JOYCLE raises ¥150M to turn waste into resources on-site
What's the deal? Japanese startup JOYCLEDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has raised ¥150 million (about $1 million) in a Pre-Series A round led by ANOBAKADealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →.
The Tokyo-based company builds small, distributed plants that convert rubbish into resources without hauling or burning it.
Investors also included Toyota Invention PartnersDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Hokuyo BankDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Suzuyo ShojiDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, NCB Venture CapitalDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Saison VenturesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, and Livedo Corporation. Cumulative funding, including debt, now stands at roughly ¥350 million.
Why now? JOYCLE will use the cash to mass-produce its "JOYCLE BOX," a mobile plant that uses electric heat to shrink waste by more than 95%, turning it into inorganic resources and carbonised material.
Japan faces a shrinking number of incinerators and a driver shortage that strains its waste-collection supply chain. By processing rubbish at the source, JOYCLE aims to cut transport costs and boost recycling rates at once.
The unit can run off solar power and Starlink satellite links, doubling as off-grid infrastructure for disaster zones where waste cannot be moved.
What could go wrong? The company began pre-selling just 10 units in June 2026, so demand at scale remains unproven.
Building a reliable mass-production line and securing patents will test a young team still hiring engineers, sales, and customer success staff.
The signal: ANOBAKA returned to lead this round after backing JOYCLE's seed, a vote of confidence that the early-stage company has turned early pilots into a saleable product. The mix of regional lenders and corporate investors — from Hokuyo Bank to Toyota's investment arm — points to how Japan's ageing regions are looking to circular-economy infrastructure as both a waste fix and a source of local jobs.
Read more: PR Times
Image credit: JOYCLE
