Lithuanian startup Type A Brick, a service for sorting prospects’ outdated LEGO® bricks into new units, has secured an funding of €1.15 million. The monetary help comes from the Baltic-focused VC fund Firstpick, 9 enterprise angels, and the founders’ preliminary funding of €200k.
Type A Brick gives a service that cleans, kinds, and repackages prospects’ LEGO bricks into unique or customized units, giving a second life to already-owned toys. By spring 2025, the startup seeks to boost a brand new spherical of €2,500,000 with worldwide VC funds. Their aim is to develop throughout Europe, beginning with a restricted launch in Germany this October.
“Hundreds of thousands of LEGO bricks sit unused in containers as a result of neither youngsters nor dad and mom wish to sift by way of them,” stated Aurimas Slapšys, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Type A Brick. “We assist by cleansing and sorting prospects’ brick collections, then utilizing our proprietary software program to counsel new fashions to construct. This gives youngsters a brand-new constructing expertise for a smaller worth than shopping for new units from the shop.”
The thought for Type A Brick was conceived by Co-Founder Ilya Malkin, who noticed his circle of relatives’s use of LEGO gadgets as wasteful. “I really like LEGO toys for my youngsters, however they might usually construct every mannequin as soon as after which ask me to purchase a brand new set,” commented Malkin. “This isn’t simply costly – it additionally contributes to the build-up of unsustainable plastic on this planet.” Most LEGO elements are fabricated from difficult-to-recycle ABS plastic. Whereas the producer doesn’t disclose official numbers, Malkin estimates that LEGO has produced 1.5 trillion of those bricks since its first collection in 1958.
Encouraging the reuse of products and increasing product life is an rising pattern and rising enterprise mannequin, projected to make up 15% of the bodily client items market by 2030 with a income of €265 billion. Round corporations embody rental techniques for gadgets like sport tools and luxurious items, which cut back pointless purchases. Additionally they embody digital platforms akin to Vinted, a platform for reselling garments and Lithuania’s first unicorn, and Tingit, a zero-effort market that permits customers to restore clothes, conserving gadgets in use longer. These recirculation ideas decrease environmental affect and promote sustainable client habits.
On his resolution to spend money on Type A Brick, Mantas Mikuckas, Co-Founding father of Vinted, added: “Round companies have big potential as a result of they tackle actual issues whereas additionally slicing CO2 emissions. Type A Brick is a superb instance, letting youngsters take pleasure in their toys extra whereas saving dad and mom cash and lowering their environmental footprint. It has additionally developed a really distinctive strategy, as the one firm that really kinds LEGO bricks for you.”
Malkin’s concept for the brick sorting service facilities on simplifying life for folks. “Constructing with LEGO fashions is enjoyable; sorting them, not a lot,” stated Malkin. “We care for the organizing, so dad and mom can deal with having enjoyable and spending extra high quality time collectively.”
At its coronary heart, Type A Brick is a tech startup. Its proprietary AI system analyzes bricks to find out what fashions will be constructed from the combination. The bricks are sorted accordingly, returning prospects’ LEGO items repackaged by set and with on-line accessible directions.
“The core expertise is a pc imaginative and prescient algorithm that may acknowledge the completely different bricks and establish doable mixtures. The sorting course of will work like an automatic meeting line, the place machines clear, group, and type the bricks new,” Malkin defined.
The beginningup is utilizing the current funding to construct up its operations, investing in prototype equipment, superior pc imaginative and prescient, software program development, and market assessments. “We’re presently making ready to boost further funding to improve our expertise to automated operations, improve capability, and enhance product expertise for our prospects. This can permit us to make the service totally accessible not solely in Germany, our first goal market, but additionally to develop additional,” Malkin added.
