Wastelink, a cleantech startup, has raised INR 27 crore (about $3 million) in a Series A funding round from early-stage investor Avaana Capital.
The company will use the money to upgrade its technology, expand into new product categories, grow into more regions, and begin exports.
“Animal feed is the backbone of our food system, yet it suffers from chronic volatility in quality and price… We’re addressing this by delivering consistent, traceable, and cost-stable nutrition at scale,” co-founder and CEO Saket Dave said.
Wastelink, founded in 2018 by Saket Dave and Krishnan Kasturirangan, is a B2B food upcycling startup. It uses AI-powered technology to turn surplus food into ingredients for animal feed.
The company mainly works with two types of clients: food processors and animal feed manufacturers.
On the producer side, Wastelink collects surplus or rejected food and FMCG products, processes them at its facilities in Sonipat, Lucknow, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, and turns them into an animal feed ingredient called ECOMIX. This is then supplied to animal feed companies to make animal food.
The startup has also created an AI-powered tracking system that shows food processors how their food waste and packaging are being reused, while also helping feed companies see how the raw materials are made.
So far, Wastelink serves 5,000+ pincodes across India, has upcycled 35,000+ tonnes of surplus FMCG products into feed ingredients, and provides nutrition to 38,500+ animals every year through ECOMIX.
