Karo Sambhav has raised Rs. 56 crore in a Pre-Series A funding round led by Rainmatter by Zerodha. The company plans to use the money to expand its work in recovering critical raw materials from e-waste and related waste streams. This is an important development for India’s recycling and circular economy space. As smartphones, laptops, batteries and electronic devices pile up, the country needs better systems to collect, process and recover useful materials from waste.

Karo Sambhav is working on that problem. Its larger aim is to make recycling more organized, traceable and useful for businesses, consumers and governments.

What Karo Sambhav does

Karo Sambhav is a circular economy and recycling startup. It works across e-waste, plastic waste, battery waste and glass waste. The company helps brands and businesses manage Extended Producer Responsibility, commonly called EPR. In simple words, EPR means companies that sell products must also take responsibility for collecting and recycling waste generated from those products.

For example, if a company sells electronics, it may need to make sure old devices are collected and processed through authorized recycling channels. Karo Sambhav helps create that collection and recycling network.

Karo Sambhav was founded by Pranshu Singhal. Karo Sambhav has been active for years in India’s e-waste and circular economy ecosystem and has worked with enterprises, consumers and public-sector partners.

Why Rainmatter’s investment matters

Rainmatter is backed by Zerodha and has been investing in startups linked to sustainability, climate, finance and long-term public-good themes. Its investment in Karo Sambhav shows growing interest in circular economy businesses. These are companies that try to reduce waste by reusing, recycling or recovering materials instead of letting them go to landfills.

For Karo Sambhav, this funding can help strengthen infrastructure, technology and recovery systems. That is important because recycling is not only about collecting old devices. The real value comes when useful materials are safely recovered and returned to the supply chain.

What critical raw material recovery means

Critical raw materials are materials that are important for industries but may be difficult, costly or risky to source. Old phones, laptops, batteries and electronic parts can contain metals and materials that still have value. If recovered properly, these materials can reduce dependence on fresh mining and imports.

For example, mobile phones and circuit boards may contain small amounts of valuable metals. Batteries may contain materials that are important for electric vehicles and energy storage. Recovering these safely needs proper technology, trained partners and formal recycling channels.

This is where Karo Sambhav’s work becomes important. The startup is trying to build systems that make waste recovery more organized and reliable.

The startup’s aim

Karo Sambhav’s aim is to make recycling a regular part of life and business in India. Its official website says its mission is to make recycling a way of life for a billion people. That is a large goal, but it fits the scale of India’s waste challenge.

The company works with enterprises, consumers and governments. It also runs awareness programmes and collection systems. This matters because recycling does not work only at the factory level. People must know where to give old devices, companies must follow compliance rules, and recyclers must process waste responsibly.

Why this matters for India

India is one of the world’s fastest-growing electronics markets. More devices mean more e-waste. If this waste is not handled properly, it can harm soil, water, workers and local communities. At the same time, e-waste is also a resource. A broken phone may no longer be useful to the owner, but its parts and materials can still have value.

Better recycling can help India in three ways. It can reduce pollution, create formal jobs and recover materials that industries need.

This becomes even more important as India pushes electric vehicles, renewable energy, electronics manufacturing and battery storage. These sectors need critical minerals and raw materials, so recovery from waste can support long-term supply security.

Karo Sambhav’s next journey

After this funding round, Karo Sambhav’s next journey will likely focus on scale. The company may expand collection networks, improve recycling partnerships, use technology for traceability and build stronger systems for critical material recovery. Traceability is important because companies need proof that waste was collected and recycled properly.

The startup may also work deeper with electronics brands, battery companies, government bodies and formal recyclers. If it can connect these groups well, it can become a stronger backbone for India’s circular economy.

The next phase will also need trust. Waste management has many informal players. Karo Sambhav will need to show that its systems are transparent, compliant and environmentally responsible.

Competitors and market overview

Karo Sambhav operates in a growing but competitive waste management and recycling market. Its competitors and peers include Recykal, Attero Recycling, Namo eWaste, Exigo Recycling, Ecoreco and other formal e-waste and circular economy companies. Some focus on digital waste-management platforms, while others focus more on recycling facilities and material recovery.

Karo Sambhav’s strength lies in its system-building approach across EPR, collection, awareness, technology and recycling partnerships. The challenge will be to scale while keeping quality and compliance strong.

Conclusion with key takeaways

Karo Sambhav’s Rs. 56 crore Pre-Series A funding from Rainmatter by Zerodha is a strong signal for India’s circular economy space. The company is working on a real and growing problem – how to recover useful materials from e-waste and other waste streams responsibly.

Its next journey will be about scale, technology, partnerships and deeper critical raw material recovery. If it executes well, Karo Sambhav can become an important player in India’s clean-tech and recycling ecosystem.

Key takeaways

• Karo Sambhav raised Rs. 56 crore in a Pre-Series A round led by Rainmatter by Zerodha.
• The company will use the funds to scale critical raw material recovery from e-waste and related waste streams.
• Karo Sambhav works across e-waste, plastic waste, battery waste and glass waste.
• The startup was founded by Pranshu Singhal.

Its competitors include Recykal, Attero Recycling, Namo eWaste, Exigo Recycling and Ecoreco.

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