WasteHero (formerly Ioteelab) was founded in Denmark in 2017 with a clear mission: digitalize the waste industry using data. The company designs smart IoT sensors that sit inside waste containers and report fill levels in real time — eliminating the inefficiency of fixed collection schedules.
Challenge
At an early stage of the company’s journey, when WasteHero was still operating as a startup, the team needed support in developing a prototype and a proof-of-concept MVP. They had already begun working on IoT hardware — a smart device designed to measure and transmit fill-level data from waste containers. What they needed was a scalable software solution capable of receiving, storing, and processing that data in a reliable and meaningful way.
The project came with additional challenges. The timeline was tight, and the product requirements were still evolving as the startup refined its vision. Close collaboration with the team in Denmark was therefore essential from the very beginning, ensuring quick feedback loops and continuous alignment as the solution took shape.
Our team helped accelerate development by establishing the core software services required to support the product. For early-stage startups, speed and time-to-market are critical, so our focus was to help the team move from concept to a working MVP as efficiently as possible.
Solution
We began with two months of onsite work at the client’s premises in Denmark. A Python/Django back-end developer from Edgica embedded directly into the client’s team, working side by side to design and validate the software architecture before building began.
In parallel, we iterated on UX/UI design remotely, refining the interface across several rounds of feedback. Once the architecture was stable and the design approved, we built the React front end over the following two months.
The resulting software solution provides:
- Real-time container monitoring — live fill-level data across the entire sensor network.
- Collection optimization — route planning and scheduling based on actual fill data, not fixed timetables.
- Analytics dashboards — collection efficiency metrics, cost savings calculations, and CO₂ footprint tracking.
- Navigation routing — optimized paths for collection vehicles.
Result
We contributed to the development of the MVP that later evolved into a full-scale platform.
The platform gave WasteHero’s customers the tools to move from scheduled to on-demand waste collection — reducing unnecessary vehicle trips, cutting operational costs, and measurably lowering CO₂ emissions. WasteHero has since grown into a recognized smart city solution used across Europe.