Bower

Bower, a Stockholm-based impact startup, operates a mobile application that incentivizes consumers to recycle packaging waste. The company was co-founded by the brother-and-sister team of Suwar Mert, who serves as CEO, and Berfin Roza Mert, the COO. With a background in engineering, Suwar sought technological solutions to real-world problems, while Berfin's education in business and economics provided a quantitative and problem-solving foundation. Their journey began in 2015 with a venture named PantaPå, which initially focused on an analog system for reusing cotton bags and later evolved to reward the return of plastic bags. This concept laid the groundwork for the current iteration of the Bower app, which launched in 2019 and now rewards the recycling of all types of consumer packaging.

The company's primary service is a free-to-use mobile app available on iOS and Android. Users scan the barcode on their consumer packaging, and the app, powered by artificial intelligence, identifies the material and provides sorting instructions. Leveraging a smartphone's GPS, the app helps users find the nearest recycling station. To verify the act of recycling, the app confirms the user's location at a registered station. In return for correctly sorting and depositing their waste, users earn points that can be converted into cash, transferred to a bank account, used as coupons and discounts, or donated to charitable organizations. Recently, with support from Google.org, the app's capabilities were enhanced to identify items without barcodes through image recognition.

Bower's business model is B2B and B2C, targeting both consumers and major corporations. Revenue is generated by partnering with fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) brands that want to participate in the reward system and promote sustainable practices. The company has established partnerships with global brands such as Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Nestlé, and L'Oréal. The service provides these partner companies with valuable data and insights into consumer recycling habits. Bower has successfully raised a total of $5.73 million over three funding rounds, including a significant seed round of $4.7 million in March 2022 and a grant from Google.org in November 2023. The company has received recognition from Apple and was named a PwC Social Entrepreneur of the Year in 2019.

Keywords: recycling rewards, waste sorting app, circular economy, sustainability tech, consumer recycling, packaging waste, mobile recycling, AI waste management, incentivized recycling, green-tech, impact startup, corporate sustainability partnerships, waste data, recycling verification, consumer engagement, barcode scanning, image recognition recycling, environmental impact tracking, sustainable behavior, FMCG recycling