As the automotive industry pushed towards sustainability, our client sought to address a challenge facing the recycling industry: how to effectively reclaim recyclable materials from end-of-life vehicles. The client had struggled to find a solution that both identified and sorted shredded materials on a fast-moving conveyor belt at a high enough volume to meet the demand for recycled materials.

To tackle this problem, our team developed a two-fold strategy. We scanned the market for disruptive technologies while also connecting with incumbent companies to explore potential partnerships and innovation opportunities.

Through our research, we identified a disruptive technology that leveraged a new AI-visual technique to identify and sort scrap at a higher rate than other technologies currently on the market. We then connected with the technology's founder, validated its capabilities, and introduced the solution to the client's technical workstream.

Over the next several months, we worked closely with the technology's team to visit their demonstration site, form a commercial partnership, align on an equity investment, form a commercial partnership, and ultimately integrate the technology into the client's end-of-life strategy. Our efforts resulted in a successful partnership that not only addressed the client's initial challenge but also provided a more efficient and sustainable solution for the recycling industry as a whole.

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