Ecomet Refining

What Ecomet Refining does

Ecomet Refining S.p.A. is an Italian private company headquartered in Treviglio, Bergamo, that provides precious metals and critical raw materials recovery and refining services for industrial waste streams. Its core business treats electronic waste, lithium-ion batteries, automotive and industrial catalysts, photovoltaic panels, and jewelry scraps, recovering gold, silver, and the platinum group metals (platinum, palladium, rhodium, iridium, ruthenium), alongside copper, nickel, cobalt, manganese, and lithium. The company operates the only TBRC (Top Blown Rotary Converter) furnace in Italy — a 1960s technology re-engineered for environmental performance — which it claims cuts methane usage by 75% versus traditional smelting and uses the calorific content of feed material itself, eliminating the need for external melting agents. The new Treviglio facility carries an 18,000 tons/year processing capacity, making it the largest such plant in Italy.

The business model is B2B enterprise field sales with quote-based pricing tied to feedstock type and recovery requirements; revenue is generated through transaction fees on treatment, sampling, and smelting services, with client-visible processes and certificates of destruction or recovery for regulatory compliance. Customer demand is diversified across five primary verticals: electronics manufacturers, jewelry and fashion houses, the electric-vehicle and battery industry, general industrial manufacturers, and the renewable energy sector. Supporting service lines include the EU LIFE-funded ReLife4PCBA circular system with FAE Technology, Daze, and SOCAF for electronic board refurbishment and digital traceability, and certified destruction services for documents and electronic media (UNI CEI ISO/IEC 21964-3:2020). Certifications include Responsible Jewellery Council Code of Practices 2019 (membership since February 2021) and the Integrated Environmental Authorization (AIA) n° 2714 registered November 2022.

Ecomet is led by founder and CEO Alberto Tosoni, with PH Investments SRL (Legor Group Holding) as a 10% shareholder with call options to reach 26% over five years from January 2022. Sister company Refimet SRL (49% PH Investments) operates within the same business group. In January 2026, the company executed a capital increase from €500,000 to €2,500,000 to finance the Treviglio plant build-out. Strategic positioning emphasizes regulatory-grade circular economy credentials for European industrial buyers and selected forays into the Indian battery recycling market via the EU-India Trade and Technology Council.

Name

Ecomet Refining

Legal name

Ecomet Refining S.p.A.

Website

https://ecomet-italia.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ecomet Refining S.p.A. is an Italian B2B refiner that recovers precious metals and critical raw materials from electronic waste, lithium-ion batteries, catalysts, photovoltaic panels, and jewelry scraps, serving electronics, jewelry, automotive, industrial, and renewable-energy clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Precious Metals Refining and Recycling Services

NAICS

Secondary Smelting, Refining, and Alloying of Nonferrous Metal (except Copper and Aluminum) (331492), Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Smelting and Refining (331410), Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Smelting and Refining (33141)

SIC

Secondary Smelting & Refining Of Nonferrous Metals (3341), Primary Smelting & Refining Of Nonferrous Metals (3330)

akta.pro primary industry

Precious & Specialty Metal Recovery (Smelting, Refining, Hydrometallurgy) (EUAIAIAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Catalytic Converter Recycling & Precious Metals Recovery (PGM) (EUAIAJAG), E-Waste & Electronics Metal Recovery (ITAD, Circuit Boards, Precious Metal Recovery) (IMAKAMAG), Catalyst & Precious Metal Scrap Recycling (Auto Catalysts, Refinery/Petrochemical Catalysts) (IMAKAMAI)

Keywords

• Precious metals refining
• Electronic waste recycling
• Lithium-ion battery recycling
• Critical raw materials recovery
• Photovoltaic panel recycling

