Ecube Labs

What Ecube Labs does

Ecube Labs Co., Ltd., founded in 2011 and headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, is a privately-held IoT company that sells integrated smart waste management solutions to municipal governments, commercial operators (airports, theme parks, retail chains), waste haulers, and property managers. The company combines proprietary solar-powered hardware — the CleanCUBE compacting bin (5–8x capacity versus standard bins) and the CleanFLEX ultrasonic fill-level sensor (IP67-rated, up to 10-year battery life) — with the CleanCityNetworks (CCN) cloud SaaS analytics platform, built on Amazon Web Services, which ingests telemetry from deployed devices and applies predictive analytics, route optimization, and anomaly detection. A fleet management module (CCNx) extends CCN to collection vehicle dispatch and routing, and a separate Haulla service delivers real-time bin monitoring and consumer-to-company waste collection matching in North America.

The company monetizes through one-time hardware sales (CleanCUBE and CleanFLEX), recurring CCN SaaS subscriptions, CCNx fleet management subscriptions, IoT waste consulting services, LED/LCD advertising on CleanCUBE bins, and Haulla's transaction-fee model. Go-to-market combines direct enterprise sales (Seoul HQ plus Los Angeles and Baltimore U.S. offices) with an exclusive regional distributor network (ESE World in Northern Europe/Scandinavia, OTTO Asia Pacific in Southeast Asia, Smart City Solutions in Australia) covering 53+ countries across 5 continents, the National Cooperative Purchasing Alliance (NCPA) cooperative contract providing access to 90,000+ U.S. public agencies, and the AWS Partner Network for cloud and public-sector co-marketing. Named deployments include the City of Baltimore ($15M contract, largest smart waste bin deployment in global history at the time), City of Melbourne (397 CleanCUBEs replacing 772 bins), Dublin Airport (300 sensors yielding 90% efficiency gain), Everland (250 units), Lotte Department Store, and pilots in Seoul, Paris, Marseille, and Barcelona, with 5,000+ units installed across 40+ countries. Ecube Labs has raised venture funding through Series C (15B KRW, June 2023) and holds U.S. Patent No. 9,821,955 covering its smart waste management system.

Name

Ecube Labs

Legal name

Ecube Labs Co., Ltd.

Website

https://ecubelabs.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ecube Labs (Seoul, 2011) provides IoT smart waste management — solar-powered CleanCUBE compactors, CleanFLEX fill-level sensors, and the CleanCityNetworks SaaS analytics platform — to municipalities, airports, retailers, and haulers across 53+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Smart Waste Management Solutions

NAICS

Waste Collection (5621), Solid Waste Collection (562111)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

Waste Management & Smart Sanitation (Facilities) (HSAPAPAM)

Keywords

• Smart waste management
• IoT waste monitoring
• Solar waste compactors
• Waste analytics platform
• Fill level sensors

Headquarters

HQ city

Seoul

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hardware sales (CleanCUBE and CleanFLEX): One-time hardware sales of solar-powered waste compactors (CleanCUBE, available in multiple sizes up to 240L) and wireless ultrasonic fill-level sensors (CleanFLEX). Sold direct in Asia and through exclusive distributors internationally. Customers can also opt to mount CleanFLEX on existing containers.
2. CleanCityNetworks (CCN) SaaS subscription: Recurring SaaS revenue from the cloud-based waste analytics platform that provides real-time monitoring, predictive fill-level forecasting, route optimization, push notifications, and historical data analytics reports. The platform also includes consultation on bin allocation.
3. LED/LCD advertising on CleanCUBE:
4. CCNx fleet management subscription: Recurring revenue from CCNx, a fleet management software platform designed to coordinate collection fleets with smart bin data.
5. IoT waste consulting services: Professional consulting services around IoT-enabled waste management, described by Ecube Labs as the first-in-the-world "IoT waste consulting" offering spanning bin allocation, dynamic collection strategy, and stakeholder engagement.
6. Haulla service revenue (North American waste collection marketplace): Haulla is the company's North American service enabling real-time waste bin monitoring and consumer-to-company matching for waste collection. Reported as having over 4,300 customers in the U.S. within two years.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Ecube Labs sells an integrated smart waste management platform combining solar-powered IoT hardware (CleanCUBE compacting bins and CleanFLEX ultrasonic fill-level sensors) with the CleanCityNetworks (CCN) cloud-based SaaS analytics platform built on AWS. The platform provides real-time and predictive fill-level monitoring, dynamic collection route optimization, push notifications, and fleet management (CCNx), reducing waste collection costs by up to 50% with sensors alone and up to 80% with compactors plus analytics. Customers include municipal governments, airports, theme parks, retail chains, and waste haulers across 53+ countries.

