Cobalt

What Cobalt does

Cobalt is a U.S. B2B IT asset disposition (ITAD) and certified electronics recycler headquartered in Middletown, Ohio, operating from a 100,000 sq ft processing facility. The company serves mid-market and enterprise clients in regulated industries, including healthcare, finance, legal, education, government, manufacturing, and commerce, as well as any business cycling through IT equipment on multi-year replacement schedules. Its core offerings are secure data destruction (NIST-compliant clearing, purging/degaussing, and physical shredding), electronics recycling with material recovery, and refurbishment and resale of retired equipment under Microsoft Registered Refurbisher authorization.

Underlying technology is industrial rather than software-native: an in-house shredding system roughly the length of a football field, software-based hard drive sanitization systems, mobile on-site hard drive shredders, and representative sampling verification post-sanitization. All data destruction is performed in-house, supporting chain-of-custody reporting and certificates of destruction. Certifications include R2V3 (Responsible Recycling), RIOS, and i-SIGMA membership, and the company is part of the TERRA certified recycler network, which together create regulatory and trust barriers in regulated verticals.

Cobalt's business model combines three revenue streams: per-engagement ITAD professional services with multi-year contracts, refurbishment and resale with revenue sharing to clients on resold assets, and commodity material recovery from end-of-life shredding. Pricing is quote-based and customized per engagement, with no public pricing tiers. Go-to-market is sales-led, driven primarily by SEO content marketing on ITAD and data destruction topics, with phone and contact-form lead conversion handled by inside sales for SMB/mid-market and direct field sales for enterprise clients. White Glove logistics, electronics recycling events, and downstream material repurposing partnerships extend the service surface.

Name

Cobalt

Legal name

Cobalt

Website

https://trustcobalt.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Cobalt is a certified B2B IT asset disposition provider operating from a 100,000 sq ft Middletown, Ohio facility, delivering secure data destruction, electronics recycling, and refurbishment/resale services to mid-market and enterprise clients across regulated U.S. industries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) Services

NAICS

Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Smelting and Refining (33141)

SIC

Secondary Smelting & Refining Of Nonferrous Metals (3341)

akta.pro primary industry

IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) Services (Data-Bearing Asset Handling) (BPALAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Enterprise Hardware Recycling (Servers, Storage, Networking) (BPALAIAI), E-Waste & Electronics Metal Recovery (ITAD, Circuit Boards, Precious Metal Recovery) (IMAKAMAG), IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) & Secure Data Erasure (BPAEAOAK), Certified Compliance & Reporting Services (R2/e-Stewards, Audit, ESG) (BPALAIAL)

Keywords

• IT asset disposition
• Electronics recycling
• Data destruction
• Secure data sanitization
• ITAD services

Headquarters

HQ city

Middletown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. IT Asset Resale and Remarketing: Cobalt refurbishes retired IT equipment (computers, laptops, etc.) and resells them on secondary markets. Revenue is shared with clients through competitive reuse revenue sharing and rebate programs. As a Microsoft Registered Refurbisher, Cobalt adds value by installing properly licensed Microsoft software before resale.
2. Electronics Recycling and Material Recovery: For equipment that has reached end-of-life, Cobalt processes devices through their shredding system to recover raw materials (metals, plastics, glass) which are sold back into manufacturing as commodities.
3. ITAD Management Services: Ongoing electronics recycling programs integrated as part of IT lifecycle management, supported by documentation, chain of custody reports, and certificates of destruction.
4. Bulk Electronics Disposal: One-time or periodic bulk disposal of retired device inventories, with certificates of proof of disposal provided to clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cobalt provides IT asset disposition (ITAD) services that retire and process unneeded business IT equipment through secure logistics, certified data destruction (NIST-compliant sanitization or physical shredding), and either refurbishment for resale or end-of-life material recovery. All processing is performed in-house at its 100,000 sq ft Middletown, Ohio facility, supported by chain-of-custody reporting and certificates of destruction for compliance.

