Modernizing Metal Recycling: Why We Invested in GreenSpark

By: Baris Guzel, Scott Walbrun, Allen Chen, Tom Springer

Every year, more than 160 million tons of metal scrap moves through a wide-ranging network of recyclers in the United States. This scrap originates from factories, construction sites, and the general public, flows into local yards, and eventually passes through regional and enterprise-level dealers before heading to domestic steel mills or overseas smelters. In turn, these metals are reintroduced into the market as new cars, building supplies, and industrial parts. Despite the massive operational undertaking, the recycling process remains largely manual, as buyers and sellers frequently communicate via text messaging, transact with checks or cash, and track inventory on paper or Excel. This patchwork approach leads to communication gaps, elevated labor costs, and inaccurate data, all of which drive poor decision-making and further waste.

One root cause is the industry’s historical underinvestment in technology, particularly when contrasted with supply chain and manufacturing sectors. While some dedicated software solutions exist, most are built on outdated infrastructure with user interfaces that slow operations rather than streamline them. At the same time, evolving environmental and money-laundering regulations are adding pressure on scrapyards to upgrade their technology stacks, so they can more accurately monitor inventory and manage payments to ensure compliance.

Manufacturing industry processes generate vast amounts of scrap, including hundreds of tons of aluminum, steel, and copper produced weekly from stamping, pressing, and machining operations. These materials may go to downstream buyers or return to in-house facilities for smelting and reprocessing, ultimately being reused in producing new components. Tracking the production and flow of these scrap metals is critical for assessing operational performance, meeting sustainability targets, and progressing toward a circular economy.

Founded in 2021 in Brooklyn, GreenSpark has built a modern, cloud-based platform that addresses these challenges head-on. By offering an end-to-end solution, from inventory management and CRM to equipment monitoring and dispatch logistics, GreenSpark delivers a real-time, accurate system of record. With better access to actionable data, recyclers save time and money while greatly improving their customer experience.

We are thrilled to lead an investment round in the Company alongside existing investors Third Prime and Zero Infinity Partners. Having tracked GreenSpark’s progress over the last few years, we’ve seen its rapid rise to more than 100 customers and multiple enterprise-scale accounts. This growth is a testament to the strength of its leadership: Founder and CEO Gordon Driscoll pairs a rigorous, quantitative background with a hands-on, relationship-driven sales approach, while CTO Sheetal Rao, formerly an engineer at Brex, leads the platform’s development and steers a roadmap that will include digital payment capabilities, helping customers better track transactions, manage cash flow, and unlock financial insights from their operational data.

We couldn’t be more excited to join GreenSpark on this journey as it modernizes metal recycling operations and propels the industry into a new era of efficiency and sustainability!

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