Turning Food Waste into Fertilizer: Ecotone Renewables Secures $3M to Scale Sustainability
Ecotone Renewables develops sustainable solutions for food waste management using anaerobic digestion system which converts food waste into renewable energy and nutrient-rich organic fertilizer.
Ecotone Renewables, a Pittsburgh-based sustainability startup, has secured $3 million in seed funding, marking a major step forward in its mission to tackle food waste through innovative technology. Founded in 2019 by Dylan Lew (CEO), Kyle Wyche (COO), and Elliott Bennett (CFO), the company uses its proprietary Zero Emissions Upcycling System (ZEUS) to convert food waste into organic fertilizer. This funding round comes on the heels of the co-founders being named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list, a moment CEO Dylan Lew described as “a culmination of a lot of the work that [they’ve] been doing” and “a lot of pieces clicking into place at the same time.”
Backing the startup are prominent investors, including clean-tech supporter Earth Foundry and global technology firm Cisco. Lew highlighted the significance of attracting hardware-focused investors, noting that venture capital is often skewed toward software. “We’ve managed to find some amazing investors, some of which are hardware experts, some blending software and hardware. I think there’s more interest in the hardware space coming up,” Lew said.
Scaling Impact Through Deployment and R&D
The $3 million raised will fuel Ecotone’s expansion plans, including additional research and development, hiring engineers and sales personnel, and increasing the deployment of ZEUS digesters. These systems are integral to Ecotone’s mission, turning food waste into high-value organic fertilizer while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
“One of our core metrics of success is really around the number of digesters deployed,” Lew explained. “This is helping us increase our sales team, ramp up our sales funnel, close deals, and actually build and operate these systems for our customers.” The funding will also support international expansion, with plans to work with Compass Group Canada in Toronto, marking a significant step toward scaling the company’s impact globally.
Resilient in the Face of Challenges
As a public benefit corporation, Ecotone Renewables is committed to sustainability and social impact, and the company remains optimistic despite shifting federal policies under the second Trump administration. “We’re just going to need to rely more on private companies to lead this charge,” Lew said. He emphasized that the company’s foundation in 2019 was driven by a clear need for sustainable, easy-to-implement technologies to address food waste. “We’ve seen this rodeo before,” he added, underscoring the resilience of sustainability-focused businesses that prioritize customer needs and quality service.
Ecotone’s innovative approach not only addresses a critical environmental challenge but also demonstrates the viability of hardware-driven sustainability solutions in a market often dominated by software. With plans to expand operations, hire talent, and deploy more digesters, the company is well-positioned to lead the way in sustainable food waste management.
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