Kabadiwalla Connect
Kabadiwalla Connect provides B2B technology-enabled waste management solutions that integrate informal waste-pickers into formal municipal systems in Global South cities, serving municipalities, multinational brands, waste management companies, and Producer Responsibility Organisations through Mapping, Digitalisation, Sourcing, and Municipal Collection services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersChennai, India
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Kabadiwalla Connect does
Kabadiwalla Connect is a Chennai-headquartered, privately-held social enterprise founded in 2014 by Siddharth Hande (CEO), along with co-founders Sonaal Bangera (Technology Lead) and Ganesh Kumar Subramanian (Advisor). The company builds technology-enabled solutions that integrate the informal waste ecosystem — kabadiwallas, scrap-shop owners, and waste-pickers — into formal municipal and corporate waste management systems in cities of the Global South. Its core offering is a four-module B2B platform: (i) Mapping — spatially-enabled data collection on informal and formal waste infrastructure; (ii) Digitalisation — KYC and transaction-based material tracking and traceability across the formal/informal supply chain; (iii) Sourcing — secondary raw material procurement guarantees for processors and Producer Responsibility Organisations (PROs); and (iv) Municipal Collection — reverse-logistics solutions for post-consumer waste collection powered by local informal scrap-shops. The technology stack is ICT- and IoT-based, with IoT-enabled Smartbins that notify local scrap-dealers when full and the Hyperlokal product (launched June 2020) which aggregates last-mile collection.
The company sells primarily through direct B2B enterprise sales to municipalities and urban local bodies, multinational brands with Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) obligations, formal waste management companies, and PROs. Revenue mechanics span professional services (mapping), recurring subscriptions (digitalisation/traceability), transaction fees (sourcing), and managed services (Municipal Collection / Hyperlokal), with quote-based custom pricing dependent on city scope. Geographically, operations centre on Chennai with pilots extending to Semarang, Indonesia, and exploratory relationships with Veolia for Senegal and Indonesia adaptation. Recognised customers/partners include Greater Chennai Corporation and the Water Resources Department (Chennai) for the Buckingham Canal plastic-interception pilot, alongside non-commercial engagements with multilateral and donor organisations (World Bank, WEF, Shell GameChanger, Danida, BMZ Prevent Waste Alliance). The company has accumulated grant funding (~$100K USD from Expo Live, 50K CHF ClimateSHAPE, plus undisclosed amounts from GPSDD, Shell GameChanger, and others) and a depth of recognition (FICCI Indian Circular Economy Awards 2019, MIT Climate CoLab 2016, Royal Academy of Engineers 2019) but has not disclosed commercial revenue or completed a venture equity round.
Kabadiwalla Connect firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kabadiwalla Connect
- Legal name
- Kabadiwalla Connect
- Website
- https://kabadiwallaconnect.in
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Kabadiwalla Connect provides B2B technology-enabled waste management solutions that integrate informal waste-pickers into formal municipal systems in Global South cities, serving municipalities, multinational brands, waste management companies, and Producer Responsibility Organisations through Mapping, Digitalisation, Sourcing, and Municipal Collection services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kabadiwalla Connect industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Waste Management Services
- NAICS
- Solid Waste Collection (562111), Waste Collection (5621)
- SIC
- Refuse Systems (4953)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Residential Subscription / Backdoor Collection (EUAIAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Waste Management & Hazardous Waste Compliance (RCRA, Universal Waste, Waste Characterization/Manifests) (EUAHABAC), Missed Pickup, On-Call & Supplemental Route Services (BPALAAAJ)
Keywords
Where Kabadiwalla Connect is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chennai
- HQ country
- India
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Kabadiwalla Connect business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- B2B Solutions - Mapping: Spatially-enabled data collection services on informal and formal waste infrastructure for municipalities and brands
- B2B Solutions - Digitalisation: KYC and transaction-based material tracking and traceability platform services for formal/informal supply chains
- B2B Solutions - Sourcing: Secondary raw material procurement guarantees for processors and PROs through informal sector procurement
- B2B Solutions - Municipal Collection: Reverse logistics solutions for post-consumer waste collection powered by informal sector infrastructure
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Kabadiwalla Connect product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kabadiwalla Connect provides decentralised waste management solutions and technology for cities in the developing world, powered by the informal waste sector. The company offers four integrated B2B service modules — Mapping (spatial data collection on informal/formal waste infrastructure), Digitalisation (KYC and transaction-based material tracking and traceability), Sourcing (secondary raw material guarantees for processors/PROs), and Municipal Collection (reverse logistics for post-consumer waste). Its flagship B2B product Hyperlokal unifies these capabilities into a last-mile collection solution for households and small generators in Indian cities.
