What Laptop Upcycle does

Laptop Upcycle is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operating as a division of HackNCraftNJ, Inc., founded in Montclair, NJ in Fall 2016 by Jon Bonesteel, Sarah Damaskos, and John Wisniewski. The organization collects used laptops from individuals and corporate donors (including 'Laptop Legend' donors such as Essence, BCG, Milliman, Fractal Analytics, and Best Buy), refurbishes them in a volunteer-run lab using NIST 800-88-compliant SecureErase data wiping and open-source Ubuntu/Linux imaging, and distributes the working machines at no cost to students and community members lacking home technology access. Supplementary offerings include free WiFi hotspot distribution through T-Mobile Project 10 Million and the US Sprint ConnectedEd program, and a lab-based technical education program that has supported 100+ high school volunteers contributing over 3,500 service hours.

The organization is 100% volunteer-powered, including its Board of Directors, with no paid staff. It has delivered more than 2,100 laptops, over 230 WiFi hotspots, supported 8,000+ hours of in-lab education, and diverted 14,000+ pounds of e-waste from landfills since 2017. Operations extend beyond Montclair into Paterson, Newark, and Ramapo via partnerships with Dr. Frank Napier Jr. School, Essex County College Adult Learning Center, Ramapo College, and Passaic County Community College, plus a dozen community nonprofit partners including Interfaith-RISE, Succeed2gether, Urban Health Collaborative, Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District YAC, and United Community Corporation.

Revenue is derived from foundation grants (The Montclair Foundation, The Don Katz and Leslie Larson Foundation), individual and corporate donations (tax-deductible at ~$250 per laptop), and a modest eBay store reselling unrefurbishable equipment to fund replacement parts. As of January 2026, the refurbishment lab is paused through Q1 2026 while the Board evaluates and refines the business model; the mission and Board remain active.

Name

Laptop Upcycle

Legal name

HackNCraftNJ, Inc.

Website

https://laptopupcycle.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Laptop Upcycle is a 100% volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit (a division of HackNCraftNJ, Inc.) that refurbishes donated laptops with Ubuntu Linux and distributes them free to K-12 students, adult learners, and refugees across northern New Jersey lacking home technology access.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Technology Refurbishment and Distribution

NAICS

Materials Recovery Facilities (562920)

akta.pro primary industry

Material Reuse & Upcycling Services (Non-recycling Transformation) (EUAIANAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Refurbished & Certified Pre‑Owned Tablets/Ultrabooks (HDACAMAO), Enterprise Hardware Recycling (Servers, Storage, Networking) (BPALAIAI)

Keywords

• Laptop refurbishment
• Nonprofit education technology
• Digital divide programs
• E-waste recycling services
• Community volunteer computing

Headquarters

HQ city

Montclair

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Grants: Financial grants from foundations (The Montclair Foundation $3,500 grant) used to purchase replacement parts and equipment for student distributions.
2. Individual and Corporate Donations: Laptop donations from individuals and businesses; tax-deductible donations of equipment valued at approximately $250 per laptop.
3. E-commerce Sales: eBay store selling donated equipment to raise funds for replacement parts, batteries, chargers, hard drives and memory. Has raised over $3,000.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Laptop Upcycle is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that collects donated used laptops from individuals and businesses, securely wipes data, installs Ubuntu Linux open-source operating systems, and distributes the refurbished laptops free of charge to K-12 students and adult learners in need across Montclair and northern New Jersey. It also distributes free WiFi hotspots through T-Mobile Project 10 Million partnerships and runs volunteer refurbishment lab sessions that double as technical education for high school students.

