CP Group ramps up AI expertise with Recycleye acquisition

US-based CP Group has acquired a majority stake in UK smart sorting company Recycleye. The move is meant to strengthen its position in AI-enabled material recovery technologies.

The deal expands CP Group’s AI sorting capabilities and supports materials recovery facility (MRF) operators in improving recovery rates, boosting material purity and generating operational data for optimisation.

It also accelerates the rollout of hybrid sorting systems that combine AI vision with near-infrared (NIR) technologies.

Recycleye, headquartered in London, specialises in high-accuracy AI vision systems used in robotic and belt-based sorting applications. The company was founded in 2019 by Victor Dewulf.

CP Group, based in San Diego, has operated in recycling technology since the 1970s. It designs and delivers turnkey MRF systems for municipal, commercial and industrial waste streams, including construction and demolition waste, paper and board, plastics and electronics.

Ready for next-generation sorting

Both companies will now focus on developing hybrid AI + NIR sorting platforms. These systems aim to combine Recycleye’s computer vision technology with CP Group’s established engineering and plant integration expertise.

They began collaborating in 2023 and developed the Vivid-AI optical sorter through CP Group’s Optical Sorting Division, MSS. Vivid AI combines AI recognition with air ejection technology, enabling higher throughput and lower maintenance compared with AI-enabled robotic arms.

MSS and Recycleye have completed more than 23 live installations across the US and Europe. As a result, CP Group has what it describes as the largest deployed fleet of AI-only optical sorters in Europe, strengthening its position in data-driven waste-stream intelligence.

Wider infrastructure network

CP Group, MSS, and Recycleye will coordinate sales expansion across the US and Europe although each business will maintain independent divisions to support regional market requirements.

Recycleye’s full team and leadership will remain in place. The company will continue serving international customers while scaling deployment with CP Group support.

‘CP Group’s industry expertise will accelerate our growth and understanding, supported by Recycleye’s 45-person team, including engineers from Cambridge University and Imperial College London, who have been central to developing our AI technology,’ comments Dewulf.

CP Group chief executive Terry Schneider underlines the plan to accelerate product integration while co-developing new automation solutions for global recycling operations.