Selfrag
Selfrag AG is a Swiss privately held company that develops, operates, and finances industrial waste-to-value plants (Centros) using patented High Voltage Pulse fragmentation to recover metals, minerals, and Gold Standard certified CO2 credits from incinerator bottom ash. It serves waste-to-energy operators, steel mills, cement producers, and corporate climate buyers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersKerzers, Switzerland
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Selfrag does
Selfrag AG is a Swiss privately held engineering company that develops, constructs, finances, owns and operates waste-to-value plants (branded 'Centros') which recover valuable raw materials from incinerator bottom ash (IBA). Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Kerzers, Switzerland, the company employs 11-50 people. Selfrag's core technology is its patented High Voltage Pulse Power (HVP) fragmentation process, which applies 100-200 kV electrical pulses in microsecond intervals through water-suspended material to selectively break materials apart along natural grain boundaries rather than crushing them mechanically. The process is protected by 15 patents covering the fragmentation method, water-based closed-loop design, staged sorting, and integration with waste-to-energy infrastructure.
The company generates revenue through two primary streams: (1) sale of recovered materials (ferrous metals to steel mills, non-ferrous metals including aluminum, copper and heavy metals to metal traders/foundries, iron oxide/Fe2O3 to pigment and steel industries, and clean silicate fractions to cement/construction) and (2) Gold Standard certified CO2 credits sold through partner South Pole representing verified, permanent avoidance of CO2 emissions from displacing primary raw material production. Operational assets include Centro Uno (Full-Reuenthal, 35,000 t/year IBA processing capacity, 50% material recovery rate), the Saidef SA partner facility (Posieux, 15,000 t/year, operational since 2016), and Centro Due (Kerzers, 45,000 t/year, under construction with 2026 commissioning target). In 2024, Centro Uno avoided 13,160 tonnes of CO2.
Selfrag serves three primary customer segments: waste-to-energy plant operators (KVAs) that supply IBA under long-term contracts, industrial materials buyers (steel mills, foundries, cement/construction), and corporations purchasing Gold Standard certified carbon credits to meet climate targets. The company also generates ancillary revenue from SELFRAG Lab systems deployed in 45+ research institutions globally and High Purity Sizing Equipment integrated into polysilicon production lines. Selfrag's GTM is enterprise field sales with a Swiss-first expansion strategy and parallel prospecting in the USA and Scandinavia through regional partners. The company closed 14.3M CHF in financing in June 2023 (9.3M equity, 5M debt via Technology Fund and UBS) and is led by CEO Giovanni Barbarani with CTO Joel Kolly and Executive Chairman Anton Affentranger.
Selfrag firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Selfrag
- Legal name
- Selfrag AG
- Website
- https://selfrag.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Selfrag AG is a Swiss privately held company that develops, operates, and finances industrial waste-to-value plants (Centros) using patented High Voltage Pulse fragmentation to recover metals, minerals, and Gold Standard certified CO2 credits from incinerator bottom ash. It serves waste-to-energy operators, steel mills, cement producers, and corporate climate buyers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Selfrag industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Waste Recycling & Recovery
- NAICS
- Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Smelting and Refining (33141), Ground or Treated Mineral and Earth Manufacturing (327992), Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing (3339)
- SIC
- Secondary Smelting & Refining Of Nonferrous Metals (3341), Special Industry Machinery, Nec (3559)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Metal Melting & Secondary Smelting/Refining (Recycled Feedstock Producers) (EUAIAJAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Separation & Filtration Equipment (Filters, Centrifuges, Membranes) (IMAHAEAB), E-Waste & Electronics Metal Recovery (ITAD, Circuit Boards, Precious Metal Recovery) (IMAKAMAG)
Keywords
Where Selfrag is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kerzers
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Selfrag business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Recovered materials sales: Selfrag recovers and sells ferrous metals (to steel mills as scrap), non-ferrous metals (aluminum, copper, heavy metals to metal traders/foundries), iron oxide (Fe2O3 for pigments and steel industry), and clean minerals (silicate fraction to cement/construction industry). Revenue from selling recovered materials that displace primary raw material production.
