CommanderAI Aims to Be the Salesforce for Waste Management
Key Points
- CommanderAI builds a CRM and sales prospecting platform specifically for waste management and related industrial services.
- Founder David Berg identified a lack of technology in the industry after years driving a garbage truck.
- The platform uses AI to pull and segment publicly available data, targeting small businesses and construction projects.
- CommanderAI aims to serve haulers of any size, from single‑truck operators to large enterprises.
- Early customers include medical and hazardous‑waste management firms.
- The company raised a $5 million seed round led by 11 Tribes Ventures, with participation from Watchfire Ventures, Gaingels, and Rad Fund.
- Funding will be used to grow the sales team and add features such as mapping, marketing, and routing.
- Berg targets 30 % adoption within the waste‑management industry and plans future expansion into adjacent sectors.
CommanderAI, founded by former Battle Motors driver David Berg, is launching a specialized CRM and sales prospecting platform for the waste‑management industry. Berg says existing tools like Salesforce and HubSpot are too complex and lack industry‑specific data. Using AI to pull and segment publicly available information, CommanderAI helps waste haulers locate small businesses and construction projects that often lack an online presence. The startup recently closed a $5 million seed round led by 11 Tribes Ventures with participation from Watchfire Ventures, Gaingels, and Rad Fund, and plans to expand its sales team and product features.
Background and Market Gap
David Berg, the first employee at Ohio‑based Battle Motors, spent years driving a garbage truck and observing how waste‑management firms sell their services. He found that despite the proliferation of sales prospecting platforms, the industry still relies on offline methods such as pen‑and‑paper, door‑to‑door visits, and minimal technology. Berg identified an opportunity to build a modern sales tool tailored to the unique needs of waste‑management companies, which often serve small, standalone businesses and new construction projects that are not widely advertised online.
CommanderAI’s Solution
Launched in early 2024, CommanderAI offers a customer‑relationship‑manager (CRM) and sales prospecting platform designed specifically for waste‑management, dumpster rentals, and industrial recyclers. The platform leverages a large‑language‑model AI pipeline to pull publicly available data, segment it, and repurpose it for sales teams. Unlike generic solutions such as Salesforce or HubSpot, CommanderAI includes industry‑specific data fields and contract types, making it easier for waste‑management firms to locate and engage prospects.
Product Features and Target Users
The software is built to serve haulers of any size, from a single‑truck operation to enterprise‑level businesses. Current focus is on mid‑to‑large regional players, with early success among medical and hazardous‑waste management companies. Planned feature enhancements include mapping, marketing, and routing capabilities to further streamline sales workflows.
Funding and Growth Plans
CommanderAI recently raised a $5 million seed round led by 11 Tribes Ventures, with participation from Watchfire Ventures, Gaingels, and Rad Fund. Berg says the capital will be used to expand the sales team and continue product development. He also notes that few investors have previously funded software in the waste‑management space, making education a key part of the fundraising effort.
Future Outlook
While the immediate goal is to capture a substantial share of the waste‑management market—Berg envisions 30 % of the industry using CommanderAI as a primary AI tool—the company also plans to explore adjacent industrial services when the timing is right.