Big Hanna
Big Hanna (Susteco AB) manufactures in-vessel flow composting machines for on-site food waste treatment, serving municipalities, hospitality, institutions, and industrial sites across 35+ countries through a global distributor network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersJonsered, Sweden
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Big Hanna does
Big Hanna (Susteco AB) is a Swedish manufacturer of in-vessel flow composting systems for on-site food waste treatment, founded in 1997 to commercialize a technology invented in 1991 by sociologist Torsten Hultin. The company's core product line comprises electromechanical composters in five models (T40, T60, T120, T240, T480) with weekly processing capacities ranging from 75 to 10,800 kg, operating through thermophilic, mesophilic, and maturation phases over 6-10 weeks without chemical accelerators or additives. Supporting modules include a proprietary biofilter achieving ~95% odor reduction, RFID access control for source-segregation tracking, automatic infeed systems with maceration/dewatering (~300 kg/hour capacity, ~50% capacity uplift), and remote-monitoring touch-panel controls with smartphone/tablet access. The machines carry a 20+ year lifespan with 99% end-of-life recyclability and earn LEED and BREEAM green building credits.
The company sells exclusively through a global distributor network spanning 35+ countries, with regional partners including Berca Brand (Spain and select international projects), EC ALL Ltd and Totemic Business Solutions (USA), Achab Group (Italy), Fenix Ambiente (Portugal), and Vertal Inc (Canada). End-customer segments span municipalities, hotels and restaurants, correctional and educational institutions, residential housing associations, zoos, and remote industrial sites including the Tasiast Gold Mine (Kinross) in Mauritania. Revenue is generated through hardware sales of machines and accessories, installation, training, and ongoing service contracts; pricing is not publicly disclosed and is quote-based per project. Susteco AB is a privately held company with 1-10 employees and over 1,000 cumulative installations worldwide.
Big Hanna firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Big Hanna
- Legal name
- Susteco AB
- Website
- https://bighanna.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Big Hanna (Susteco AB) manufactures in-vessel flow composting machines for on-site food waste treatment, serving municipalities, hospitality, institutions, and industrial sites across 35+ countries through a global distributor network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Big Hanna industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Waste Management Equipment
- NAICS
- Food Product Machinery Manufacturing (333241)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Industrial Machinery & Equipment (5084)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Composting Facility Operations (Windrow, ASP, In-Vessel) (BPALAEAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Commercial Food Waste Programs & On-Site Solutions (Cafeterias, Grocers, Hospitality) (BPALAEAE), Organics Facility Development & Operations Services (Design/Build, O&M, Permitting) (EUAIAEAJ)
Keywords
Where Big Hanna is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Jonsered
- HQ country
- Sweden
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Big Hanna business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Composting Machine Sales: Sale of Big Hanna composting machines in various models (T60, T120, T240, T480) ranging from 75 to 10,800 kg per week processing capacity. Machines are sold directly through Susteco AB and through a global distributor network.
- Installation, Training and Service Contracts: Professional services including on-site installation, staff training, and ongoing service/maintenance contracts offered by Susteco AB and its distributors worldwide.
- Accessories and Add-ons: Additional equipment such as RFID readers, scales, infeed systems, WMS dewatering units, and biofilter units sold as optional add-ons to the base composting machines.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels9 records
Big Hanna product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Big Hanna manufactures and sells electromechanical in-vessel composting machines that treat food waste on-site at the customer's location, converting it into mature compost over 6–10 weeks without chemical accelerators or additives. The product line spans five models (T40, T60, T120, T240, T480) with weekly processing capacities from 75 to 10,800 kg, sold through a global distributor network alongside installation, training, and service contracts. Susteco AB in Sweden manufactures the equipment; regional distributors handle local sales, installation, and after-sales support across more than 35 countries.
Product overview
Big Hanna is a product line of electromechanical composters manufactured by Susteco AB, a Swedish company established in 1997. The product range spans from 75 to 10,800 kg per week (330 to 23,800 lbs/week in the US market), serving residential, commercial, institutional, and municipal customers. The core Big Hanna composter processes food waste through nature's own composting process without accelerators or additives, combining thermophilic, mesophilic, and maturation phases within a single enclosed vessel over 6-10 weeks. The product portfolio includes five main composter models (T40, T60, T120, T240, T480) differentiated by capacity, plus optional add-on modules including a biofilter for odor control (95% reduction), RFID access reader for usage tracking, automatic infeed system with macerator, waste management system for liquid removal, and touch panel control with remote monitoring capabilities. The machines are suitable for indoor or outdoor installation and can earn credits in LEED and BREEAM green building certification programs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Big Hanna: In-vessel composting machines for on-site food waste treatment, available in models ranging from T40 to T1200 with capacities from 75 to 10,800 kg per week.
Products and services
- Big Hanna Composter (product family)
- Big Hanna T40
- Big Hanna T60
- Big Hanna T120
- Big Hanna T240
- Big Hanna T480
Quantifiable outcome
- Organic waste volume reduced by up to 90%
- +10 more outcomes
Companies that use Big Hanna
Customer profileNamed customers19 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Big Hanna technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
Big Hanna partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Istituto Agrario VetroneminorAgricultural college in Benevento, Italy, collaborating with Torrioni municipality to use Big Hanna-produced compost in school greenhouses and crops for agronomic study and analysis.
- Atersir (Emilia-Romagna Territorial Agency)minorAtersir, the Emilia-Romagna Territorial Agency for water and waste services, funded the Fiorano Modenese 'Compost kmzero' project including the purchase of a Big Hanna composter at Luisa Guidotti primary school.
- Ohio EPA / Summit ReWorkscoreOhio EPA and Summit ReWorks collaborated with Akron Zoo to fund and plan the Big Hanna composting project. Ohio EPA's Recycling and Litter Prevention Program (R&LP) community development grant co-funded the composting unit and building, with Akron Zoo providing match funds.