Product overview

Ecube Labs sells an integrated smart-waste-management platform combining IoT hardware and cloud analytics, organized as a platform-plus-modules architecture rather than a single monolithic product. At the hardware layer, CleanCUBE (solar-powered compacting bins) and CleanFLEX (ultrasonic fill-level sensors) collect real-time fill-level and compaction telemetry. That telemetry flows into CleanCityNetworks (CCN), the cloud-based analytics SaaS that delivers predictive fill-level forecasting, dynamic collection-route optimization, and push notifications — the central nervous system of the offering. CCNx extends CCN with dedicated fleet-management capabilities for collection vehicles. For the North American market, the same underlying technology is delivered under the Haulla service brand, focused on real-time bin monitoring and consumer-to-company matching (4,300+ U.S. customers by mid-2023). Together, CleanCUBE + CleanFLEX + CCN (and CCNx) form a single integrated solution that Ecube markets across smart cities, commercial facilities, private deployments, and waste collectors; the company cites up to 50% efficiency gains with sensors alone and up to 80% with compacting bins plus analytics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CleanCUBE: Solar-powered waste compacting bin (IoT hardware product line) that compacts waste and transmits fill-level data wirelessly.
• CleanFLEX (also referred to as CleanCAP)
• CleanCityNetworks (CCN)
• CCNx
• Haulla

Products and services

• CleanCUBE Solar-powered waste compacting bin that monitors fill level in real time via onboard ultrasonic sensors and automatically compacts waste, increasing effective bin capacity 5–8x over standard bins and reducing collection frequency by up to ~85%. Available in multiple sizes (100L–240L), with optional LED backlit advertising panels, foot-pedal hands-free hoppers, Wi-Fi hotspot routing, remotely lockable hopper doors, and motion-safety sensors that pause compaction. Tested to operate between -20°C and +40°C; over 5,000 units installed across 40+ countries.
• CleanFLEX (formerly CleanCAP) Wireless ultrasonic fill-level sensor that retrofits onto any standard waste container (steel or plastic) and transmits real-time fill-level data (detection range 30–400 cm, max 4 m depth) over wireless mobile networks to the CleanCityNetworks platform. IP67-rated, operating temperature -30°C to +80°C, battery life up to 10 years; suitable for solid and liquid waste including clothing, compost, glass, and recyclables.
• CleanCityNetworks (CCN) Cloud-based SaaS waste analytics and monitoring platform that aggregates real-time fill-level and compaction telemetry from CleanCUBE and CleanFLEX devices. Provides traffic-light visualization of bin status, push notifications, historical analytics, predictive fill-level forecasting (hourly fill-level increases per bin per day/time), optimal collection route recommendations, dynamic dispatch scheduling, and bin-allocation consultation. Cited to reduce operational waste-collection costs by up to 50% (sensor-only) to 80% (with CleanCUBE). Hosted on AWS infrastructure.
• CCNx Fleet management software module that complements CleanCityNetworks by managing the collection-vehicle/fleet side of waste operations, including dispatch, routing, and driver assignment. Designed for waste haulers and city collection fleets to coordinate with smart bin data from CCN.
• Haulla Ecube Labs' North American waste-management service that enables real-time waste bin monitoring and consumer-to-company matching for the waste collection industry. Reached over 4,300 U.S. customers within two years per the June 2023 Series C announcement. Operates as the company's go-to-market service for the United States, distinct from the CleanCUBE/CleanFLEX/CCN hardware+software stack.
• CleanCUBE Ultra 2.0 Next-generation CleanCUBE smart waste compactor rolled out in Seoul and Tokyo in 2025, representing Ecube Labs' latest hardware iteration of its solar-powered compacting bin for major Asia-Pacific smart-city customers.

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability5 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor, unclear and core.

