Bower
Bower is a Stockholm-based mobile recycling rewards platform that connects consumers with e-commerce and FMCG brands through an app-based barcode scanning and cashback system, providing brands attributable sustainability data and checkout-integrated conversion uplift.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersStockholm, Sweden
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Bower does
Bower is a Stockholm-based mobile recycling rewards platform operating under the legal entity Sugi Group AB (publ). Its consumer-facing Bower mobile app (iOS and Android) rewards users with instant cashback or coupons when they scan shipping waybill barcodes after unpacking and recycle the packaging at any local recycling bin. On the B2B side, the company sells two solutions to brands and e-commerce operators: E-commerce Packaging Rewards, which embeds recycling rewards directly into brand checkout flows to lift conversion, and Product Packaging Rewards for FMCG brands to drive consumer engagement and loyalty through product-packaging recycling.
The platform is built on a barcode- and waybill-scanning architecture with an in-development machine learning layer for waste identification and sorting, funded by a €1.75M Google.org Impact Challenge grant with a stated intent to open-source the model. Revenue is generated from a mix of transaction-based recycling fees and subscription or usage-based brand partnership contracts, with custom quote-based pricing and annual billing cadence. Brand-side customers include PostNord, Orkla, Nespresso, Nestlé, Unilever, Coop, L'Oréal, Dove, Nivea, Wella, and Kiehl's, alongside published SMB case studies at Topformula, Malmö Chokladfabrik, TIEL, and Skincity reporting conversion and profit uplifts of 7–20%.
Bower employs 11–50 staff, is a Certified B Corporation and Ellen MacArthur Foundation member, and operates from Stockholm with an active expansion focus on the UK market. Disclosed funding totals approximately €5.85M across a 2020 round, a €4.1M late seed in March 2022 led by blq Invest with Almi Invest GreenTech, Orkla Ventures, and Verdane, and the November 2023 Google.org grant. As of March 2022 the platform had processed over 20 million recycled packages across 100+ brand programs and 10K+ registered users.
Bower firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Bower
- Legal name
- Sugi Group AB (publ)
- Website
- https://getbower.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Bower is a Stockholm-based mobile recycling rewards platform that connects consumers with e-commerce and FMCG brands through an app-based barcode scanning and cashback system, providing brands attributable sustainability data and checkout-integrated conversion uplift.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Bower industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Recycling Rewards Platform
- NAICS
- Materials Recovery Facilities (562920)
- SIC
- Refuse Systems (4953)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Packaging Recovery & Closed-Loop Programs (Take-Back, Deposit-Return, EPR Support) (IMALAMAF)
Keywords
Where Bower is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Stockholm
- HQ country
- Sweden
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Bower business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations
Revenue model
- Transaction-based Recycling Rewards: Brands pay Bower to offer recycling rewards to consumers at checkout and post-delivery. Revenue is generated per transaction/recycling event when users redeem rewards by scanning and recycling packaging. The reward can be financial (cashback) or coupons, creating a cost-per-acquisition-like model for brands.
- Brand Partnership Programs: Branded recycling programs where consumer brands (Nestlé, L'Oréal, Unilever, etc.) pay to participate in Bower's platform, integrating rewards into their e-commerce checkout and unboxing experience. These are typically structured as subscription or usage-based contracts.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Hybrid | Annual | Enterprise brand programs with custom pricing |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Bower product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Bower operates a mobile recycling rewards platform consisting of a consumer-facing app (iOS/Android) where users scan shipping waybill barcodes and recycle packaging to earn instant cashback, plus two B2B solutions — E-commerce Packaging Rewards and FMCG Product Packaging Rewards — that let brands embed recycling rewards into checkout and unboxing flows to lift conversion and capture attributable recycling data for EU PPWR compliance. The platform uses ML-powered waste identification and a script-based checkout integration that requires zero developer work from brands.
Product overview
Bower offers a mobile recycling rewards platform consisting of a consumer-facing Bower App and two B2B solutions: E-commerce Packaging Rewards for shipping packages and Product Packaging Rewards for FMCG products. The platform uses a barcode scanning mechanism on waybills to identify and reward recycling behavior, with rewards delivered as instant cashback or coupons. The company has partnered with major brands including Nestlé, L'Oréal, Unilever, PostNord, Orkla, Nespresso, Dove, Nivea, Coop, Wella, and Kiehl's.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Bower App Mobile application (iOS/Android) that rewards consumers for proper waste sorting. Users scan the barcode on a shipping waybill in the app after unpacking, recycle packaging at any local recycling bin, and receive instant cashback or coupons.
