27-Sep-23 10:00

Mohamed “Mo” Tarek El-Fatatry, Co-founder, Electronic Recycling Through Heroes (ERTH)

What do you do once you're done with your current smartphone? What about your TV or laptop?

Since 2010, Statista data shows that the volume of e-waste generated globally has been steadily rising. By 2019, approximately 53.6 million metric tons was produced. This was an increase of 44.4 million metric tons in just five years. Of this, just 17% was documented to be collected and properly recycled.

E-waste is becoming an increasing concern as the improper disposal and recycling of e-waste can lead to severe environmental consequences. Enter Electronic Recycling Through Heroes or ERTH.

This startup was founded in 2019 by the husband and wife team Mohamed “Mo” Tarek El-Fatatry and Nahed Bedir Eletribi in a bid to address this issue and 4 years in, they hit a milestone earlier this month when they joined the ranks of startups supported by the Khazanah Nasional-backed Gobi Dana Impak Ventures Fund.

On the back of the recent funding rounding, we speak to co-founder Mohamed “Mo” Tarek El-Fatatry about how the new funding will be utilised, the profitability of this business, and a look back to how the founders took this business from an idea to helping diverted more than 1,000,000 KG of e-waste from landfills.