Australia’s recycling sector struggles with inefficient sorting, contamination, and limited visibility over waste streams – meaning valuable materials are lost to landfill.
Founded by researchers Dr Gihan Ruwanpathirana, Hasala Sakvithi and Dr Sadeep Thilakarathna from the University of Melbourne, and Dr Shanaka Baduge from RMIT, PixaLens uses AI-powered computer vision and robotic systems to identify and separate waste into high-purity material streams, improving both recycling quality and recovery rates.
Built on intellectual property developed through two Cooperative Research Centres Projects (CRC-P), an Australia’s Economic Accelerator Ignite grant and University of Melbourne Proof-of-Concept funding, the startup has successfully installed its system in several plastic recycling facilities.
The team is now working on making their technology scalable and cost-effective, with aspirations to expand to other material recovery facilities throughout Australia.
Key facts
- FACULTY: Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology
- SECTOR: AI and robotics;Advanced recycling
- YEAR FOUNDED: 2024
- IMPACT PATHWAYS: Startup, Licencing
- SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS ADDRESSED: Responsible Consumption and Production; Climate Action
ECOSYSTEM SUPPORT:
- University of Melbourne Proof-of-Concept Funding
- TRAM (Translating Research at Melbourne) Runway and TRAM AIR support
- $4.1M Cooperative Research Centres Projects (CRC-P) funding
- $448K Australia's Economic Accelerator Ignite grant.
First published on 23 June 2026.
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