Headquarters

HQ city

Spino D'adda

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Precious Metals Recovery and Refining Services: Core business revenue from treating, recovering, and refining precious metals (Gold, Silver, Platinum, Palladium, Rhodium, Iridium, Ruthenium) and critical raw materials (Copper, Nickel, Cobalt, Manganese, Lithium) from industrial waste, electronic waste, jewelry waste, catalysts, and lithium-ion batteries. Services include shredding, sampling, and smelting with client verification and transparency.
2. Certified Data Destruction Services: Secure, controlled, and irreversible destruction of documents, archives, hard disks, and electronic media with recovery certification. Offers destruction certificates for compliance, GDPR, and regulatory requirements, combined with material recovery services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ecomet Refining provides precious metals recovery and refining services for industrial clients, recovering Gold, Silver, Platinum Group Metals (Platinum, Palladium, Rhodium, Iridium, Ruthenium) and critical raw materials (Copper, Nickel, Cobalt, Manganese, Lithium) from electronic waste, lithium-ion batteries, photovoltaic panels, catalysts, and jewelry scraps. The company operates the proprietary TBRC (Top Blown Rotary Converter) furnace technology — the only one authorized in Italy — at its new Treviglio plant with 18,000 ton/year capacity, reducing methane usage by 75% and using the energy contained within the waste itself for melting.

Product overview

Ecomet Refining is a precious metals and critical raw materials recovery and refining company operating from Treviglio, Italy. The company operates as a single integrated service rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Its core offering is the treatment and recovery of precious metals (Gold, Silver, Platinum, Palladium, Rhodium, Iridium, Ruthenium) and critical raw materials (Copper, Nickel, Cobalt, Manganese, Lithium) from electronic waste, lithium-ion batteries, photovoltaic panels, catalysts, and jewelry scraps. The company operates the TBRC (Top Blown Rotary Converter) furnace technology, which reduces methane usage by 75%. Supporting services include the ReLife4PCBA project for electronic board refurbishment with digital traceability, and certified data destruction with critical raw material recovery. The new Treviglio plant has a capacity of 18,000 tonnes per year, making it the largest facility of its kind in Italy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gold Recovery and Refining Recovery and refining of gold (Au 999.9%) from electronic waste, jewelry scraps, and industrial waste, producing ingots, bars, sheets, grains, and sponge for industrial clients in the jewelry, electronics, and industrial sectors.
• Silver Recovery and Refining Recovery and refining of silver (Ag 999.0%/999.9%) from various industrial and e-waste streams, producing bars, grains, and crystals for industrial buyers.
• Platinum Group Metals (PGM) Recovery Recovery and refining of platinum group metals including Platinum, Palladium, Rhodium, Iridium, and Ruthenium at 999.5% purity, delivered as ingots, sheets, and sponge to industrial clients.
• Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Recovery of critical raw materials including Lithium, Cobalt, Manganese, Nickel, and Copper from end-of-life lithium-ion batteries for automotive and battery manufacturers.
• E-Waste Recycling Recovery and refining of precious metals and critical raw materials from electronic waste (E-Waste), electronic boards, and discarded electronic devices for electronics manufacturers and industrial clients.
• Photovoltaic Panel Recycling Recovery of precious metals and critical raw materials from end-of-life photovoltaic panels for solar energy companies and installers.
• Catalyst Recycling Recovery of precious metals from industrial and automotive catalysts for industrial manufacturers.
• ReLife4PCBA Circular Refurbishment System Circular system for smart refurbishment and digital traceability of electronic boards (PCBAs), integrating software tools and manufacturing assets for repair, regeneration, and intelligent disposal; Ecomet handles the recycling phase including collection, sorting, shredding, melting, and refining.
• Certified Data Destruction Services Secure, controlled, and irreversible destruction of documents, archives, hard disks, and electronic media containing sensitive data, with internal recovery of critical raw materials from destroyed materials; certified to UNI CEI ISO/IEC 21964-3:2020 for GDPR and regulatory compliance.

