In an industry often overlooked by the tech world, Chicago‑based CurbWaste — the “operating system for independent waste haulers” — has raised US$28 million in a Series B funding round, bringing its total capital raised to US$50 million. The round is led by Socium Ventures (backed by Cox Enterprises) with participation from Flourish Ventures, TTV Capital, B Capital Group and quantitative investor Squarepoint.
Founded by industry operators, CurbWaste aims to provide modern enterprise‑grade tools to small and mid‑sized haulers — many of them family‑run businesses — that still rely on paper logs and ad‑hoc workflows. CEO and founder Mike Marmo puts it plainly: “We built CurbWaste to level the playing field for haulers, giving them the modern tools they’ve long deserved to run more efficiently and compete under challenging conditions.”
The platform supports around 150 haulers across the U.S. today — from one‑truck outfits to regional operators. It offers features like real‑time dispatch, driver apps, order management, integrated e‑commerce, and automated invoicing. On its website, the platform promises benefits such as “15 % more revenue via same‑day orders” and “20 % cash‑flow improvement with automated payments.”
Investors say the timing is ripe. Socium’s partner David Yang states: “CurbWaste is transforming an essential industry that impacts every community in America. The team is empowering waste haulers with modern, intuitive solutions … which keep all of our cities cleaner and more efficient.”
Under the new capital, CurbWaste plans to accelerate hiring, expand go‑to‑market operations and lean heavily into AI and machine‑learning tools aimed at waste operations — from optimized routing to predictive maintenance.
Industry and company outlook
The U.S. waste‑management software market was valued at roughly US$4.3 billion in 2023 and is expected to nearly double by 2030, with North America leading global adoption. CurbWaste is positioning itself squarely in that growth trajectory.
For the company, a few strategic levers stand out. First: the focus on independent haulers. Unlike large vertically integrated waste conglomerates, these smaller operators often lack digital tools and face structural cost pressure — making them ripe targets for digitisation. CurbWaste’s “built by haulers for haulers” ethos resonates strongly in that segment.
Second: the potential to scale horizontally into adjacent services — e‑commerce for waste collection, driver‑apps, real‑time dispatch — each of which builds operational leverage and potentially recurring software revenue. If the firm successfully embeds itself in the workflow of haulers, it can increase switching costs and expand wallet‑share (e.g., from dispatch to payments to analytics).
Finally: the AI angle. Waste operations are logistically complex — routing, asset utilisation, regulatory compliance — and companies that apply machine learning to squeeze incremental cost out can gain competitive edge. If CurbWaste can deliver measurable ROI for haulers, its product narrative shifts from “nice to have” to mission‑critical.
Still, challenges remain. Scaling beyond the initial 150 customers will require the selling muscle to reach hauler operators across the U.S., onboarding support for small businesses, and managing a historically fragmented industry with low tech‑penetration. Execution will determine whether CurbWaste becomes the software backbone for the independent‑hauler segment — or simply another niche vendor.
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