Sortera Technologies Inc.,the market leading aluminium sorting company with an upcycling platform powered by artificial intelligence, data analytics and advanced sensors, today announced the close of USD 45 million in funding led by accounts advised by T. Rowe Price Associates and VXI Capital, with participation from Yamaha Motor Ventures and Overlay Capital; with an additional equipment funding from Trinity Capital. This funding fuels Sortera’s next phase of growth as a major domestic supplier of metals upcycled from waste. In addition to the funding, Sortera is announcing plans for its second state-of-the-art processing facility in Lebanon, Tennessee. This expansion, driven by overwhelming demand and success at the flagship Markle, Indiana facility, will bring Sortera’s innovative recycling solutions closer to its growing customer base.
Sortera Technologies is changing the way the world recycles aluminium. Using artificial intelligence and advanced sensors, the company sorts mixed aluminium scrap into specific alloys that can replace imported primary aluminium. Sortera brings new life to old metal. Since launching operations at its 200,000 sq. ft. Markle facility in Q1 2023, Sortera has experienced significant customer demand for its high-quality recycled aluminium alloys.
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Sortera is now the only company producing end-of-life recycled aluminium products, including 380, 356, 319 and wrought (3105 and others). Each product is specifically designed to match the chemistry of common casting and rolling alloys. Sortera also produces low-silicon wrought packages and polished end-of-life aluminium die cast for direct use in 380 applications. The Markle facility demonstrates Sortera’s technological success at transforming mixed alloy scrap, historically downgraded or shipped overseas into high-value materials for critical applications in the automotive, construction and aerospace industries.
“The performance of our Markle facility and the enthusiastic response from our customers have made it clear: the domestic market is hungry for sustainable, high-quality recycled aluminium,” said Michael Siemer, CEO of Sortera Technologies. “The robust investor confidence that powered this funding, coupled with the proven customer demand that necessitates our expansion into Tennessee, is a direct result of this success. This expansion allows us to significantly increase our capacity and establish a presence closer to many of our key customers, particularly in the automotive sector, further streamlining supply chains and enhancing our service capabilities.”
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Sortera's proprietary technology is a game-changer, enabling the precise sorting and capture of valuable aluminium from scrap streams. Its AI-enabled multi-sensor sorting systems with blending capabilities support customer-specific alloy composition requirements. Sortera’s in-house developed software platform and industry-leading data collection of end-of-life materials address customer demands for these high-quality upcycled products. This process diverts billions of pounds of material from going overseas and dramatically reduces the energy required for aluminium production by approximately 95 per cent compared to manufacturing from virgin materials. This translates into a substantial reduction in CO2 footprint for Sortera’s customers, supporting their ambitious sustainability and circular production goals.
The new Tennessee facility will mirror the advanced capabilities of the Markle operation, thereby cementing Sortera’s commitment to solving the entire mixed aluminium problem, specifically addressing the cast, sheet and extrusion upgrade challenge. Simultaneously, this expansion will build a robust, domestic circular economy for critical metals. The strategic location in Tennessee will improve logistics and provide a more localised supply of high-quality recycled content to regional manufacturers, potentially increasing Sortera’s annual production capacity to ~240 million pounds. This will ultimately help manufacturers lower costs and pollution while strengthening the domestic supply chain.
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Sortera expects that the new facility will be operational by the summer of 2026 and further details regarding the specifics will be communicated in the coming months.
Note: This article has been issued by Sortera Technologies and has been published by AL Circle with its original information without any modifications or edits to the core subject/data
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