- Gold Standard certified CO2 credits: Verified CO2 savings from industrial waste-to-value operations sold as Gold Standard certified carbon credits. As of June 2025, Centro Uno had cumulatively avoided 13,342 tonnes CO2. Credits traded through partner South Pole. Provides permanent, physically verifiable CO2 avoidance backed by real industrial throughput.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom waste-to-value plant development and operation |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Selfrag product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Selfrag develops, constructs, finances, owns and operates industrial-scale waste-to-value plants (Centros) that use patented High Voltage Pulse (HVP) fragmentation technology to recover metals and minerals from incinerator bottom ash (IBA). The company sells the recovered ferrous metals, non-ferrous metals, iron oxide, and clean mineral fractions to industrial buyers, and generates Gold Standard certified CO2 credits from the displaced primary material production. Selfrag also sells laboratory-scale SELFRAG Lab systems to research institutions and High Purity Sizing Equipment for industrial high-purity material processing.
Product overview
Selfrag operates a portfolio of waste-to-value solutions centered on its proprietary High Voltage Pulse (HVP) fragmentation technology. The core offering consists of industrial-scale waste-to-value plants (Centros) that process incinerator bottom ash to recover metals and minerals. Key products include: Centro Uno (operational, 35,000 t/year) and Centro Due (under construction, 45,000 t/year) as the company's own operated facilities; Saidef SA as a partner facility using SELFRAG 1.0 technology; the SELFRAG Lab system for research institutions; and High Purity Sizing Equipment for industrial material processing. The technology is also applied to produce Gold Standard-certified CO₂ credits through material recovery. Recovered outputs include ferrous metals, non-ferrous metals (aluminum, copper), iron oxide concentrate, and clean minerals for construction applications.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Centro Uno: First Swiss waste-to-value facility in Full-Reuenthal, Aargau. Processes 35,000 t IBA/year with ~17,500 tonnes CO2/year avoided.
- Centro Due
- Centro Tre
- SELFRAG Lab
- High Purity Sizing Equipment
- Saidef SA
Products and services
- SELFRAG Lab System Laboratory-scale selective fragmentation equipment for complex materials including ores, electronics, and recycled materials, sold to research institutions for sample preparation in geology, mineralogy, and materials science.
- High Purity Sizing Equipment Contactless crushing system for high-purity materials including polysilicon, monosilicon, and glass, sold to industrial producers for contamination-free size reduction. First installed in 2016, now integrated into polysilicon production lines of major global producers.
- Gold Standard Certified CO2 Credits Verified CO2 avoidance credits from industrial waste-to-value operations, sold to companies with climate goals seeking permanent, physically traceable carbon offsets with no reversal risk.
- Recovered Ferrous Metals Iron and steel recovered from incinerator bottom ash through HVP processing, sold to steel mills and metal traders as scrap material substituting primary production.
- Recovered Non-Ferrous Metals Aluminum, copper, and heavy metals recovered intact from incinerator bottom ash, refined and sold to metal traders and foundries as substitutes for primary metals.
- Iron Oxide Concentrate High-purity Fe2O3 recovered from IBA processing, sold to pigment manufacturers and the steel industry as a substitute for primary iron oxide.
- Clean Minerals (Silicate Fraction) Cleaned silicate fraction including glass and ceramic fragments recovered from IBA processing, sold as construction aggregate and raw material for cement production.
Quantifiable outcome
- 13,160 tonnes CO2 avoided in 2024 at Centro Uno
- +7 more outcomes
Companies that use Selfrag
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Selfrag technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Selfrag partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- RenergiacoreWaste-to-energy operator supplying incinerator bottom ash to Centro Uno from Lucerne facility. Long-term supply partnership for IBA processing.
- KVA TurgicoreWaste incineration plant in Turgi supplying IBA to Centro Uno. Delivered first IBA shipment (26,990 kg) on March 7, 2023.
- KVA BuchscoreWaste incineration plant in Aargau supplying IBA to Centro Uno.
- AVAGcorePartner for Centro Due project. Waste incineration operator in the Bern/Fribourg region.
- TRIDELcorePartner for Centro Due project. Waste incineration operator.
- Saidef SAcorePartner facility operating SELFRAG 1.0 technology since 2016. Located in Posieux, Fribourg with 15,000 t/year capacity. Owned by municipalities of Fribourg and Broye region, cantons of Fribourg and Vaud, and Groupe E. First industrial-scale deployment providing operational validation for Centro Uno and Centro Due.
- South PolecoreFour-year partnership for CO2 methodology development. South Pole brought expertise in voluntary market methodologies to build certification under Gold Standard. Currently handles issuance and trading of Selfrag's carbon credits. One of the most respected advisors in the global carbon market.
- ETH ZurichcoreResearch partner for HVP technology development. Provided scientific validation for methodology underlying Gold Standard certification. Key academic collaborator in high-voltage pulse fragmentation research.
- EPFLcoreR&D partner collaborating on HVP technology and process development.
- EmpacoreSwiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology - R&D partner for technology development.