• National Cooperative Purchasing Alliance (NCPA)flagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 16 July 2020Contract for General, Recyclable, and Food Waste Collection, Compaction, Containment and Onsite Processing Systems and Components. Makes Ecube's technologies available to over 90,000 public agencies in all 50 U.S. states without an RFP process. 3-year term with option to renew for two additional 1-year periods.
• UAE Ministry of Economy and Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (Technology Innovation Pioneers Summit)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 3 March 2020Ecube Labs participated in and won the envirotech startup category of the TIP Summit 2020 in Abu Dhabi, providing visibility to UAE government officials and validation of its IoT waste consulting vision. Represented by Purvesh Garg, Regional Business Development Manager for Middle East.
• Bigbelly Solar, Inc. (IP litigation counterpart)unclearOthers · 23 November 2017Ecube Labs filed an infringement suit against Bigbelly Solar, Inc. in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California asserting Ecube's U.S. Patent No. 9,821,955 covering its novel smart waste management system. Earlier (July 28, 2017), BigBelly had filed a complaint against Ecube Labs, which Ecube Labs publicly stated it did not infringe.
• Widget BraincoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 November 2016Strategic partnership to use Ecube's waste-related data with Widget Brain's advanced forecasting and optimization algorithms to help cities increase recycling rates, reduce collection costs, and prevent bin overflow. Quote from Maarten de Boo of Widget Brain.
• Smart City Solutions (SCS)flagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 7 April 2016Ecube Labs' exclusive distribution partner in Australia. Following a successful pilot project in late 2017, SCS installed 397 CleanCUBEs in the City of Melbourne to replace 772 existing public litter bins in the central city.
• OTTO Asia PacificflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 29 October 2015Exclusive partnership to market CleanCUBE, CleanCAP, and CleanCityNetworks across OTTO's markets (including Singapore). Quote from Christopher Lopez, OTTO Managing Director, and Roger Kim, Executive Director of Business Development at Ecube Labs.
• ESE World B.V.flagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 28 October 2015Exclusive distribution agreement covering CleanCUBE and CleanCityNetworks throughout Northern Europe and Scandinavia: UK, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Germany, and Benelux. Co-announced by Dave Hughes (MD, ESE World Ltd.) and Sean Sun-beom Gwon (CEO, Ecube Labs).
• Amazon Web Services (AWS)coreTechnology or IntegrationEcube Labs' products and solutions are built on and enhanced by Amazon Web Services. AWS provides scalable cloud infrastructure, optimal storage, bandwidth, and computational power for CleanCityNetworks (CCN). Ecube Labs participates in the AWS Partner Network (Public Sector) and has published an AWS case study.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Waste Management (WM): Waste Management is the largest U.S. waste hauler and has built internal smart waste capabilities including its Enevo acquisition, IoT-fitted container fleet, and proprietary routing software. It overlaps with Ecube's Haulla marketplace and competes with Ecube's municipal sales motion as both a potential customer (for sensor retrofit) and a competitor for end-customer contracts.
• Republic Services: Republic Services is the second-largest U.S. waste hauler, with growing investments in route optimization technology and smart fleet instrumentation. It competes with Ecube for municipal contracts and represents both a potential channel partner (via bulk procurement) and a structural incumbent threat.

Direct peers

• Compology: Compology provides camera-based smart waste monitoring sensors and a route-optimization analytics platform for waste haulers and municipalities. Like Ecube, it sells an IoT sensor-plus-SaaS bundle targeting the same smart-city and waste-hauler buyer segments, making it a direct comparable on the analytics-first side of the market.
• OnePlusOne (formerly SmartBin): OnePlusOne (formerly Smartbin) provides ultrasonic fill-level sensors and a waste analytics platform for municipal and commercial waste collection. Like Ecube, it sells an IoT sensor + cloud analytics bundle to municipalities and has overlapping customer profiles in the U.S., U.K., and European smart-city markets.
• Sensoneo: Sensoneo is a Slovakia-headquartered smart waste management company offering ultrasonic sensors, RFID tags, and a waste analytics platform with route optimization. It serves similar municipal and enterprise customers to Ecube across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, making it a strong direct comparable on the sensor-plus-SaaS model.
• Nordsense: Nordsense is a Danish smart waste sensor company providing fill-level monitoring and data-driven waste collection optimization for municipalities and waste haulers. It competes with Ecube's CleanFLEX and CCN products in the European smart-city segment and shares a similar go-to-market motion focused on sustainability outcomes.
• Bigbelly Solar: Bigbelly is Ecube's closest direct competitor in solar-powered smart waste compactors with cloud-connected fill-level monitoring. Both serve municipal and university customers with integrated hardware-plus-software smart waste platforms and are currently engaged in U.S. patent litigation with each other, making them the most directly comparable company in the space.
• Enevo (now part of WM): Enevo is a Finland-based smart waste sensor and analytics provider acquired by Waste Management, offering ultrasonic fill-level sensors and route-optimization software for municipal and commercial waste collection. It competes directly with Ecube's CleanFLEX and CCN offering across Europe and globally.

Emerging players

• CleanRobotics: CleanRobotics makes AI-powered smart trash bins that use computer vision to automatically sort recyclables from landfill waste. While Ecube's CleanCUBE focuses on compaction and fill-level monitoring, CleanRobotics is an emerging adjacent player in the smart-bin category that targets the same smart-city and sustainability buyers.
• Rubicon Technologies: Rubicon is a software and marketplace platform for waste and recycling haulers, offering route optimization, customer engagement tools, and smart fleet technology. It serves a similar buyer (municipalities and haulers) with an adjacent SaaS-only model, and overlaps with Ecube's CCN/CCNx fleet management offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights8 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/EcubeLabs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ecube-labs-co-ltd-

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds9 records

Investors11 records

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Ecube Labs