“Consumers with a limited budget do not see buying second-hand items as shameful.” This is the mantra of Rex Chen, President and CFO of ATRenew, a Chinese company whose mission is to extend the lifespan of used electronic devices, making it easy and affordable to trade in old smartphones, laptops and smartwatches. In doing so, devices are given a second, third or even fourth life.

ATRenew – short for “All Things Renew” – sets itself apart thanks to Matrix, an AI-based system that sorts, tests, inspects, grades and values up to 100,000 devices per day. In just five years, it has processed 150 million electronic devices.

The company also ensures that the phone in your pocket can be used across borders, tackling the global challenge of e-waste well beyond the confines of a single country. Headquartered in Shanghai, the company operates a network of over 2,000 retail outlets, eight regional operational centres and multiple consumer resale partnerships.

In addition to China, ATRenew is active in Japan and Sweden, and is expanding to Southeast Asia and Latin America.
In June 2023, the company partnered with Apple to provide recycling and trade-in services via Apple’s official website and flagship stores in China.
ATRenew, a finalist for the Earthshot Prize 2025, aims by 2030 to improve its AI system’s efficiency by 20% and increase China’s second-hand electronics recycling rate from 10% to 30%.

Name: ATRenew

Sector: Consumer electronics

Pros: Integrated C2B, B2B and B2C platform for the recycling and resale of used devices

Features: Standardised refurbishment supply chain with proprietary inspection, valuation and data security technologies

Cover image: ATRenew AI-based sorting system