ScrapUncle

ScrapUncle is a Delhi-based company founded in 2019 by Mukul Chhabra, an alumnus of the Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology. The venture was born from Chhabra's exposure to the scrap industry through his maternal uncle, a scrap dealer, and a desire to organize this largely unstructured market. This was not Chhabra's first entrepreneurial endeavor; he had previously co-founded a drone startup called DroneMed during his college years.

The company operates on a consumer-to-business (C2B) or reverse logistics model, addressing the inefficiencies and lack of trust prevalent in India's traditional scrap collection system. It provides a digital platform, via a mobile app and website, for households and businesses in the Delhi NCR region to schedule doorstep pickups for their recyclable waste, including paper, plastics, metals, and e-waste. This service aims to replace the unreliable and often contentious interactions with local scrap dealers ('kabadiwalas') by offering a streamlined and transparent process.

Revenue is generated through a trading model; ScrapUncle buys scrap from consumers and sells it to recycling partners at a margin. The company reports a gross margin of approximately 45% from the customer to the recycler. The business serves a mix of clients, with about 90% being residential (B2C) and 10% commercial (B2B), including clients like Godrej and Urban Company. By providing verified agents, digital weighing scales, and fixed, pre-quoted prices, the platform eliminates bargaining and builds trust.

Financially, ScrapUncle has demonstrated significant growth, with revenue increasing from ₹35 lakhs in FY 2020-21 to ₹1.48 crores in FY 2021-22. The company has secured funding through various channels, including a grant from Columbia University and a notable investment of ₹60 lakhs for 5% equity on Shark Tank India. This has supported its mission to create a more efficient recycling ecosystem, which in turn has reportedly doubled the monthly income of its collection partners compared to traditional scrap dealers.

Keywords: waste management, recycling platform, scrap collection, reverse logistics, cleantech, environmental services, e-waste recycling, circular economy, doorstep pickup, waste-to-value, scrap trading, sustainable waste management, Delhi NCR, Mukul Chhabra, Shark Tank India, digital recycling, consumer-to-business, scrap metal, plastic recycling, paper recycling, urban waste