What TOMRA does

TOMRA Systems ASA, founded in 1972 and headquartered in Asker, Norway, is a publicly listed sensor-based technology company (Oslo Stock Exchange: TOM) that builds equipment and digital platforms for resource recovery across beverage container collection, waste and metal recycling, food processing, and mining. Its product architecture combines proprietary sensor technologies, including X-ray transmission (XRT), near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, dynamic laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), and proprietary FLYING BEAM scanning, with an in-house AI stack consisting of GAINnext deep learning, CONTAIN and OBTAIN for mining, SPECTRIM with LUCAi for food, and the recently acquired PolyPerception agent-based platform. Hardware ranges from more than a dozen reverse vending machine models (R1, R2, B5, B7, T9, T70, T90, T100, M1, S1, S2) and AUTOSORT recycling sorters to mining systems such as COM XRT and PRO series, complemented by the cloud-based TOMRA Insight monitoring platform and Waste Analyzer digital products. TOMRA has approximately 120,000 installations across more than 100 countries, including roughly 4,000 reverse vending machines in Poland and infrastructure supporting a 98% return rate in Germany's deposit return scheme.

The company operates four primary divisions: Collection (reverse vending machines and deposit return scheme operations, approximately 55% of total revenue), Recycling (sensor-based sorting for waste and metals), Food (sorting and grading of fresh produce, nuts, potatoes, and protein), and Mining (ore sorting), plus the newer TOMRA Feedstock and TOMRA Reuse businesses targeting plastics-to-feedstock and reusable packaging. Revenue is generated through capital equipment sales (multi-year enterprise contracts), recurring service and maintenance agreements, subscription-based TOMRA Insight software, and managed services tied to deposit return scheme operations, with a B2B enterprise go-to-motion delivered through divisional direct sales forces and channel partners such as Wendt Corp in North America. Strategic priorities in 2025-2026 include scaling newly launched deposit return schemes in Poland, Portugal, Singapore, and the UK, expanding AI-enabled sorting capacity through GAINnext and the PolyPerception integration, and executing a EUR 16 million cost reduction program in the underperforming Recycling division.

Name

TOMRA

Legal name

TOMRA Systems ASA

Website

https://tomra.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

TOMRA Systems ASA is a Norwegian sensor-based technology company that designs and sells reverse vending machines, sensor-based sorting equipment, and AI-enabled analytics for recycling, food, mining, and deposit return scheme operations worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Sorting Equipment

NAICS

Agriculture, Construction, and Mining Machinery Manufacturing (3331), Mining Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing (333131), Food Product Machinery Manufacturing (333241), Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing (3333)

SIC

Construction, Mining & Materials Handling Machinery & Equip (3530), Mining Machinery & Equip (No Oil & Gas Field Mach & Equip) (3532), General Industrial Machinery & Equipment (3560)

akta.pro primary industry

Advanced/Optical Sorting & Quality Control Services (NIR, AI, Robotics) (BPALADAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Supply Chain & Warehouse Automation (Smart Logistics) (IMAIAMAJ), Asset Recovery, Reverse Logistics & Returns Tracking (RTI Retrieval/Exception Mgmt) (TLAEAMAL)

Keywords

• Sensor-based sorting systems
• Reverse vending machines
• Ore sorting technology
• Recycling sorting equipment
• Food sorting solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Asker

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Equipment Sales (Hardware): Sale of reverse vending machines, sorting equipment, and mining sensor systems. One-time capital expenditure model for enterprise customers with equipment installed at customer sites.
2. Service and Maintenance Contracts: Recurring service contracts for equipment maintenance, calibration, and support. Provides predictable recurring revenue from installed base.
3. TOMRA Insight (Software/SaaS): Cloud-based monitoring and analytics subscription service for equipment fleet management and performance optimization.
4. Collection Division Revenue: Reverse vending machine operations for deposit return schemes, representing approximately 55% of total company revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

TOMRA develops, manufactures, and sells sensor-based sorting systems and reverse vending machines across four business divisions: Collection (reverse vending machines for deposit return schemes, 55% of revenue), Waste & Metal Recycling (sensor-based sorting machines for MRFs), Food (sorting and grading solutions for fresh produce, nuts, and protein), and Mining (XRT ore sorting equipment). The company combines proprietary XRT and NIR sensor technology with AI-powered platforms (GAINnext, CONTAIN, OBTAIN, PolyPerception) and cloud-based analytics (TOMRA Insight) to serve enterprise customers in over 100 countries with nearly 120,000 installations globally.

Product overview

TOMRA offers a comprehensive portfolio of sensor-based sorting and resource recovery solutions organized across four main business divisions: Collection (reverse vending machines), Food (sorting and grading solutions), Waste & Metal Recycling (sorting machines and digital solutions), and Mining (ore sorting technology). The product architecture follows a platform-plus-modules model where core sorting platforms (AUTOSORT, FINDER, COM XRT) serve as foundational systems enhanced by specialized add-on modules and AI-powered technologies (GAINnext deep learning, CONTAIN, OBTAIN). The portfolio includes over a dozen reverse vending machine models (R2, B5, B7, T100, T9, T70, T90, M1), multiple food sorting platforms (SPECTRIM WITH LUCAi, TOMRA 4C), diverse recycling sorting machines (AUTOSORT, INNOSORT FLAKE, X-TRACT, FINDER), and mining equipment (COM XRT series, PRO COLOR/LASER series). These are complemented by digital products (TOMRA Insight, Waste Analyzer) and proprietary technologies (Deep Learning, Dynamic LIBS, FLYING BEAM) that enable AI-powered sorting, real-time analytics, and connected operations across all divisions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GAINnext: Deep learning AI technology for recycling sorting applications
• AUTOSORT
• X-TRACT
• FINDER
• PolyPerception
• Tomra Reuse (Rotake)