- E-commerce Packaging Rewards
Quantifiable outcome
- Checkout conversion uplift of up to 15%
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Bower
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Bower technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability1 record
Feature4 records
Bower partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators9 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Bower competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Plastic Bank: Plastic Bank operates a global plastic-recycling rewards network that pays collectors in vulnerable communities for recovered plastic. It is the most direct comparable to Bower: both run consumer/collector recycling-for-rewards models with brand-side partnerships and impact data products.
- RecycleGO: RecycleGO is a recycling rewards and traceability platform that serves both consumers and brands with sustainability data and tokenized incentives. It is closely comparable to Bower in combining consumer rewards, brand partnerships and ESG/PPWR-style reporting outputs.
- Litterati: Litterati runs a crowdsourced litter-data platform with a mobile app and brand partnerships to fund cleanup. It overlaps with Bower on the consumer mobile-app-for-waste-behaviour model and on selling attributable waste data to consumer-goods brands.
Emerging players
- EcoCart: EcoCart embeds sustainability actions (notably carbon-offset opt-ins) directly into e-commerce checkout flows, with a similar merchant-script integration model to Bower. It overlaps in the 'sustainability-at-checkout' wedge but focuses on carbon rather than packaging circularity.
- Recycleye: Recycleye provides AI-powered computer-vision systems for materials recovery facilities. It overlaps with Bower's ML waste-identification technology stack but operates on the facility/infrastructure side rather than the consumer side of the recycling loop.
- Greyparrot: Greyparrot applies AI vision analytics to waste streams for materials recovery operators and brands. It is comparable to Bower's ML waste-identification capabilities and shares the broader opportunity of digitising recycling behaviour and material flows.
- Too Good To Go: Too Good To Go is a consumer mobile app that fights food waste by connecting users with surplus food from local businesses. It is comparable to Bower as a consumer sustainability app with a brand/merchant partnership model and behavioural-rewards framing.
- Olio: Olio is a neighbourhood sharing app that reduces food waste through peer-to-peer surplus sharing, with brand partnerships. It is comparable to Bower in operating a consumer mobile app that drives pro-sustainability behaviour at the household level.
Broad incumbents
- Algramo: Algramo is a refill and reuse packaging platform serving major FMCG brands with reusable dispensing systems. It is comparable to Bower as a consumer-engagement and circular-packaging partner for the same enterprise FMCG brand buyers.
- TerraCycle: TerraCycle operates branded recycling and reuse programmes (including the Loop circular packaging platform) for major consumer-goods companies. It is comparable to Bower as an established circular-packaging/brand-partnership platform for the same Nestlé/Unilever-tier buyer set.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Bower social profiles
Digital presenceBower compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Bower financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Bower leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Bower funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors6 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Bower M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Bower
What does Bower do?
Bower operates a mobile recycling rewards platform consisting of a consumer-facing app (iOS/Android) where users scan shipping waybill barcodes and recycle packaging to earn instant cashback, plus two B2B solutions — E-commerce Packaging Rewards and FMCG Product Packaging Rewards — that let brands embed recycling rewards into checkout and unboxing flows to lift conversion and capture attributable recycling data for EU PPWR compliance. The platform uses ML-powered waste identification and a script-based checkout integration that requires zero developer work from brands.
Is Bower a public or private company?
Bower is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Bower founded?
Bower was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Bower based?
Bower is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, in the Europe region.
How does Bower make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Transaction-based Recycling Rewards are the primary driver. The others are brand Partnership Programs.
Who are Bower's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Plastic Bank, RecycleGO and Litterati. Emerging players are EcoCart, Recycleye, Greyparrot, Too Good To Go and Olio. Broad incumbents are Algramo and TerraCycle.
Does Bower have an API?
No public API is recorded for Bower.
What industry is Bower in?
Bower's product category is Recycling Rewards Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMALAMAF, Packaging Recovery & Closed-Loop Programs (Take-Back, Deposit-Return, EPR Support). Its NAICS code is 562920 and its SIC code is 4953.