Although it is well known that recycling is beneficial for the environment, it is estimated that less than 10% of the world’s plastic is recycled. Ganiga Innovation is looking to increase that percentage with its AI-enabled robotic trash can.
Italian startup Ganiga has developed three products to improve waste and recycling management. The first is a fleet of robotic bins called Hoooly that uses generative AI to determine what is trash and what is recycled, and separates waste accordingly. The second is a smart lid that can be attached to an existing trash can with the same functionality as a larger trash can.
The company also offers software products that allow businesses to track the waste they produce. Provides recommendations on how companies can reduce waste generation based on waste data.
Ganiga will be showcasing its technology as part of this year’s Startup Battlefield competition at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 from October 27th to 29th at Moscone West in San Francisco.
Nicolas Zeoli, founder and CEO of Ganiga, told TechCrunch that from a young age he had dreams of founding the next great company like Facebook or Apple.
He said he chose to focus on waste because in his native Italy, the issues surrounding waste management were very specific and it was clear that not much was being done about it.
“We all need to take back this issue,” Zeoli said. “I’ve read 100 articles on this issue. For example, in just one year, over 100 million tons of plastic is created worldwide, and only 9% is recycled. This is a very real problem.”
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Zeoli launched Ganiga in 2021 and produced the first prototype in 2022. Zeoli said he decided to focus on building a trash can to solve this problem. Because bins can provide people with a physical place to properly recycle and separate their waste. Also, because the trash recycle bin throws out data that can be used in the future.
Waste management is also expensive for businesses, Zeoli said. Many organizations, especially in Europe, have ESG obligations to comply with. Zeoli hopes Hoooly can help companies better track their waste generation and ultimately reduce waste and waste-related costs.
Ganiga started selling trash cans in 2024 and has since sold more than 120 robots to customers like Google and multiple airports including Bologna, Venice, and Madrid.
Zeoli said the company’s 2024 revenue will be $500,000, and has already reached $750,000 in the first nine months of 2025 alone.
The company also raised $1.5 million in pre-seed funding from investors including cleantech VC firms NextSTEP and NextEnergy Capital. Ganiga is aiming to raise $3 million in a seed round.
The company is preparing to launch its latest product, Hooolyfood, in November, a software product that uses camera images to measure the exact amount of food waste. Zeoli said the company plans to delve deeper into software-focused products in the future based on the current bins and data the software is collecting.
Ganiga has so far focused on the European market, but Zeoli said he wants to expand into the United States. The company is even considering moving its headquarters to the United States in 2026.
“Ganiga is the world’s first startup to install smart trash bins in one airport,” Zeoli said. “This is important because we are not targeting prototypes. We are product and open to market.”
If you want to learn directly from Ganiga, see more pitches and valuable workshops, and make connections that drive business results, go here to learn more about this year’s Disrupt, taking place in San Francisco from October 27th to 29th.
