Cycle is a technology company that built a digital recycling platform and reverse-vending machine (RVM) products that reward consumers for returning empty beverage containers and provide real‑time recycling data to venue operators and brands[1][2].
High‑Level Overview
- Summary: Cycle developed hardware (reverse vending machines) plus a rewards and data platform to increase consumer recycling at high‑traffic locations (stadiums, events, retail) and to deliver traceable diversion metrics to operators and brands[1][2].- As a portfolio company (acquired): Cycle’s mission centered on increasing recycling participation through engagement, gamification and rewards; its product combined automated container collection with a consumer-facing incentives layer and analytics for operators[1][2].- Key focus areas: on‑site container collection (RVMs), consumer rewards/engagement, and recycling data/traceability for commercial and event venues[1][2].- Impact on startup / recycling ecosystem: Cycle popularized combining physical IoT hardware with a digital rewards loop to drive measurable behavior change at scale, helping prove the business case for RVM deployment in venues and informing larger waste‑management providers’ engagement strategies[1][2].
Origin Story
- Founding & founders: Cycle began as a student‑founded startup (co‑founder Anwar Khan cited), emerging from early campus efforts; the team built RVM hardware and a rewards platform from those origins[2].- How the idea emerged: The founders sought to solve low recycling rates at events and public venues by automating container returns and adding incentives/gamification to change behavior and capture usage data[2].- Early traction / pivotal moments: Cycle deployed RVMs at events/venues and engaged in partnerships and pilot programs that validated the model; a major milestone was the acquisition of Cycle’s assets by Recycle Track Systems (RTS) in February 2023, transferring Cycle’s RVM technology and rewards platform into a larger sustainability services portfolio[1][2].
Core Differentiators
- Product + hardware integration: End‑to‑end solution combining physical reverse‑vending machines with a cloud rewards platform and analytics, rather than selling only hardware or only software[1][2].- Consumer engagement model: Built incentives and gamification directly into the recycling flow to increase participation and capture loyalty/rewards data[1][2].- Data & traceability: Provided operators and brands with real‑time diversion metrics and engagement analytics useful for sustainability reporting and venue operations[1][2].- Deployment focus: Engineered for high‑throughput, public settings (stadiums, events, retail), addressing scale and durability needs typical of those environments[1][2].- Exit/scale path: Acquisition by RTS placed Cycle’s tech into a firm with established large‑venue customers and broader materials‑management services, enabling faster scaling and integration with existing sustainability offerings[1][2].
Role in the Broader Tech Landscape
- Trend alignment: Cycle rode multiple converging trends — on‑device IoT for environmental monitoring, behavior‑change via digital rewards/gamification, and growing demand for traceable sustainability metrics from brands and venues[1][2].- Timing: Increased corporate and municipal focus on diversion, ESG reporting, and zero‑waste goals made venues more receptive to measurable, consumer‑facing recycling solutions[2].- Market forces helping growth: Heightened regulatory scrutiny on waste, brand pressure to show environmental impact, and venue demand for fan engagement all supported RVM adoption and data services[2].- Influence: Cycle’s model demonstrated how hardware + software + incentives can increase collection rates and provide actionable data, influencing larger waste‑management players to incorporate interactive recycling solutions into their offerings[1][2].
Quick Take & Future Outlook
- What’s next (post‑acquisition): Cycle’s RVM hardware and rewards platform have been integrated into Recycle Track Systems’ product suite, where they can be scaled across RTS’s client base (professional sports venues, large commercial facilities) and combined with other engagement products to drive broader adoption[1][2].- Trends that will shape the journey: Continued emphasis on ESG and traceable diversion metrics, potential regulatory pressure on single‑use containers, and advances in IoT and payment/rewards integrations will determine uptake and product evolution[1][2].- How influence may evolve: Under RTS, Cycle’s technology is positioned to move from pilot deployments to widespread venue rollouts, showing how incentivized RVMs can be embedded into enterprise sustainability programs and fan‑engagement strategies[1][2].
Quick take: Cycle proved the viability of combining reverse‑vending hardware with a digital rewards & analytics layer to change recycling behavior at scale; its acquisition by a larger recycling services provider positions the technology to move from startup pilots into broader commercial deployment and systemic impact across venues and brands[1][2].
