In 2021, Luke Edis, Investment Director at Beringea, the investment manager of the ProVen VCTs, led our initial £2m investment into LITTA, an online platform for removing, processing, and recycling bulky waste.

In the four years since we first backed the company, it has scaled significantly and the ProVen VCTs have continued to back its rapid growth. We sat down with Luke to explore why LITTA’s mission to tackle fly-tipping and reduce landfill waste isn’t just a win for the environment, it’s also a blueprint for building a capital-efficient, high-growth business.

1. What is LITTA, and what is the problem it is seeking to address?

LITTA is an on-demand platform for bulky waste removal. It aggregates a network of more than 300 vetted independent waste carriers – think “man with a van” operators – and connects them with households and businesses looking for a fast, online, and sustainable collection service.

The company is tackling two big problems – illegal dumping and landfill overuse. The UK sees more than a million fly-tipping incidents every year, costing taxpayers around £1bn. LITTA offers a convenient, responsible alternative – collections can happen same-day, and over 95% of items are diverted from landfill thanks to a focus on recycling and proper disposal.

On top of that, LITTA’s dynamic routing platform ensures jobs are allocated in a way that reduces travel time and fuel use. It’s a practical solution where technology, logistics, and environmental impact come together, not in theory, but in execution.

That kind of operational focus is driven by LITTA’s founder, Aaron Georgiou. What stood out to us wasn’t just the early traction the business had, though that was impressive, but how Aaron achieved it. He’s incredibly resourceful, someone who doesn’t wait for perfect conditions but rolls up his sleeves and gets things done. In a complex, logistics-heavy business like this, that tenacity is essential. We often say we back people, not just products  – and Aaron was a big part of why we moved quickly on this deal.

2. Why did you feel that waste management could offer a compelling sector for investment?

Waste is a massive global industry, expected to exceed $1tn in annual spend by 2029, but the user experience hasn’t evolved. It’s still largely offline, fragmented, and inconsistent. Councils, local operators, and waste transfer stations – which are sites where waste is temporarily held and sorted before being sent for processing – all play a role, but there’s very little coordination or transparency. We saw a clear opportunity for a digital platform to modernise this process.

We were also encouraged by structural tailwinds. Landfill taxes continue to rise, and policies like extended producer responsibility rules – which hold manufacturers accountable for the environmental impact of products at the end of their use – are making traceability and proper disposal increasingly important. These regulations turn what used to be compliance costs into revenue opportunities for platforms like LITTA.

3. How has LITTA proven that solving for sustainability can also mean building a high-growth business?

The company’s growth since our investment has been both fast and disciplined - LITTA is already profitable, and it’s done so having raised less than £5m to date. That kind of capital efficiency is rare, and it’s down to a combination of a growing market and a lean operating model.

From day one, Aaron focused on making sure each transaction was profitable. By building an asset-light network of third-party carriers, LITTA avoids the overhead of owning its own fleet – each collection generates a profit from the first job. LITTA’s tech platform then compounds that efficiency by intelligently routing jobs to the most suitable vehicle based on location and capacity.

Sustainability here isn’t a marketing hook, it’s integral to why the business works. The same routing logic that reduces emissions also reduces fuel costs. The same commitment to recycling also aligns with regulations and customer preferences. That overlap between environmental impact and economic advantage is what makes LITTA a standout business.

4. What do you look for when backing sustainable businesses?

We start with measurable impact. The best sustainability businesses don’t just make environmental claims; they build it into the core of the product. In LITTA’s case, they track how many tonnes of waste are kept out of landfill each month. That kind of transparency builds trust and long-term value.

We also look for strong tailwinds – whether from regulation, consumer sentiment, or supply chain pressure. Ideally, you want all three moving in the same direction. That creates a rising tide that the business can ride.

And while ESG is a factor in our thinking, we’re not an impact fund. The companies we invest in still need to offer a path to strong financial returns. Sustainability is part of the story, but it’s not the whole story.

5. What’s next for LITTA, and what are the biggest opportunities ahead as it scales its impact?

LITTA has built strong traction with consumers, but the next phase is scaling up its B2B partnerships. There’s a growing need for reliable bulky waste collection among businesses, whether it’s SMEs in construction, property management firms, or facilities operators. These customers often need repeat, scheduled services, which creates consistent, scalable demand.

The company is also continuing to invest in data. The smarter its routing platform becomes – factoring in vehicle capacity, job proximity, and timing – the more efficiently it can serve customers.

And finally, there’s international potential. Many European cities face similar challenges around illegal dumping and landfill constraints, and we think LITTA’s model is well-suited to those environments.

6. Beyond waste management, what other areas of sustainability do you feel could present investment opportunities? Are there any companies to watch in this space?

Two areas I’m particularly excited about are energy and food waste.

On the energy side, the rise of generative AI is driving massive demand for computing power, and by extension, energy. That’s going to push us to be far smarter about how we generate and manage power, from tapping into alternative energy sources to maximising the efficiency of the existing grid.

Food waste is another massive challenge. As the global population rises, we need to make better use of the food we already produce. A great example from our own portfolio is DASH Water, which uses wonky fruit – produce that would otherwise go to waste – to create flavoured drinks. It’s a simple but powerful model for circular sustainability.