What TRASHCOIN does

Trashcoin operates a mobile-first digital waste management platform that enables households across Africa to deposit recyclable waste and receive instant cash payouts. The company serves a three-sided ecosystem comprising individual recyclers (households depositing sorted waste), collection agents (operators of 100+ verified drop-off hubs across Africa), and industrial recycling companies that purchase recycled materials sourced through the platform. Operations are anchored in Port Harcourt, Nigeria as the primary operational hub, with offices designated in DW, USA (headquarters) and Berlin, Germany (Impact Hub), and a total headcount of 1-10 employees. The firm was founded in 2021 according to firmographic data, although the earliest documented milestone in available sources is the April 2024 MassChallenge Switzerland accelerator selection; this date inconsistency is a data gap.

The platform is built around a mobile application available on iOS and Android featuring an integrated digital wallet for instant payouts, a computer vision-based waste categorization guide, and a leaderboard system for user engagement. A USSD access layer extends the service to feature phone users without smartphones, addressing the connectivity constraints common across African markets. The 100+ verified agent hubs form the physical backbone of distribution, creating a hybrid physical-digital model where recyclers locate nearby hubs, deposit sorted waste, and receive immediate wallet funding. A separate enterprise marketplace portal at app.trashcoin.host enables B2B transactions between recycling companies and material buyers. The website displays a live protocol dashboard tracking waste diverted, user payouts, CO2 saved, and active users; all metrics currently show zero values, indicating the platform is at an early operational stage.

Trashcoin monetizes through transaction fees on each waste deposit payout; the platform is free to use for waste providers who receive cash for sorted recyclables. The company has raised approximately $295,000 in total disclosed funding across four events from 2022-2026, sourced from Business Angels Club Berlin-Brandenburg ($15K in 2022), Orbit Startups/Orbit Ventures ($180K in 2025), and Jambaar Capital ($100K in 2026), supplemented by non-dilutive support from the MassChallenge Switzerland 2024 accelerator. Strategic partnerships with FMO (Dutch development bank), Endeavor, MassChallenge, Leap Africa, and 27+ additional global partners provide ecosystem credibility and network reach. The company is currently positioning for international supply chain expansion, having secured partnership deals at PRSE Europe 2026 to supply recycled materials into the Middle East, Spain, and Germany.

Name

TRASHCOIN

Legal name

Trashcoin

Website

https://trashcoin.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Trashcoin is an eco-fintech platform that enables African households to deposit recyclable waste via mobile app or USSD and receive instant cash payouts. It operates a three-sided marketplace connecting recyclers, collection agents, and recycling companies through 100+ verified agent hubs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Waste Management Platform

NAICS

Solid Waste Collection (562111), Waste Collection (56211), Other Waste Collection (562119)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Solid Waste & Recycling Services Administration (BPAIACAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Junk Removal & Disposal Coordination (HSAFAFAH)

Keywords

• Digital waste management
• Recycling marketplace platform
• Mobile recycling app
• Waste traceability software
• Circular economy platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Isheri-olofin

HQ country

Nigeria

HQ region

Africa

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Transaction Fee on Waste Deposits: Trashcoin monetizes through a transaction fee taken on each waste deposit payout. Users deposit recyclable waste via the app or USSD at verified agent hubs and receive instant cash; Trashcoin retains a cut of each transaction. The platform's financial sustainability is driven by the volume of waste flowing through its network.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Trashcoin operates a mobile-first digital waste management platform that enables users to deposit recyclable waste via iOS/Android app or USSD at verified agent hubs and receive instant cash payouts through an integrated digital wallet. The platform connects three ecosystem roles (recyclers, collection agents, and recycling companies) through a unified digital marketplace, with an AI vision guide for waste sorting and a live protocol dashboard tracking waste diversion, CO2 savings, user payouts, and active users.

Product overview

Trashcoin operates as a single unified eco-fintech platform called Africa's First Eco-Fintech Solution, comprising the core digital waste management platform, a mobile application (available on iOS and Android), and the Trashcoin Marketplace. The platform enables recyclers to deposit recyclable waste via mobile app or USSD and receive instant cash payments, while connecting them with collection agents and recycling companies. Key features include AI-powered waste categorization, a built-in digital wallet for instant payouts, and a leaderboard system for user engagement across 100+ verified hubs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Trashcoin Mobile App

Quantifiable outcome

• 100+ verified agent hub drop-off locations across the network
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Partnership Deals (Middle East, Spain, Germany)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 April 2026At the PRS Europe 2026 Exhibition in Amsterdam, Trashcoin secured new partnership deals to supply premium, high-quality recycled materials to buyers in the Middle East, Spain, and Germany. These strategic alliances expand Trashcoin's global supply chain and position it as a world-class supplier bridging sustainable waste management and global industrial demand.
• MassChallenge SwitzerlandcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 17 April 2024TrashCoin was selected to join the MassChallenge Switzerland 2024 accelerator program, representing a major milestone for its global expansion efforts. The program provides mentorship, resources, and network access to help scale the company's circular economy platform internationally.
• Leap AfricacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 April 2024Trashcoin partnered with Leap Africa's 2024 Social Innovators Programme (SIP) to identify, recruit, and mentor the next generation of eco-warriors from Nigeria. The program supports talent development and community building within the circular economy ecosystem.
• EndeavorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEndeavor supports Trashcoin as a high-impact entrepreneur network, providing mentorship, market access, and strategic guidance to help scale the company's African cleantech and eco-fintech platform globally.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Mr. Green Africa: Kenya-based recycling company that buys post-consumer plastic waste and processes it into recyclate for sale to manufacturers, comparable to Trashcoin's enterprise-side marketplace connecting recyclers to industrial buyers.
• EcoPost: Kenyan waste-to-product social enterprise that collects plastic waste from urban areas and converts it into commercial products, overlapping with Trashcoin's plastic waste collection and enterprise sales model.

Direct peers

• Wecyclers: Nigeria-based household recycling platform that rewards low-income households for collecting and depositing recyclable waste, mirroring Trashcoin's three-sided model with recyclers, collection agents, and corporate buyers.
• Plastic Bank: Global social enterprise that pays individuals in developing countries to collect plastic waste and exchanges it for digital rewards, closely matching Trashcoin's eco-fintech rewards model and digital ledger approach.

Broad incumbents

• Waste Management, Inc. Largest North American waste and recycling services provider with extensive collection, processing, and disposal operations, representing the broad incumbent benchmark against which Trashcoin's digitization thesis is measured.
• Rubicon Technologies: Tech-enabled waste and recycling services company serving municipalities and businesses across the US, comparable to Trashcoin in digitalizing the waste value chain but at much greater scale and with different end customers.
• TerraCycle: Specialty recycling company operating in 20+ countries that partners with consumer brands to recycle hard-to-recycle waste streams, overlapping with Trashcoin's focus on monetizing recycling through brand and enterprise partnerships.

Emerging players

• BURN Manufacturing: East African clean cookstove and recycled-metal manufacturer, adjacent to Trashcoin as a fellow African cleantech company building circular economy supply chains and participating in similar accelerator ecosystems.
• RecycleGO: Digital recycling marketplace using blockchain and tokens to incentivize household recycling and connect recyclers to enterprise buyers, sharing Trashcoin's digital wallet, traceability, and three-sided marketplace design.

Others

• Safi Organics: Kenyan agri-circular startup converting agricultural waste into organic fertilizer, comparable to Trashcoin as a fellow East/West African cleantech company leveraging impact capital and accelerator networks for circular economy scale-up.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/trashcoin_hq
• Facebookfacebook.com/trashcoin.eu

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors4 records

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about TRASHCOIN