Revolutionizing Waste: AI Startup Woodchuck Transforms Scrap Wood into Clean Energy with $3.75M Boost

AI-Powered Wood Recycling Startup Secures $3.75M in Seed Funding

A Grand Rapids-based startup, Woodchuck, is making waves in the renewable energy sector by transforming scrap wood into biomass for clean energy production. The company recently secured $3.75 million in seed funding to enhance its operations and AI-powered platform.

The Mission: Turning Waste into Energy

Woodchuck’s founder and CEO, Todd Thomas, emphasized the company’s goal: "Helping manufacturers and construction companies reduce waste, cut costs, and contribute to the clean energy grid." Every year, millions of tons of construction waste, primarily wood, end up in landfills. Woodchuck’s AI technology identifies, sorts, and processes this waste, converting it into 83 million BTUs of clean energy per 100 tons of wood scraps.

How It Works

• AI Cameras: Placed at dumpsters on construction sites, these cameras help identify and sort wood waste.
• Biomass Production: The sorted wood is processed into biomass, which is then converted into renewable energy by CMS Energy.
• Quality Control: The company is investing in AI to improve biomass quality by reducing contaminants like nails and screws.

Expanding Operations

Woodchuck recently opened its flagship all-electric wood processing facility in Grand Rapids, employing 14 people in Michigan. The seed funding round was led by Mason Fink, with contributions from Beckett Industries, Alloy Partners, and NorthStar Clean Energy.

Future Goals

• Enhance AI Tools: Improve client access to recycling data through a user-friendly portal.
• Zero Waste: Help clients achieve zero waste through efficient recycling.

Woodchuck’s AI-powered facility in Grand Rapids is pioneering sustainable biomass production.