Product overview

Cobalt is a certified IT asset disposition (ITAD) company offering a unified suite of electronics recycling and data destruction services. The core offering combines ITAD Services, Electronics Recycling, and Data Destruction, supported by add-on capabilities including Refurbishment & Resale (as a Microsoft Registered Refurbisher), Mobile Hard Drive Shredding, White Glove Service for secure transportation, Chain of Custody Reporting, and Certificate of Destruction. The company operates from a 100,000 square-foot facility in Middletown, Ohio, and processes equipment through collection, logistics/audit, data destruction/sanitization, and either refurbishment for resale or shredding for recycling. Revenue sharing and rebate programs are available for resalable assets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ITAD Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 43% of all U.S. corporate data breaches in 2021 involved small businesses — underscoring the critical need for certified data destruction at all business sizes.
• +3 more outcomes

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TERRA (Technology Equipment Recycling Network)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerCobalt has joined the TERRA network of certified recyclers. TERRA's mission is to make electronics recycling more accessible by connecting people and businesses to certified recyclers. Through this partnership, Cobalt is part of the largest network of certified recyclers in North America, expanding their reach and enabling clients with multi-location needs to access Cobalt's services through TERRA's coordinated network.
• Microsoft (Registered Refurbisher Program)coreTechnology or IntegrationCobalt is a Microsoft Registered Refurbisher, authorized to professionally refurbish PCs and preinstall them with properly sourced Microsoft software licenses. This partnership adds significant resale value to refurbished equipment and assures buyers that software on remarketed devices is legally licensed.
• Downstream Material Recovery PartnersminorOthersCobalt works with downstream partners for material byproducts that would otherwise be waste. For example, foam and other material byproducts are transported to business partners who repurpose them as fuel. This ensures maximum diversion from landfill and supports Cobalt's zero-waste commitments.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Iron Mountain (Iron Mountain Data Centers / ITAD): Global records-management and ITAD incumbent with national destruction infrastructure, multi-region secure shredding, and large enterprise contracts. Highly comparable ITAD offering but as part of a much broader records/storage portfolio; serves as the dominant scaled competitor to mid-market ITAD specialists like Cobalt.

Direct peers

• Sims Lifecycle Services (SLS): IT asset disposition and electronics recycling division of Sims Metal Management, operating certified processing facilities worldwide. Closely comparable to Cobalt in service mix (ITAD, data destruction, refurbishment, recycling), with materially larger scale and global footprint.
• HOBI International: Mid-market ITAD and electronics recycler offering data destruction, refurbishment, and resale with R2 and RIOS certifications. Closely comparable service portfolio, customer base (enterprise and mid-market), and operational scale to Cobalt.
• ERI (Electronic Recyclers International): One of the largest US e-waste recyclers, R2 and e-Stewards certified, providing ITAD, data destruction, and material recovery. Directly comparable offerings with broader geographic footprint and stronger consumer-collection focus.
• Sipi Asset Recovery: Chicago-based ITAD provider serving enterprise and mid-market clients with R2 certification, data destruction, and refurbishment/resale services. Closely comparable in service mix and target customer profile to Cobalt.
• Cascade Asset Management: Certified ITAD and e-waste recycler serving enterprise, healthcare, and education clients with R2 certification and NIST-compliant data destruction. Comparable service scope and compliance positioning to Cobalt.
• Surplus Service: ITAD company focused on enterprise IT asset disposition, including data destruction, refurbishment, and resale. Comparable service portfolio, enterprise mid-market GTM, and R2/RIOS-style certification posture.
• Apto Solutions: ITAD and mobile data destruction specialist with national coverage and similar certification stack (R2, NAID AAA/i-SIGMA). Closely comparable in mobile on-site shredding offering — a direct head-to-head service vs. Cobalt's mobile shredding capability.

Regional players

• GEEP (Global Electric Electronic Processing): Canadian-headquartered ITAD and e-waste recycler with North American processing facilities, certified data destruction, and material recovery. Comparable service model to Cobalt but primarily serving Canadian and broader North American markets.

Emerging players

• Retire-IT: Smaller US ITAD provider focused on enterprise data center and office IT asset retirement with secure chain-of-custody. Comparable service offering but at smaller scale than Cobalt, making it more of a peer-from-below than a true competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/trustcobalt

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Cobalt