CleanHub is a technology company.
CleanHub has raised $12.0M across 2 funding rounds.
CleanHub has raised $12.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
CleanHub has raised $12.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
CleanHub's investors include Amino Collective, Felicis Ventures, Lakestar, Übermorgen Ventures, Charlie Songhurst, Entrepreneur First, Expa, Octopus Ventures, Outrun Ventures, Passion Capital, TrueSight Ventures, Charles Delingpole.
CleanHub is a Berlin-based technology company founded in 2020 (with some sources noting 2019) that builds a digital platform for tracking and verifying plastic waste collection to prevent ocean pollution.[1][2][3][6] It serves environmentally conscious brands, individuals, and waste managers by offering plastic credits backed by real-time data, ISO-certified audits from TÜV SÜD, and partnerships with local collectors in high-risk coastal areas like Indonesia, India, Guatemala, and Germany.[2][3][4][5] The platform solves the problem of unverified plastic offsets by providing transparent proof-of-work via apps, QR codes, AI compliance checks, and live dashboards, while creating fair jobs and sustainable waste systems in communities.[3][4][5][6] CleanHub has raised $6.98M in Seed VC funding, collected over 14 million kg of plastic, and partnered with 500+ brands, earning B Corp certification with a 99.5 impact score in April 2025.[1][2][5][6]
CleanHub was co-founded by Joel and Florin, two passionate surfers and travelers who were motivated by witnessing plastic pollution firsthand during their ocean adventures.[6] Disheartened by the scale of the issue but determined to act, they launched the company in 2019 or 2020 from Berlin, Germany, initially focusing on building local waste collection networks ("CleanHubs") in coastal hotspots.[1][3][6] Early traction came from proving scalable, tech-verified collection: they partnered with local teams for door-to-door pickups, integrated tracking tech, and quickly gained ISO verification from TÜV SÜD, setting them apart in the plastic credit space.[2][4] Pivotal moments include expanding to over 300 brands via API and Shopify integrations, collecting millions of kg of waste, and achieving B Corp status, humanizing their mission to end plastic pollution through collective, local action.[2][3][5][6]
CleanHub rides the wave of corporate sustainability mandates and the plastic credit market boom, where brands face pressure to verify ESG claims amid rising ocean plastic crises (8M tons/year enter seas).[3][6] Its timing aligns with post-2020 regulatory pushes like EU plastic taxes and global net-zero goals, amplified by tech advancements in blockchain-like tracking and AI for supply chain transparency.[4] Market forces favoring it include consumer demand for authentic impact (e.g., 70% prefer sustainable brands) and the $100B+ waste management tech sector, where CleanHub's SaaS model disrupts opaque offsets by enabling precise reporting for stakeholders.[2][3] It influences the ecosystem by setting transparency benchmarks, empowering 300+ brands to integrate collection into e-commerce, and scaling local waste infrastructure in emerging markets, fostering a "reduction + recovery" standard.[3][5][6]
CleanHub is poised for hypergrowth as plastic credits standardize like carbon credits, potentially expanding to 1,000+ hubs and 100M kg collected annually through deeper enterprise integrations and AI-driven scaling.[4][5] Trends like AI-enhanced verification, regulatory harmonization (e.g., ISO expansions), and brand net-plastic-zero pledges will propel it, though competition from copycats and verification costs pose risks. Its influence may evolve into a full waste-tech platform, influencing policy and spawning community-led models worldwide—proving tech can turn pollution witnesses into ocean guardians, as Joel and Florin envisioned.[6]
CleanHub has raised $12.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $7.0M Venture Round in June 2023.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 1, 2023 | $7.0M Venture Round | Amino Collective, Felicis Ventures, Lakestar, Übermorgen Ventures, Charlie Songhurst | |
| May 1, 2021 | $5.0M Seed | Amino Collective, Entrepreneur First, Expa, Octopus Ventures, Outrun Ventures, Passion Capital, TrueSight Ventures, Übermorgen Ventures, Charles Delingpole, Tom Blomfield, Yi Luo |