Ganiga Raises €1.5M to Scale Waste Management AI

The big picture: Italian deeptech startup Ganiga has raised €1.5 million in an equity funding round to advance its AI-powered waste management technology and support commercial expansion. This equity raise, combined with an additional €1 million secured through the Smart&Start Italia incentive program, brings Ganiga’s total funding to €2.5 million.

Why it matters:

• EU Mandate: The European Union is implementing binding targets to reduce food waste by 2030, creating a strong regulatory push for efficient waste management solutions.
• Economic Impact: Eurostat reported approximately 58 million tonnes of food waste in the EU in 2023, highlighting significant economic and environmental losses that AI can help mitigate.
• Operational Efficiency: Ganiga’s technology provides actionable data for catering operators to identify inefficiencies, optimize purchasing, improve menu planning, and manage costs effectively.

How it works:

• AI-Powered Sorting: Ganiga initially developed robotic devices combining artificial intelligence, computer vision, and robotics to identify and separate different types of waste, with over 300 units deployed globally.
• Food Waste Monitoring: The HooolyFood system uses cameras above waste containers to identify discarded food without weighing, providing data to help catering operators reduce waste.
• Data Platform & Automation: A proprietary data platform centralizes information from devices, analyzes waste patterns, estimates costs, and monitors container fill levels, with plans to automate ingredient ordering and menu planning.

The catch: The waste management technology sector is increasingly competitive, with numerous startups vying for market share. Ganiga’s success will depend on its ability to scale its technology beyond contract catering, navigate complex regulatory landscapes, and demonstrate clear ROI to a diverse range of clients, including hotels and municipal waste streams, which may require significant adaptation and integration efforts.

Key Facts

• Company: Ganiga
• Amount: €1.5M
• Investors: Vivenda (lead), NextSTEP, three angel investors
• Founder: Nicolas Zeoli
• Announced: 2026-10-20
• Sector: AI-powered Waste Management
• Headquarters: Pisa, Italy