Product overview

Laptop Upcycle is a nonprofit organization that operates a laptop refurbishment and donation program as its core offering. The organization collects used laptops from individuals and businesses, refurbishes them in their volunteer-run lab by wiping data and installing open-source Ubuntu Linux operating systems, and distributes the devices to students in need. Supplementary services include free WiFi hotspot distribution through T-Mobile Project 10 Million partnerships and community education programs including lab volunteer sessions and Tech Talk Summer talks. The organization functions as a division of HackNCraftNJ, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Montclair, NJ.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Laptop Refurbishment Program A laptop refurbishment and donation program that collects used computers from individuals and businesses, securely wipes data using SecureErase (NIST 800-88 compliant), installs Ubuntu Linux open-source operating systems, and distributes refurbished laptops free of charge to K-12 students, adult learners, and community organizations in Montclair and northern New Jersey.
• Free WiFi Hotspot Distribution Distribution of free WiFi hotspots to families without home internet access, enabling students to complete homework and participate in remote learning. Funded by T-Mobile Project 10 Million and the Don Katz and Leslie Larson Foundation (over 230 hotspots distributed over 5 years).
• Lab Volunteer Education Sessions Weekly lab sessions at the Laptop Upcycle Lab in Montclair where high school volunteers learn laptop refurbishment, repair, data wiping, and software installation skills while earning community service hours, supported by board members Mike Brown and Ed Martin.
• Tech Talk Summer Community educational program featuring weekly technology talks and presentations by professionals and subject matter experts for student volunteers and the local community, covering topics like networking tools, password security, and technology careers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2,100 laptops delivered to students in need
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• HackNCraftNJcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (Makerspace in Montclair, NJ). Supports the lab space, technical staff, and organizational infrastructure. Laptop Upcycle is a division of HackNCraftNJ, Inc.
• JerseyOncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinates and supports the free WiFi initiative through US Sprint ConnectedEd program.
• Guardian Data DestructionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides laptop bags so each laptop is safely transported to destination students.
• The Alliance for Technology Refurbishing and Reuse (AFTRR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNation-wide network of organizations repairing and reconditioning technology equipment for new life. Laptop Upcycle is a member sharing their mission of responsible recycling.
• The National Christina FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational foundation supporting technology refurbishing and reuse. Laptop Upcycle is a proud partner.
• The Electronic Access FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports equipment collection and reuse efforts through Digitunity network.
• The Montclair Neighborhood Development CorporationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner in delivering technology solutions to those in need in Montclair.
• EssencecoreOthersGlobal data and measurement-driven agency. Donated 140 laptops total including 64 Dell laptops in May 2019 and initial 28 laptops in October 2016. First 'Laptop Legend' donor.
• The Boston Consulting Group (BCG)coreOthersSummit, NJ office. Made three significant donations including 52 Lenovo Thinkpads. Newest Laptop Legend with repeat donations.
• Milliman ConsultingminorOthersLaptop Legend donor.
• Fractal AnalyticsminorOthersJersey City, NJ office. Laptop Legend donor.
• Kiwanis of MontclairminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAssisted with PR campaign to reach more students in need. Volunteers trained to assist with laptop distributions.
• Passaic County Community CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner to start a Laptop Upcycle chapter at their campus in Paterson.
• Ramapo CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRenewed agreement for Laptop Upcycle @ Ramapo College, serving low-income enrolled students through WeCare organization.
• Essex County Community College Adult Learning CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRenewed agreement. Onsite Laptop Upcycle hub at Adult Learning Center in Newark, servicing 400 adult students pursuing GED, citizenship, or MS Office certification.
• Succeed2getherminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMontclair nonprofit. Coordinated laptop distributions including 26 laptops via Laptop Santa program.
• MFEE and Navegador ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting Spanish speaking community in Montclair schools with technology resources.
• Urban Health CollaborativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSummer outreach project resulting in 10+ laptops and 5 monitors for community education and student tutoring.
• Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District Youth Arts CollectiveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArts meets tech education program. 16 laptops donated for class teaching illustration, graphic design, 3D animation, and more.
• Interfaith-RISEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization assisting refugee students settling in the US. Received 20 laptops for refugee students.
• United Community CorporationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNewark organization. 18 laptops provided for West Side Park community center after-school programs.
• T-Mobile Project 10 MillioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipating organization providing internet access to students. 240 hotspots available to distribute to families in need.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• The National Cristina Foundation: National foundation supporting technology refurbishing and reuse that Laptop Upcycle is a 'proud partner' of; operates at a national grant-making and network level rather than direct distribution.
• Goodwill Industries International: Large nonprofit with computer refurbishment and resale programs alongside workforce development; overlaps with Laptop Upcycle on device reuse, training, and job-readiness, but at far greater scale.
• Dell Reconnect: Consumer electronics recycling program operated with Goodwill that accepts used computers for reuse or responsible recycling; represents the large-scale, national upstream donation channel that feeds refurbishers like Laptop Upcycle.

Direct peers

• World Computer Exchange: Nonprofit refurbishing and distributing computers to schools and youth organizations in developing countries; similar mission of turning donated hardware into educational access.
• PCs for People: Nonprofit that refurbishes donated computers and distributes them along with low-cost internet to low-income individuals and nonprofits—directly comparable mission, model, and end-beneficiaries.
• Free Geek: Nonprofit refurbishing donated technology for reuse while providing digital-skills training to volunteers; closely matches Laptop Upcycle's volunteer-driven refurbishment plus education approach.
• InterConnection: Nonprofit that refurbishes donated computers and connects them with nonprofits and refugees worldwide; shares the refurbish-and-distribute-plus-secure-data-wipe operating model.
• Digitunity: National nonprofit network coordinating technology reuse and digital-inclusion programs; Laptop Upcycle explicitly operates within the Digitunity ecosystem and shares the mission of refurbishing and distributing devices to people in need.
• ComputerAid: International nonprofit refurbishing donated computers and shipping them to educational and community partners; comparable end-use focus on students and nonprofits.
• Human-I-T: Nonprofit refurbishing donated technology and distributing it to underserved communities, with secure data wiping and digital-skills training—matches Laptop Upcycle's refurbish-plus-educate model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/laptopupcycle
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/laptop-upcycle

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

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 Laptop Upcycle