Recykal Gets Sachin Tendulkar as a Strategic Investor
Sachin Tendulkar's undisclosed investment extends the Hyderabad waste management platform's $23 million bridge round from June 2026.
Key Takeaways
- Sachin Tendulkar has joined Recykal as a strategic investor.
- The amount he invested and the valuation were not disclosed.
- His investment extends Recykal's $23 million bridge round, closed in June 2026.
- Recykal says it works with about 650 brands and more than 5,000 aggregators and recyclers.
- Recykal reported gross revenue of Rs 1,498 crore in FY26.
Table of Contents 9 sections
- Recykal funding at a glance
- What Recykal does
- Recykal's journey so far
- Sachin Tendulkar on using technology to change waste habits
- Abhay Deshpande calls the circular economy a technology problem
- What Recykal says Tendulkar and the bridge round money will do
- Where Recykal stands after Tendulkar's investment
- More funding news
- FAQs
Recykal, the Hyderabad-based waste management and circular economy platform, has brought in cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar as a strategic investor. The company has not disclosed how much Tendulkar invested or the valuation at which he came in.
Recykal said Tendulkar's investment is an extension of its $23 million bridge round, which closed in June 2026. That round was made up of primary and secondary capital from existing investors and select new family offices.
Recykal funding at a glance
| Detail | Recykal |
|---|---|
| New investor | Sachin Tendulkar (strategic investor) |
| Amount | Not disclosed |
| Valuation | Not disclosed |
| Round | Extension of the $23 million bridge round closed in June 2026 |
| Sector | Waste management and circular economy technology |
| City | Hyderabad |
| CEO | Abhay Deshpande, co-founder |
What Recykal does
Recykal runs a technology platform for waste management and recycling. Its offerings include digital platforms, Deposit Return Systems (DRS), a marketplace for trading recyclable materials and AI-enabled hardware such as reverse vending machines. Under a deposit return system, people pay a small refundable deposit on packaging and get it back when they return the packaging for recycling.
The company says it has channelled more than 3 million tonnes (30 lakh tonnes) of waste. It says it works with about 650 brands, including Hindustan Unilever, Samsung and BMW, and with more than 5,000 aggregators and recyclers. Its deposit return deployments and pilots cover Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Bhutan.
Recykal's journey so far
| When | Milestone |
|---|---|
| January 2022 | Raised $22 million in a round led by Morgan Stanley India |
| April 2024 | Raised Rs 110 crore (about $13 million) in a pre-Series B round from 360 ONE Asset |
| June 2026 | Closed a $23 million bridge round of primary and secondary capital; early investor Circulate Capital fully exited |
| November 2026 | Sachin Tendulkar joins as a strategic investor, extending the bridge round |
Recykal reported gross revenue of Rs 1,498 crore in FY26, up about 53% from Rs 978 crore in FY25.
Sachin Tendulkar on using technology to change waste habits
"What drew me to Recykal was seeing how technology was being used to solve an everyday problem. 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."
Abhay Deshpande calls the circular economy a technology problem
"Recykal was built on a simple conviction that the circular economy is fundamentally a technology problem. Deposit Return Systems are perhaps the clearest expression of this thesis, bringing together technology, logistics and behavioural change to transform how packaging waste is recovered."
What Recykal says Tendulkar and the bridge round money will do
Recykal said Tendulkar will help champion a nationwide movement to make responsible waste behaviour an everyday habit, carrying forward the spirit of Swachh Bharat. The company said the capital from the bridge round is being used to strengthen its technology platform and Open Marketplace, scale its Deposit Return System and support its international expansion.
Where Recykal stands after Tendulkar's investment
Recykal now counts Sachin Tendulkar among its investors, on top of the $23 million bridge round it closed in June 2026. It works with about 650 brands and more than 5,000 aggregators and recyclers, and reported gross revenue of Rs 1,498 crore in FY26. The company has not disclosed the size of Tendulkar's investment.
More funding news
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did Sachin Tendulkar invest in Recykal?
Who invested in Recykal's latest round?
How is Tendulkar's investment linked to Recykal's bridge round?
Who invested in Recykal's June 2026 bridge round?
What does Recykal do?
Where is Recykal based?
Who leads Recykal?
How will Recykal use the funding?
What role will Sachin Tendulkar play at Recykal?
How much waste has Recykal handled?
How many brands does Recykal work with?
How much revenue did Recykal report in FY26?
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