Upcycling+

What Upcycling+ does

Upcycling+ is a private, early-stage company founded in 2023 and headquartered in Ames, Iowa, that converts plastic waste into low-carbon products. The company operates at the intersection of waste management and sustainable chemistry, positioning itself to take plastic waste streams and produce lower-carbon alternatives to conventional petrochemical-derived materials. The company identifies itself as a for-profit entity with a staff of 1-10 employees and maintains a web presence at upcyclingpluschem.com.

The available data on the company's technical approach, specific product portfolio, target customers, and commercial model is extremely limited. No product descriptions, pricing models, customer segments, headquarters details beyond the city, or technology stack details are exposed in the source material. The only documented external milestone is participation in the Plug and Play accelerator ecosystem, with a recorded funding event dated April 2, 2024 showing $0 in disclosed capital raised. No details on underlying conversion chemistry, unit economics, or pilot customers are available.

From an investment standpoint, the company sits in a sector with significant tailwinds (plastics circularity, low-carbon materials demand) but the absence of disclosed traction, revenue, IP, or team information makes it a pure early-stage speculative exposure. The Plug and Play affiliation provides modest third-party validation but is not a substitute for commercial milestones.

Name

Upcycling+

Website

https://upcyclingpluschem.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Upcycling+ is an early-stage private company founded in 2023 in Ames, Iowa that converts plastic waste into low-carbon products. It operates with 1-10 employees and has participated in the Plug and Play accelerator.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Materials

NAICS

Plastics Material and Resin Manufacturing (325211), Plastics Product Manufacturing (3261)

SIC

Plastic Materials, Synth Resins & Nonvulcan Elastomers (2821), Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

Chemical/Advanced Recycling (Pyrolysis, Depolymerization, Solvolysis, Gasification) (EUAIAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Material Reuse & Upcycling Services (Non-recycling Transformation) (EUAIANAJ), Recycled-Content Plastic Packaging (rPET, rHDPE, rPP) (IMALAMAC), Chemical/Advanced Plastics Recycling (Depolymerization, Pyrolysis, Solvolysis) (IMANAMAD)

Keywords

• Plastic waste upcycling
• Low-carbon materials
• Plastic recycling services
• Circular economy solutions
• Sustainable plastics manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Ames

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Core offering

Upcycling+ converts plastic waste into low-carbon products. The company transforms discarded plastic materials into reusable products with reduced carbon footprint, targeting buyers seeking sustainable alternatives to virgin plastics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Low-carbon plastic products (upcycled from plastic waste)

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Novoloop: California-based advanced recycler using a proprietary catalyst process (Oceans) to convert polyethylene waste into high-performance polyurethane precursors. Directly comparable early-stage plastics upcycling venture with similar low-carbon product framing.
• Resynergi: California-based advanced plastics recycler using a continuous pyrolysis process to convert mixed plastic waste into reusable outputs. Comparable early-stage, venture-backed company operating in the same low-carbon plastic recycling category.
• Plastic Energy: Operates pyrolysis plants converting end-of-life plastic waste into TACOIL feedstock for naphtha cracker substitution. Directly competes in the same advanced plastic recycling-to-feedstock category as Upcycling+.
• Carbios: French company developing enzymatic depolymerization (PETase) to break down PET plastics back to monomers for virgin-quality recycled resin. Comparable in targeting low-carbon, virgin-equivalent plastic outputs from plastic waste.
• Agilyx: Norway/Israel-headquartered advanced plastics recycler using pyrolysis to convert mixed post-consumer plastic into crude oil and naphtha feedstocks. Closely comparable technology stack and downstream value chain positioning to Upcycling+.
• Mura Technology: UK-based advanced recycler using hydrothermal (supercritical) depolymerization to convert mixed plastic waste back to virgin-equivalent petrochemical feedstocks. Closest direct comparator to Upcycling+ in chemical/advanced plastic recycling at pilot-to-commercial scale.
• GreenMantra: Canadian advanced plastics upcycling company that converts hard-to-recycle polyethylene and polypropylene into specialty waxes and polymer modifiers. Directly comparable to Upcycling+ in converting plastic waste into higher-value, low-carbon industrial outputs.
• Quantafuel: Scandinavian advanced recycler operating pyrolysis plants to convert mixed plastic waste into naphtha and diesel-range outputs. Closely comparable business model and downstream product set as Upcycling+.

Broad incumbents

• Eastman Chemical (Chemical Recycling): Major specialty chemicals incumbent that has invested heavily in its methanolysis-based polyester renewal process to convert mixed plastic waste into virgin-equivalent resin. Comparable as a broad incumbent defining the advanced recycling category Upcycling+ targets.
• Brightmark: U.S.-based plastics-to-fuel operator deploying pyrolysis at commercial scale with municipal partnerships. Comparable as a broader plastics-to-feedstock incumbent competing for the same feedstock streams and offtake customers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat1 record

Key risks5 records

Key highlights4 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/upcyclinglus

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Upcycling+