bins and use that data to better plan collections.
“Right now, waste disposal operators walk around and visually monitor the amount of waste, which is a big problem when they have to spend 45 minutes a day checking the amount of waste,” Lien says. “The waste industry has very low profit margins. Waste disposal companies can use that information to become more efficient and save money and time.”
Lien came up with the idea for the company while finishing his engineering degree at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences in 2020. He initially wanted to create something for the municipal (household) waste sector, but realized that there were already many startups trying to sell their technology to them. Moreover, household waste is fragmented and publicly funded, so it would be very difficult to scale up.
So Sensorita pivoted to construction waste, where it's been a focus ever since. Early on, the company approached the idea to Ragn-Sells, a major construction company. The company provided $10,000, and Sensorita started building, launching its first pilot in February 2022. Since then, the company has built a relationship with Ragn-Sells and is working with three more customers.
“We've proven traction from the beginning,” Lien says. “When we talk to new waste management companies, they always face the same struggles with the level of information.”
The company is coming out of stealth with $3.25 million in venture funding. The round was led by construction-focused venture capital firm Brick and Mortar Ventures, with participation from telecommunications giant Telenor. The company has raised $6 million in total, about a third of which came from grants.
Lien met Brick & Mortar Ventures partner Guillaume Bazwan when they happened to be sitting next to each other at Finland's prestigious Slash conference in 2022. At the time, Bazwan was working at Renard, a startup accelerator run by Paris-based construction company Vinci. When Bazwan joined Brick & Mortar Ventures about a year later, he told TechCrunch that he wanted the firm to back Sensorita.
“Waste management in construction is a huge issue,” Bazwan says, “and it's coming to the fore because regulations are tighter in Europe and there's regulatory pressure to start tracking it effectively.”
Lien said Sensorita plans to use the funding to grow its team and continue investing in its technology, adding that the company has seen very strong traction in Norway and is looking to expand outside the region. The company is developing sensor technology that can determine what type of material is in a particular trash bin. It is also looking to develop a virtual assistant for the waste management industry.
“It's very hard to improve something if you don't know what the situation is,” Lien said. Sensorita looks like it could be a first step.