- BERCA INSULARminorBERCA INSULAR, alongside BERCA BRAND, is a distributor for Big Hanna in Spain, with a press release noting their collaboration on the Hotel Tigaiga installation in Tenerife.
- Agenzia di Sviluppo Gal Genovese (SCOW Project)coreAs part of the EU-funded SCOW project (Selective Collection of the Organic Waste in touristic areas, 2013–2015), Agenzia di Sviluppo Gal Genovese installed three Big Hanna composters in the Genoa area. This was a strategic co-development partnership combining EU funding with Big Hanna technology deployment across Mediterranean territories.
- Berca BrandcoreBerca Brand is the exclusive distributor for Big Hanna in Spain and handles international projects including the Tasiast Gold Mine in Mauritania. Based in Collado Villalba, Madrid, they provide sales, installation, training, and service support for the Spanish market and select international projects.
- EC ALL LtdcoreEC ALL Ltd is the distributor for Big Hanna in the United States, handling sales and support for US installations including Akron Zoo and multiple Ohio correctional institutions.
- Totemic Business Solutions LLCminorAdditional US-based distributor for Big Hanna products in the United States market.
- Fenix AmbientecoreFenix Ambiente is the representative for Big Hanna in Portugal, dedicated to local, community, and municipal composting solutions. Installed the first Big Hanna in Portugal at Restaurante Mauritânia Real.
- Achab GroupcoreAchab Group is the Italian distributor for Big Hanna, managing the Italian market with 59 machines delivered and 35+ in operation as of 2019. Handles Italian-language communications and local installation support.
- Vertal IncminorVertal Inc represents Big Hanna in Canada, participating in exhibitions and explaining composting technology to Canadian customers.
Scale indicators15 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Big Hanna competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Suez Environmental Services: Large environmental services and waste management company offering organic waste treatment and composting at industrial scale. Represents the centralized alternative to Big Hanna's decentralized on-site model for municipal food waste streams.
- Veolia Environmental Services: Global waste management incumbent offering industrial composting and organic waste treatment services. Comparable as a broader waste-management player competing for municipal and commercial food waste contracts that Big Hanna also targets.
- Tuthill Corporation: Diversified industrial manufacturer whose EarthCare division supplies composting and waste processing equipment. Comparable as a broader industrial incumbent offering food waste processing solutions to similar enterprise customers.
Direct peers
- Engineered Compost Systems (ECS): Washington-state based provider of in-vessel composting equipment and odor control systems. Direct competitor to Big Hanna in the on-site and mid-scale composting equipment market, serving similar municipal and institutional customers.
- Green Mountain Technologies: US-based designer and manufacturer of in-vessel composting systems for commercial and institutional food waste. Comparable to Big Hanna in both technology (enclosed aerobic composting) and customer base (universities, municipalities, commercial kitchens).
- Power Knot: Manufacturer of on-site food waste digesters (LFC biodigester) used in commercial kitchens. Overlaps with Big Hanna in serving hospitality and institutional food waste generators, though using an alternative aerobic digestion technology.
- BioHiTech America: US provider of on-site food waste management solutions including the Eco-Safe Digester. Targets the same hospitality, healthcare, and institutional segments as Big Hanna with automated food waste processing equipment.
- Oklin International: Canadian manufacturer of on-site food waste composting machines (GG-02, GG-10, etc.). Direct peer to Big Hanna in product category — small-footprint automated composters targeting restaurants, hotels, and institutional food service.
- Compost Systems: Austrian manufacturer of in-vessel composting systems for organic waste treatment. Directly comparable to Big Hanna in product category, technology approach (enclosed vessel composting), and target customers (municipalities, hospitality, commercial food waste generators).
Emerging players
- ZERO Waste Energy (ZWE): Provider of on-site organic waste processing and anaerobic digestion solutions. Adjacent technology overlap with Big Hanna, targeting commercial food waste generators with an alternative decentralized processing approach.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Big Hanna social profiles
Digital presenceBig Hanna financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Big Hanna leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Big Hanna funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Big Hanna 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 Big Hanna
What does Big Hanna do?
Big Hanna manufactures and sells electromechanical in-vessel composting machines that treat food waste on-site at the customer's location, converting it into mature compost over 6–10 weeks without chemical accelerators or additives. The product line spans five models (T40, T60, T120, T240, T480) with weekly processing capacities from 75 to 10,800 kg, sold through a global distributor network alongside installation, training, and service contracts. Susteco AB in Sweden manufactures the equipment; regional distributors handle local sales, installation, and after-sales support across more than 35 countries.
Is Big Hanna a public or private company?
Big Hanna is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Big Hanna founded?
Big Hanna was founded in 1991. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Big Hanna based?
Big Hanna is headquartered in Jonsered, Sweden, in the Europe region.
How does Big Hanna make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Composting Machine Sales are the primary driver. The others are installation, Training and Service Contracts and accessories and Add-ons.
Who are Big Hanna's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Suez Environmental Services, Veolia Environmental Services and Tuthill Corporation. Direct peers are Engineered Compost Systems (ECS), Green Mountain Technologies, Power Knot, BioHiTech America, Oklin International and Compost Systems. ZERO Waste Energy (ZWE) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Big Hanna have an API?
No public API is recorded for Big Hanna.
What industry is Big Hanna in?
Big Hanna's product category is Waste Management Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPALAEAB, Composting Facility Operations (Windrow, ASP, In-Vessel), with a secondary code of BPALAEAE, Commercial Food Waste Programs & On-Site Solutions (Cafeterias, Grocers, Hospitality). Its NAICS code is 333241 and its SIC code is 5084.