Product overview
Kabadiwalla Connect offers a platform of four integrated B2B service modules — Mapping, Digitalisation, Sourcing, and Municipal Collection — that together enable cities in the Global South to leverage their existing informal waste infrastructure for decentralized, cost-effective, and low-carbon waste management. The core technology stack includes Mapping (spatial data collection on informal/formal waste infrastructure) and Digitalisation (KYC and transaction-based material tracking and traceability), which feed into Sourcing (secondary raw material guarantees through informal sector procurement) and Municipal Collection (reverse logistics powered by informal scrap-shops). The flagship B2B product, Hyperlokal, unifies these capabilities into a last-mile collection solution.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Hyperlokal: Smart solutions for waste-pickers in India - B2B collection solution that utilizes scrap-shops and their waste-pickers to organize last mile collection of waste from households and other small generators in Indian cities.
Products and services
- Mapping
Quantifiable outcome
- Potential to decrease waste sent to landfills in Indian cities by 70%
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Kabadiwalla Connect
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Kabadiwalla Connect technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Kabadiwalla Connect partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Ocean Plastic ForumcoreImplementation partner for plastic waste interception projects, currently working with Kabadiwalla Connect on the Buckingham Canal pilot in Chennai funded by Denmark's Danida Green Business Partnerships programme
- GlecocoreImplementation partner for the plastic waste interception pilot at Buckingham Canal in Chennai
- Anna UniversityminorResearchers from Anna University studying reuse potential of collected materials including plastic waste and water hyacinth from the Buckingham Canal intercept project
- Prevent Waste Alliance (BMZ)minorBecame member of platform initiated by German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development for exchange and international cooperation on circular economy
- Circle EconomyminorFeatured in Circle Economy report 'Thinking beyond borders to achieve social justice in a global circular economy' as case for decentralised technologies for inclusive waste management in India
- World Trade OrganisationminorFeatured by WTO showcasing Kabadiwalla Connect's work in helping map and scale up plastic recycling through an app-based solution
- World Economic Forum - UpLinkminorFeatured in World Economic Forum's UpLink platform as part of Indonesia National Plastic Action Partnership challenge
- C40 Cities Climate Leadership GroupminorKC led a webinar on 'Increasing Waste Recycling Through Better Informal Sector Data' organised with the Climate and Clean Air Coalition
- VeoliaminorVeolia, global leader in waste management, shares observations about role of informal economy in waste management and is considering adapting Kabadiwalla Connect's model for Senegal and Indonesia. Featured on Veolia website and in Veolia Institut publication.
- The Incubation Network / Ocean Plastic Prevention AcceleratorminorPartnership with The Incubation Network's Ocean Plastic Prevention Accelerator ecosystem builder, featured in IPC Innovation Challenge and Plastics Data Challenge
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Kabadiwalla Connect competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Nepra Resource Management: Indian waste management company providing collection, segregation, recycling, and EPR compliance services to brands and municipalities. Comparable in targeting the same enterprise customers and operating an integrated waste management platform across Indian cities.
- Recykal: India-based digital waste management platform connecting waste generators, processors, and brands with traceability and EPR compliance tooling. Closely comparable to Kabadiwalla Connect's Digitalisation and Sourcing modules, though focused on formal sector integration.
