The E-Waste Opportunity Nobody's Talking About
Here's a sobering statistic: e-waste constitutes 70% of all toxic waste globally, yet it remains largely invisible in mainstream conversations. Sonia recognised this gap and built Retapp to address it.
Who is Sonia?
With a multicultural background spanning France, America, and South Africa, Sonia brought a decade of motion design and animation experience to the table before pivoting to entrepreneurship. After moving to Cambridge and starting her executive MBA at Judge Business School in 2024, she identified the e-waste crisis as the perfect intersection of her creative expertise and technological innovation.
"I always felt very uncomfortable with consumer sales because I just thought this is all going to end up in a landfill. It needs to be solved with AI, but also as a collective effort."
How Retapp Works: Design Meets AI
Retapp's platform combines consumer-friendly design with intelligent automation:
The User Journey:
Users scan devices using the app (phones, laptops, toasters—anything with a plug or battery)
AI identifies categories, estimates weight, and calculates resale value or eco-points
Users choose drop-off or collection options
Optional data erasure certificates available for enhanced security
Sustainability metrics track environmental impact
The B2B Angle: Retapp also provides detailed device insights to refurbishers and recyclers through a web portal, helping them manage the deluge of electronics without overwhelming their operations.
"E-waste is 70% of all toxic waste. Those metals just seep into the soil and it's just awful."
From Pilot to Pre-Seed: Proving Product-Market Fit
Retapp ran a successful pilot from July to September 2025, collecting 860 kilos of electronics across five pop-up events in collaboration with Cambridge City Council. The product is now live on both App Store and Google Play.
Currently fundraising their pre-seed round, Sonia emphasises a crucial point for impact investors:
"A sustainable company doesn't mean it's not profitable. That really is a challenge. The challenge that we're aiming to solve has to be climate friendly but also it's a very good business model and a very good business long term."
The Investment Thesis
Retapp is seeking investors who understand the circular economy and recognise this as a genuine business opportunity—not charity work. With EU circular economy regulations tightening and extended producer responsibility (EPR) becoming mandatory, the timing couldn't be better.
As Sonia prepares to go full-time post-MBA, the next chapter of Retapp promises to be compelling. Whether through direct-to-consumer or B2B2C models, one thing's clear: the future of waste is circular, and Retapp's leading the charge.
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