From first deploy to final disposal and everything in between

The idea for Sprout was born from a moment of frustration in 2014. I watched in shock from my dorm room window as a line of dump trucks hauled away mountains of discarded electronics at the end of the school year. Where others saw waste headed for a landfill, I saw potential.

Originally called Smart Metals Recycling, Sprout’s early days were defined by constant learning and problem-solving. But an early breakthrough reshaped everything: while recycling components matters, the highest form of sustainability is reuse.

My co-founder and I pivoted from simply extracting raw materials to helping enterprises give their IT hardware a second life. By redeploying and repurposing technology, we could extend the usefulness of critical infrastructure while recovering meaningful financial value for our customers.

Soon, another gap became impossible to ignore. Most enterprises lacked real-time visibility into their assets — where they were, what stage of the lifecycle they were in, and what value remained. Without visibility, maximizing recovery and proving compliance was nearly impossible.

So we built SmartERP: an intelligent system of record that unifies asset tracking, compliance documentation, and value recovery in one connected platform. It transformed Sprout from a recycler into a technology lifecycle platform company.

At Sprout, we believe in being good ancestors. By delivering clarity, accountability, and confidence, we help enterprises make smarter decisions today that protect both future balance sheets and future generations.

— Shelly Li, Chief Executive Officer