What VeryNile does

VeryNile is an Egyptian environmental non-governmental organization that removes plastic waste from the Nile River while creating economic opportunities for marginalized river communities. Its core operational model engages approximately 180 local fishermen on Qursaya Island in Cairo — and increasingly in Bisra, Assiut — to collect plastic from the Nile in exchange for fair wages, healthcare access, and social services; the organization reports collecting roughly 30–35 tons of plastic per month. A separate cohort of 25 artisans transforms the collected plastic into upcycled and recycled products, which are sold globally through the VeryNile Shopify storefront alongside the Shoka w Megdaf community kitchen, a sustainable catering and dining concept.

The organization's commercial backbone is a Verra Standards–accredited plastic credit program, in which each credit corresponds to 1,000 kg of plastic removed from the Nile and is sold to corporate buyers. Verra accreditation, combined with end-to-end traceability via the Takatari tracking application (which logs location, quantity, type, revenues, segregation, and downstream recycling for every kilogram collected), gives the credit product third-party validation that newer competitors lack. Revenue is completed by direct-to-consumer sales of upcycled goods, community kitchen catering, and direct partnership funding from main partners (Drosos Foundation, Coca-Cola, Bupa, One Earth One Ocean) and plastic credit partners (Schneider, Cheiron, Dentsu, Cemex).

Beyond cleanup, VeryNile runs a portfolio of community development programs: the Kids of the Nile holistic education program (60 children), on-island health services and a clinic with weekly volunteer doctors, community gardens and farmer training, the Papyrus Revival Project (500 papyrus plants reintroduced) in collaboration with artist Mona El Kateb, a 40+ member Qursaya football team, and the Plastic Pyramid awareness installation built from 225,000 collected bottles. The organization has received earned media coverage from BBC, CNN Arabic, MBC, GQ Middle East, and CBC, and has presented an eight-pillar sustainability proposal to the Egyptian government, signaling intent to influence formal policy alongside grassroots operations.

Name

VeryNile

Legal name

VeryNile

Website

https://verynile.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

VeryNile is an Egyptian environmental NGO that pays local Nile fishermen to collect river plastic, transforms it into Verra-accredited credits and upcycled artisan products, and runs community development programs on Qursaya Island (Cairo) and Bisra (Assiut).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Cleanup Services

NAICS

Materials Recovery Facilities (56292), Waste Collection (56211)

SIC

Plastics Products, Nec (3089)

akta.pro primary industry

Post-Consumer Plastic Collection & Sorting (MRF/PRF, Bale Supply) (EUAIAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mechanical Recycling (Wash, Grind, Pelletize) (EUAIAKAB), Pollution Control & Environmental Remediation (Booming, Skimming, Shoreline Cleanup) (TLAHAIAH)

Keywords

• River plastic cleanup
• Plastic credit program
• Upcycled artisan goods
• Community sustainability programs
• Environmental cleanup services

Headquarters

HQ city

Al Jizah

HQ country

Egypt

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Plastic Credits: VeryNile sells plastic credits to corporations and organizations. Each credit removes 1,000 kg of plastic from the Nile. The organization is accredited by Verra Standards, ensuring transparency and verified environmental impact.
2. Upcycled Product Sales: Artisans transform discarded plastic into stunning upcycled and recycled products, sold through the VeryNile Shopify store. This creates over 25 jobs and generates revenue while empowering the community with new lifelong skills.
3. Community Kitchen (Shoka w Megdaf): The community kitchen operates as a restaurant/booking service, providing sustainable catering for events and creating additional local jobs while fostering a sense of community belonging.
4. Partnership Funding: VeryNile receives support from main partners (Drosos, Coca-Cola, Bupa, One Earth One Ocean) and plastic credit partners (Schneider, Cheiron, Dentsu, Cemex) to fund operations and community development programs.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

VeryNile operates a Nile River plastic cleanup program that engages local fishermen to collect plastic waste from the river in exchange for fair wages and social services, removing 30-35 tons of plastic monthly. The collected plastic is transformed by 25+ artisans into upcycled products sold via Shopify, and the organization sells Verra-accredited plastic credits (1,000 kg of plastic per credit) to corporate buyers. Additional offerings include a community kitchen (Shoka w Megdaf) and bookable corporate awareness events and recycling workshops.