- Fraunhofer IBPminorGerman research organization for applied materials science - collaboration on HVP process development.
- University of BerncoreR&D partner for HVP technology development. Provided independent academic review for CO2 methodology certification.
- FHNWminorUniversity of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland - ongoing technology development partnership.
- ASE TechnikminorSpecialized engineering and construction firm - technology partner for plant construction.
- ROWA Tunnel LogisticsminorSpecialized construction firm - technology partner for plant construction.
- AIK TechnikminorSpecialized engineering firm - technology partner for plant construction.
- Dober EngineeringminorEngineering firm - technology partner for plant construction.
- ErneminorConstruction firm - technology partner for plant construction.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Selfrag competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- TOMRA: Provider of sensor-based sorting and separation technology widely used in metal and IBA recovery lines; adjacent enabler comparable to Selfrag's downstream sorting/separation equipment.
- South Pole: Carbon project developer and credit advisor that issues and trades Selfrag's certified CO2 credits; ecosystem partner operating in the voluntary carbon market that Selfrag monetizes.
- Boliden: Integrated metals company with significant secondary smelting/recycling operations that consume recovered non-ferrous scrap; an offtake-adjacent peer to Selfrag's recovered-metal sales.
Direct peers
- Inashco: Specialist in recovering metals from incinerator bottom ash for waste-to-energy operators across Europe and North America, directly comparable to Selfrag's core IBA metal-recovery business and customer base.
- Heros Sluiskil: Dutch processor of incinerator bottom ash that recovers metals and produces secondary building materials, mirroring Selfrag's outputs (metals plus mineral/aggregate fractions) and circular-economy positioning.
Broad incumbents
- Remondis: Major European recycling and waste services group recovering metals and minerals from residual waste streams, broadly comparable to Selfrag's recovery and circular-economy model.
- Veolia: Global waste management and recycling incumbent operating waste-to-energy and material recovery facilities, overlapping with Selfrag's waste-to-value space as part of a much wider portfolio.
- Befesa: Large industrial waste and residue recycler recovering metals (zinc, aluminium) from steel-dust and salt slags, overlapping with Selfrag's metal-recovery-from-waste model at far greater scale and breadth.
Regional players
- ZAR (Zentrum fuer nachhaltige Abfall- und Ressourcennutzung): Swiss organization that pioneered dry IBA discharge and metal/heavy-metal recovery (FLUWA/FLUREC) from waste incineration, competing in the same Swiss IBA recovery space as Selfrag.
Emerging players
- ImpulsTec: German developer of electrodynamic (high-voltage pulse) fragmentation systems for selective material liberation, directly overlapping with Selfrag's core HVP fragmentation technology and lab/industrial equipment line.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Selfrag social profiles
Digital presenceSelfrag compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Selfrag financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Selfrag leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Selfrag subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Selfrag funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors4 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Selfrag 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 Selfrag
What does Selfrag do?
Selfrag develops, constructs, finances, owns and operates industrial-scale waste-to-value plants (Centros) that use patented High Voltage Pulse (HVP) fragmentation technology to recover metals and minerals from incinerator bottom ash (IBA). The company sells the recovered ferrous metals, non-ferrous metals, iron oxide, and clean mineral fractions to industrial buyers, and generates Gold Standard certified CO2 credits from the displaced primary material production. Selfrag also sells laboratory-scale SELFRAG Lab systems to research institutions and High Purity Sizing Equipment for industrial high-purity material processing.
Is Selfrag a public or private company?
Selfrag is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Selfrag founded?
Selfrag was founded in 2007. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Selfrag based?
Selfrag is headquartered in Kerzers, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does Selfrag make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Recovered materials sales are the primary driver. The others are gold Standard certified CO2 credits.
Who are Selfrag's main competitors?
Others on record are TOMRA, South Pole and Boliden. Direct peers are Inashco and Heros Sluiskil. Broad incumbents are Remondis, Veolia and Befesa. ZAR (Zentrum fuer nachhaltige Abfall- und Ressourcennutzung) is listed as a regional player. ImpulsTec is listed as an emerging player.
Does Selfrag have an API?
No public API is recorded for Selfrag.
What industry is Selfrag in?
Selfrag's product category is Industrial Waste Recycling & Recovery. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAIAJAJ, Metal Melting & Secondary Smelting/Refining (Recycled Feedstock Producers), with a secondary code of IMAHAEAB, Separation & Filtration Equipment (Filters, Centrifuges, Membranes). Its NAICS code is 33141 and its SIC code is 3341.