C4D Partners backs waste management firm Saahas

Saahas Waste Management Pvt. Ltd, which operates as Saahas Zero Waste, has raised fresh funding of $868,600 (Rs 6 crore) in a round led by Dutch investor C4D Partners. The Indian Angel Network and impact investors Artha Ventures and Asha Impact also participated in the funding round, the IAN said in a statement. The IAN was the first investor in Saahas, having backed it in 2015. Artha Ventures had first invested in the company in 2017, according to filings with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. Asha Impact is a new investor in the company. Bengaluru-based Saahas will use the capital to improve the collection and aggregation of all types of non-biodegradable waste. The start-up was founded in 2013 by Wilma Rodriques. It focuses on decentralised waste management processes and provides professional services to all waste generators, including companies, apartment complexes and institutions. The company, which has a presence in the south and west India, manages 45 tonnes of waste per day. It has 248 employees, out of which 60 per cent are women. C4D Partners will also participate in the next funding rounds of the company, managing partner Arvind Agarwal said. C4D Partners is an initiative of the Netherlands-headquartered global non-profit ICCO Cooperative, which works in over 40 countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia, according to its website. Its objective is to finance and invest in growing and inclusive small and medium enterprises that create social and environmental impact.