Products and services

• AUTOSORT Sensor-based sorting machine using multiple technologies (NIR, color, shape) for waste and metal recycling applications including plastics, paper, wood, and construction waste.
• AUTOSORT FLAKE Specialized flake sorting version of AUTOSORT for processing sorted plastic flakes and small materials with high precision.
• INNOSORT FLAKE Dedicated flake sorting solution for plastic recycling operations.
• AUTOSORT PULSE Advanced sorting technology using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for ultra-high purity aluminum alloy sorting, enabling aerospace and automotive grade material recovery.
• FINDER Next-generation sensor-based sorting device unveiled in 2026, combining multiple sensor technologies with AI to recover nonferrous metals including copper, brass, and stainless steel from shredded end-of-life vehicles and electronic scrap.
• X-TRACT X-ray transmission sorting technology for metal and wood recycling applications, enabling detection of metal contaminants and precise material separation based on atomic density.
• TOMRA Insight Cloud-based monitoring and analytics platform providing real-time operational data and performance insights for sorting equipment and reverse vending machine fleets.
• Waste Analyzer AI-powered real-time material analysis system for waste streams, powered by PolyPerception technology, enabling operators to monitor composition and optimize sorting processes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Germany's deposit return scheme achieves 98% return rate through TOMRA technology
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability9 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered strategic and core.

• Kezzler ASstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025TOMRA acquired 14% stake in Kezzler AS, a technology company. This investment strengthens TOMRA's serialization and traceability capabilities for packaging.
• PolyPerceptioncoreTechnology or IntegrationTOMRA acquired 51% majority stake in PolyPerception, an AI platform company specializing in intelligent waste sorting and material flow analysis. This acquisition enhances TOMRA's AI capabilities for recycling operations.
• Wendt CorpcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNorth American distribution partner for TOMRA's FINDER mining equipment, responsible for sales, service, and support in the North American market.
• Ellen MacArthur FoundationstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerTOMRA strengthened its partnership with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a leading circular economy organization, to advance resource recovery and circular economy initiatives globally.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Steinert: Steinert is a German developer and manufacturer of sensor-based sorting and magnetic separation systems for recycling and mining. It is TOMRA's most direct competitor in XRT/NIR ore sorting and waste/recycling sorting, serving the same enterprise customers with overlapping product lines.
• Bühler Group: Bühler is a Swiss family-owned machinery group whose Sorting division (formerly Sortex) provides optical sorting solutions for food, grain, and plastics. It directly competes with TOMRA Food's SPECTRIM and TOMRA 4C platforms in nuts, grains and IQF categories, and overlaps in plastics sorting.
• Satake Corporation: Satake is a Japanese manufacturer of optical sorting equipment for rice, grains, seeds, and food processing. It overlaps with TOMRA Food's seeds & grains and protein sorting portfolio, addressing the same food processing customers with comparable NIR/camera-based sorting technology.
• Sesotec: Sesotec is an Italian/German specialist in metal detection, X-ray inspection, and sensor-based sorting for plastics, food, and recycling. Its recycling and plastics sorting products directly overlap with TOMRA Recycling's AUTOSORT and X-TRACT portfolio for industrial customers.
• Envipco Holdings: Envipco is a US/Netherlands-based manufacturer of reverse vending machines and provider of DRS services. It directly competes with TOMRA Collection in the same deposit return scheme infrastructure market, including recent DRS deployments across Europe and North America.
• Machinex Technologies: Machinex is a Canadian designer-manufacturer of recycling sorting systems and material recovery facilities (MRFs). It competes with TOMRA Recycling in the same waste management and recycling customer base, offering optical sorting and turnkey MRF solutions.
• CP Group: CP Group (CP Manufacturing and MSS) is a US provider of recycling sorting systems, optical sorters, and MRF design. It overlaps with TOMRA Recycling in optical sorting equipment for plastics, paper, and metals, serving similar MRF and recycling customers.

Broad incumbents

• Metso: Metso is a Finnish global leader in mining and aggregates processing equipment, including crushers, screens, and material handling systems. While much broader than TOMRA Mining, Metso sells complementary processing equipment to the same mining operators and increasingly competes in digital/automation solutions.
• Cognex Corporation: Cognex is a US leader in machine vision and industrial barcode reading, providing vision systems used in factory automation and inspection. While not a direct competitor in sorting, its vision technology underpins adjacent automation capabilities and competes for the same AI/computer-vision investment dollars in industrial customers.

Emerging players

• SICK AG: SICK AG is a German manufacturer of sensors and sensor-based automation solutions for industrial applications. It supplies NIR, laser, and imaging sensors into recycling, logistics, and food processing — overlapping with TOMRA's underlying sensor stack and competing indirectly through OEM integrations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/tomra
• Facebookfacebook.com/tomragroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tomra
• Instagraminstagram.com/tomrasystems
• Xx.com/TOMRAGroup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A10 records

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about TOMRA