Product overview

VeryNile is an environmental NGO operating a multi-faceted service portfolio centered on Nile River protection and community empowerment. The core offering combines physical cleanup operations (Nile River Cleanup Services with 180+ fishermen collecting 30-35 tons of plastic monthly) with a Verra-accredited Plastic Credits program enabling corporate offsetting. Secondary offerings include upcycled/recycled artisan products sold via Shopify, the Papyrus Revival Project for ecological restoration, and community development initiatives (Kids of the Nile, health services, community kitchen, and agricultural programs). The organization also maintains a digital research archive on Nile/Qursaya Island topics. VeryNile operates primarily from Qursaya Island in Cairo and Bisra in Assiut, serving local communities through integrated environmental and social programs rather than a traditional software product platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Plastic Credits Verra-accredited plastic credit program where each credit represents 1,000 kg of plastic removed from the Nile. Sold to corporations and organizations seeking verified environmental impact offsets while supporting local fishing communities.
• Upcycled & Recycled Products Artisan-crafted products made from plastic waste collected from the Nile, sold through the VeryNile Shopify store. Includes art pieces, papyrus art, and sustainable goods. Employs over 25 artisans and has diverted 55,000 bags from landfills.
• Community Kitchen (Shoka w Megdaf) Bookable restaurant and catering service offering cultural cuisines at Qursaya Island. Provides sustainable catering for events and creates local jobs while fostering community belonging. Fresh ingredients sourced from the community garden.
• Awareness & Prevention Programs Bookable corporate, school, and organization engagement programs including clean-up events at Qursaya Island, upcycling workshops, and public engagement events advocating for plastic-free alternatives. Reaches millions through educational content and viral campaigns.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30-35 tons of plastic collected from the Nile monthly
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered main partner, plastic credit partner, core and minor.

• Drosos Foundationmain partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerDrosos Foundation is listed as a main partner supporting VeryNile's mission to protect the Nile River and empower local communities. Nature of partnership support not specified in detail.
• Coca-Colamain partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoca-Cola appears twice in the main partners section, suggesting significant financial and promotional support for VeryNile's environmental initiatives. Partnership likely involves plastic credit purchases and visibility.
• One Earth One Oceanmain partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne Earth One Ocean is a maritime cleanup organization partnering with VeryNile to address plastic pollution affecting both the Nile and Mediterranean Sea ecosystems.
• Bupamain partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerBupa, a healthcare company, is a main partner supporting VeryNile's community health services and overall mission. Partnership may include funding for on-island medical capabilities.
• Dentsuplastic credit partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerDentsu is a plastic credit partner and marketing collaborator, likely providing both financial support through credit purchases and marketing/communications expertise.
• TakataricoreTechnology or IntegrationTakatari developed and manages the tracking application used by VeryNile. The app traces every kg of plastic collected by fishermen from picking location to recycling factory, providing data on location, quantity, type, revenues, and recycling quantities.
• Verra StandardscoreOthersVerra Standards provides accreditation for VeryNile's plastic credit program. This accreditation ensures that plastic credits purchased from VeryNile represent verified environmental impact - 1,000 kg of plastic removed per credit.
• Mona El KatebminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEgyptian artist Mona El Kateb collaborates with VeryNile to transform papyrus plants grown through the Papyrus Revival Project into unique pieces of art, adding value to the restored plants.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• 4ocean: Funded ocean plastic cleanup operation employing local crews to remove plastic from waterways, selling branded products and impact-based memberships. Similar hybrid of river/sea cleanup, paid community labor, and D2C product revenue.
• rePurpose Global: Plastic action platform that funds and verifies plastic collection projects in the Global South and sells plastic offsets/credits to brands. Comparable business model focused on plastic credit issuance tied to community collection.
• Plastic Bank: Operates a global network of collection branches where local collectors exchange plastic for income, sells Social Plastic feedstock, and issues blockchain-traceable credits. Closest direct analog to VeryNile's community-credited plastic credit model, though at global scale.
• EcoPost: Africa-based social enterprise that collects plastic waste and manufactures upcycled fencing and outdoor products, employing local communities. Direct comparison for VeryNile's artisan upcycling angle and African social enterprise positioning.
• One Earth One Ocean: Maritime and river cleanup organisation already partnering with VeryNile. Uses marine cleanup vessels and shoreline cleanups; directly comparable mission and already an established VeryNile partner.

Emerging players

• Wecycle: Tech-enabled waste management and recycling platform with operations in the MENA region. Adjacent player focused on formalising recycling value chains comparable to VeryNile's collection-to-recycling pipeline.
• Empower AS: Operates plastic-to-fuel conversion facilities and is linked to the Empower tokenised plastic credit ecosystem. Comparable at the intersection of river/ocean plastic collection and credit issuance.

Broad incumbents

• The Ocean Cleanup: Large-scale, technology-driven plastic removal initiative focused on ocean gyres and major rivers (including Interceptors). Much larger and more capitalised, but directly comparable mission of cleaning riverine and marine plastic.

Others

• Waste Pickers Alliance / Wiego: Global network supporting informal waste pickers through advocacy and economic empowerment. Conceptually aligned with VeryNile's community livelihood angle but operates at policy and advocacy level rather than direct collection.
• Mr. Trash Wheel (Waterfront Partnership): Baltimore Harbor's iconic water-wheel-powered trash interceptor. Adjacent riverine cleanup operator; comparable mission but uses engineered interception hardware rather than a community-based collection model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/verynile
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/verynile
• Instagraminstagram.com/verynile

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 VeryNile