Quantifiable outcome

• 18,000 tons/year processing capacity for electronic waste and lithium batteries
• +4 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FAE Technology S.p.A.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 June 2025Lead partner in ReLife4PCBA project (LIFE Programme), developing circular system for smart reconditioning of electronic boards. Project code: 101212853, duration 2025-2027, €1.9M total value with €1.1M EU co-financing. FAE Technology handles smart refurbishment of electronic boards.
• DazecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 June 2025Partner in ReLife4PCBA project. Collects recoverable e-waste from end users and participates in digital traceability platform development.
• SOCAF S.p.A.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 June 2025Partner in ReLife4PCBA project. Collects recoverable e-waste from end users for processing through the circular system.
• STIIMA-CNRcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 October 2024Collaborated on scientific research published in Recycling journal (MDPI) on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) variability in metal recycling. Research based on Ecomet's Treviglio plant data.
• Lohum (India)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024Partner during TTC India Immersion Tour. Indian battery recycling company facilitating market access and collaboration opportunities.
• Batx (India)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024Partner during TTC India Immersion Tour for Indian battery recycling market engagement.
• Recyclekaro.com (India)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024Partner during TTC India Immersion Tour for Indian lithium battery recycling market exploration.
• Eneris (Poland)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 July 2024Co-winner of Battery Recycling Technologies Matchmaking Event (EU-India). Part of EU-funded immersion experience in Indian battery recycling market.
• Tozero (Germany)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 July 2024Co-winner of Battery Recycling Technologies Matchmaking Event (EU-India). Part of EU-funded immersion experience in Indian battery recycling market.
• Refimet SRLcoreOthers · 24 January 2022Related company within Ecomet Refining group (Spino d'Adda, Cremona), 49% acquired by PH Investments. Leader in precious metals recovery and refining.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Legor Group: Italian precious metals alloy and jewelry supply company and PH Investments parent — sister/strategic investor in Ecomet with shared end-customers in the jewelry and fashion vertical; not a direct competitor but a tightly linked industrial partner.

Emerging players

• Redwood Materials: US battery recycling start-up focused on end-of-life lithium-ion battery recovery of lithium, cobalt, nickel, and copper — overlapping with Ecomet's lithium-ion battery recycling business line.
• Tozero: European (Germany-based) lithium-ion battery recycling start-up specializing in black-mass and active material recovery. Co-winner of the same EU-India Battery Recycling Matchmaking Event as Ecomet — directly comparable at the emerging player tier.

Direct peers

• Boliden AB: Swedish metals group operating smelters and electronic-waste recycling (e.g., Rönnskär). Comparable in pyrometallurgical recovery of precious and base metals from electronic and industrial scrap.
• Johnson Matthey: UK-based specialty chemicals and precious metals company with PGM refining and spent catalyst recycling — overlap with Ecomet's catalyst and platinum-group metals recovery.
• Aurubis AG: European copper and precious metals smelter/refiner that recovers gold, silver, platinum, and palladium as by-products of copper refining. Directly comparable to Ecomet's secondary smelting/refining and by-product recovery.
• DOWA Holdings: Japanese group operating one of the largest urban mine / e-waste recycling businesses, recovering gold, silver, palladium from electronics — directly comparable activity to Ecomet's TBRC-driven e-waste recovery.
• Umicore: Belgian materials technology group with a large precious metals refining and recycling business (Jewellery & Industrial Metals, Recycling). Closest large-scale EU peer covering PGM recovery and industrial scrap refining comparable to Ecomet's Treviglio offering.

Regional players

• Hera S.p.A. Italian multi-utility environmental services operator with waste collection and special waste treatment activities, including metals recovery at subsidiary Herambiente. Regional peer operating in Italy's same waste recycling ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• Veolia Environnement: Global environmental services and waste management incumbent with significant hazardous and electronic waste treatment capacity. Competes for the same upstream waste streams (e-waste, industrial scrap) at much larger scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ecometrefining
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ecomet-refining

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Ecomet Refining