Molg, a technology company operating at the intersection of robotics, design and sustainability, was founded with the aim of enabling a “circular manufacturing” model for electronic products, thereby reducing electronic waste and recovering valuable materials, transforming the end of a product’s life into a new beginning.
The US start-up offers two complementary lines of action: on one side, it has developed robotic micro-factories for automated disassembly that independently dismantle complex devices (laptops, servers, etc.), recovering high-value components for reuse, remanufacturing or recycling. On the other, with its Design for Circularity, Molg collaborates with electronics manufacturers to engineer devices from the outset with circularity criteria in mind: fewer screws or adhesives, more modular systems with accessible connectors. In this context, the start-up uses its own software to incorporate calculable assembly and disassembly methods into the product itself, allowing for a machine-level understanding of the assembly and disassembly process.
A third crucial aspect of Molg's proposal is traceability through a technology called OriginMark, an open standard that records relationships between components and materials and allows the entire life cycle (assembly, disassembly, recycling) to be traced. This system enables, for example, the carbon footprint accumulated in materials to be calculated, component flows to be traced, and transparency to be provided throughout the value chain.
While the advantages are clear – greater value recovery, circular design, traceability and resilience of material supply chains – several barriers remain to be addressed, including scalability, its costs, and device diversity.
With partnerships with major companies including HP and Dell, Molg raised $5.5 million in funding and a $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) at the end of 2024.
Website:
Name:
Molg
Sector:
Electronic devices
Plus:
Collaboration with manufacturers to design electronic devices specifically for disassembly and reuse
Features:
Robotic microfactories capable of independently dismantling complex electronic products
Cover: photo by Envato