Hyderabad waste tech firm Recykal adds Sachin Tendulkar to its $23M bridge round

Sachin Tendulkar has joined Hyderabad-based waste management technology company Recykal as a strategic investor. The investment extends the company’s $23 million bridge round, which it closed in June 2026.

Recykal did not disclose the size of Tendulkar’s investment.

Founded in 2015, Recykal builds digital platforms for waste management, deposit return systems and the trade of recyclable materials. Its software connects businesses, waste aggregators and recyclers so that recyclable material can be recovered and moved through the supply chain.

The company also makes AI-enabled hardware, including reverse vending machines designed and manufactured in India. These are machines that accept used packaging from consumers.

Recykal says it has channelled more than three million metric tonnes of waste. It works with over 650 brands, including Hindustan Unilever, Samsung and BMW, and with more than 5,000 aggregators and recyclers.

The tie-up is aimed at consumer behaviour as much as capital. Recykal plans to work with Tendulkar to promote responsible waste disposal, recycling and participation in the circular economy, with the ambition of making these practices part of everyday life across India.

”Recykal’s mission to use technology to drive behavioural change across 1 billion people is what really connected with me, and I hope together we can encourage more people to make responsible choices every day,” said Tendulkar.

Abhay Deshpande, CEO and co-founder of Recykal, said: “To have Sachin join us as a strategic investor is incredibly meaningful. For decades, he has inspired millions of Indians through his discipline, integrity and ability to unite people around a common purpose. Together, we hope to inspire a movement where doing the right thing for the environment becomes an everyday habit.”