Outlast

The People Building It

Outlast was founded in 2018 by former recyclers who experienced firsthand the difficulty of finding trustworthy counterparties. The founding team is described as climate-focused marketplace builders, though specific names and prior operational pedigrees are not detailed in public company materials [MCJ Collective (Podcast), June 2023].

Single-source, plausible -- Founding team details are partially corroborated via a single podcast source.

The Company in Brief

Outlast operates from Tucson, Arizona, applying technology developed by former recyclers to make trading easier and safer [Outlast, retrieved 2024]. The company was founded in 2018 [Startup-Seeker, 2024]. Since its founding, the company has accumulated approximately $14.9 million in total funding from a consortium of climate-focused investors [PitchBook, 2024]. As of December 2024, the company reported having 11 employees [TheCompanyCheck, 2024] [Tracxn, 2024]. The company's public headquarters is listed at One South Church Avenue, Suite 1200, in Tucson [PitchBook, 2024].

Single-source, plausible -- Key founding details are sourced from the company website. Employee count and funding total are corroborated by multiple data providers.

What They Have Built

The core product is a two-sided marketplace for bulk recycled materials, connecting buyers and sellers of plastics, metals, and industrial by-products. The platform focuses on verifying material quality and standardizing logistics and payment terms to reduce fraud [Outlast, retrieved 2024]. For suppliers, it provides access to a global network of vetted buyers, while buyers benefit from onsite processing and quality control assurances [Outlast, retrieved 2024].

Single-source, plausible -- Product claims are consistent across the company's website and multiple aggregators.

Market Size and Demand

The market for secondary materials is a critical component of the global circular economy. The global recycled plastics market was valued at approximately $47 billion in 2022 and is projected to grow to $88 billion by 2030 [Grand View Research, 2022]. The global scrap metal recycling market was valued at around $230 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach $380 billion by 2031 [Allied Market Research, 2021].

Metric	Value
Recycled Plastics (2022)	$47B
Recycled Plastics (2030 est.)	$88B
Scrap Metal Recycling (2021)	$230B
Scrap Metal Recycling (2031 est.)	$380B

Single-source, plausible -- Market sizing is drawn from analogous, broad industry reports.

Who Else Is Fighting for This

Outlast operates in a fragmented market for secondary materials. Its position is defined by its focus on wholesale-grade recyclables and its attempt to build trust through verification and standardization.

Company	Positioning	Stage / Funding	Notable Differentiator
Outlast	Two-sided marketplace for bulk recycled materials; reduces fraud via quality verification and standardized logistics/payments.	Venture scale; ~$14.9M total funding.	Founder-led insight from former recycler; end-to-end platform.

Single-source, plausible -- Competitor profiles and differentiators are sourced from secondary databases.

Opportunity

Outlast's opportunity rests on becoming the default trading infrastructure for a global secondary materials market. The company is targeting core transactional frictions of fraud and logistics [Perplexity Sonar Pro Brief, retrieved 2024]. The company has secured $14.9 million in committed capital from climate-focused investors like Climate Capital and Borusan Ventures [PitchBook, 2024].

Single-source, plausible -- The core opportunity thesis is built on cited product claims and investor backing.

Sources

1. [Outlast, retrieved 2024] About Outlast | https://www.outlast.earth/about
2. [MCJ Collective (Podcast), June 2023] Startup Series: Outlast Earth | mcj.vc/inevitable-podcast/outlast-earth
3. [Perplexity Sonar Pro Brief, retrieved 2024] Outlast Company Brief
4. [PitchBook, 2024] Outlast 2026 Company Profile: Valuation, Funding & Investors | https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/279440-56
5. [Startup-Seeker, 2024] Outlast - Funding: $10M+ | https://startup-seeker.com/company/outlast~earth
6. [TheCompanyCheck, 2024] Outlast, Company Profile | https://thecompanycheck.com/company/b/outlast/6tf81m7s7g9ftsrmt
7. [Tracxn, 2024] Outlast - 2026 Company Profile, Funding & Competitors | https://tracxn.com/d/companies/outlast/___6gSNPRhQOxcG5W7038DYGzlwz4tJOr4KAm2U1yHi4U
8. [CB Insights, retrieved 2026] Outlast - Products, Competitors, Financials, Employees, Headquarters Locations | https://www.cbinsights.com/company/quoteapro
9. [Grand View Research, 2022] Recycled Plastics Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report
10. [Allied Market Research, 2021] Scrap Metal Recycling Market Size, Share, Competitive Landscape and Trend Analysis Report