- Banyan Nation: India-based plastic recycling company that sources and processes post-consumer plastic waste, working with the informal sector to build a traceable recycled-polymer supply chain. Closely comparable to Kabadiwalla Connect's Sourcing and Digitalisation modules targeting brands and PROs.
- Saahas Zero Waste: India-based waste management social enterprise offering waste collection, segregation, and processing services to institutions, brands, and municipalities. Comparable to Kabadiwalla Connect in serving the same Indian enterprise and municipal customer base with decentralized waste management solutions.
- Hasiru Dala: Bangalore-based social enterprise that organizes and integrates informal waste pickers into formal waste management systems in India. Operates in the same informal-sector integration niche as Kabadiwalla Connect, serving Indian municipalities and brands with waste picker–led collection services.
Broad incumbents
- Veolia: Global environmental services leader in water, waste, and energy management, operating across 40+ countries. Veolia is publicly evaluating adaptation of Kabadiwalla Connect's model for Senegal and Indonesia, positioning it as a direct strategic partner and potential broad incumbent benchmark for the informal-sector integration niche.
- SUEZ: Global waste and water management major with significant operations across Europe, Asia, and emerging markets. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the same end market (municipal solid waste management) and as a potential acquirer or licensing partner for informal-sector integration capabilities.
Emerging players
- GreenWorms: India-based waste management company providing collection, sorting, and recycling services with a focus on integrating informal workers in Kerala and other Indian states. Comparable in serving municipalities and integrating informal actors into formal waste flows.
- Plastic Bank: Global social enterprise that integrates informal waste collectors to stop ocean plastic, operating across Southeast Asia, Latin America, and Africa. Comparable to Kabadiwalla Connect in the informal-sector integration model, but operates at significantly larger geographic and capital scale.
- Waste Ventures: India-focused waste management social enterprise that builds and operates decentralized waste management systems for Indian municipalities. Comparable to Kabadiwalla Connect's Municipal Collection and Hyperlokal service modules in serving Indian urban local bodies.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Kabadiwalla Connect social profiles
Digital presenceKabadiwalla Connect financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kabadiwalla Connect leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Kabadiwalla Connect funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kabadiwalla Connect 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 Kabadiwalla Connect
What does Kabadiwalla Connect do?
Kabadiwalla Connect provides decentralised waste management solutions and technology for cities in the developing world, powered by the informal waste sector. The company offers four integrated B2B service modules — Mapping (spatial data collection on informal/formal waste infrastructure), Digitalisation (KYC and transaction-based material tracking and traceability), Sourcing (secondary raw material guarantees for processors/PROs), and Municipal Collection (reverse logistics for post-consumer waste). Its flagship B2B product Hyperlokal unifies these capabilities into a last-mile collection solution for households and small generators in Indian cities.
Is Kabadiwalla Connect a public or private company?
Kabadiwalla Connect is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Kabadiwalla Connect founded?
Kabadiwalla Connect was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Kabadiwalla Connect based?
Kabadiwalla Connect is headquartered in Chennai, India, in the Asia region.
How does Kabadiwalla Connect make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. B2B Solutions - Mapping is the primary driver. The others are B2B Solutions - Digitalisation, B2B Solutions - Sourcing and B2B Solutions - Municipal Collection.
Who are Kabadiwalla Connect's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Nepra Resource Management, Recykal, Banyan Nation, Saahas Zero Waste and Hasiru Dala. Broad incumbents are Veolia and SUEZ. Emerging players are GreenWorms, Plastic Bank and Waste Ventures.
Does Kabadiwalla Connect have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kabadiwalla Connect.
What industry is Kabadiwalla Connect in?
Kabadiwalla Connect's product category is Waste Management Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAIAAAB, Residential Subscription / Backdoor Collection, with a secondary code of EUAHABAC, Waste Management & Hazardous Waste Compliance (RCRA, Universal Waste, Waste Characterization/Manifests). Its NAICS code is 562111 and its SIC code is 4953.