Circular Economy Startups

Matter. is a venture-backed cleantech company that designs and builds microplastic and micropollutant capture and filtration technology, including products for the laundry sector and industrial-scale water filtration systems for textile manufacturing. It serves industrial and consumer markets, with a focus on protecting waterways from microfibre pollution and expansion into South Asian textile hubs.

3 investors

MediCircle operates a medication donation service that collects unused, unexpired prescription drugs from donors via free shipping kits, recertifies them through a patented process, and redistributes them at no cost to patients who cannot afford their medications. The company partners with health insurers to lower pharmacy spending while reducing pharmaceutical waste in the United States.

3 investors

Miterro produces bio-based, water-degradable alternatives to polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) for use in consumer and industrial products, replacing microplastics and conventional plastics. The company engineers plant waste from food production and paper-making into sustainable materials for detergent pods, food packaging, textile, and paper coatings.

3 investors

A clean-tech company that recycles end-of-life lithium-ion batteries and battery manufacturing scrap using its proprietary Hybrid-Hydrometallurgy (HHM) process to recover battery-grade lithium, cobalt, nickel, and manganese for re-entry into the cell manufacturing supply chain. It works with industries and end users to lower CO2 emissions and helps them meet battery Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and regulatory compliance obligations.

3 investors

MOA Food Tech develops sustainable food ingredients. The company is focused on producing alternative ingredients for the food industry.

3 investors

Modern Synthesis is a biotechnology company that grows microbially-derived biomaterials from bacterial nanocellulose to replace animal leather and plastic-based synthetic textiles. It serves fashion and luxury brands, combining biology, material science, engineering, and textile craft to produce lower-impact materials.

3 investors

A platform that combines device financing through installment plans with a circular economy model where customers can trade in used devices. The service is offered as embedded finance to e-commerce providers, retailers, and telecommunications carriers.

3 investors

MycoWorks produces Reishi, a premium biomaterial made from Fine Mycelium, used as a sustainable leather alternative in furniture, design, and automotive products. The company works with designers, studios, and brands such as Ligne Roset and Cadillac to create finished goods.

3 investors

NFW (Natural Fiber Welding) develops plant-based, plastic-free materials including a leather alternative (MIRUM), engineered textiles (CLARUS), footwear outsoles (PLIANT), and biobased foam (TUNERA) for use by fashion, footwear, and consumer brands. The company partners with brands such as BMW, Patagonia, Allbirds, and Stella McCartney to make lower-carbon, circular products.

3 investors

Naturbeads develops biodegradable cellulose microspheres to replace microplastics in consumer products such as cosmetics and paints. The company serves manufacturers in the personal care, cosmetics, and industrial coatings sectors, operating in the sustainable materials and circular economy space.

3 investors

Optoro provides software and services for managing retail returns, including a customer-facing returns portal, data-driven processing technology, and secondary sales channels designed to reduce landfill waste and support circular economy practices.

3 investors

A consumer brand that makes plant-based, plastic-free cleaning products, including a laundry detergent with a minimal three-ingredient formula and plastic-free laundry pods made from water-soluble wood pulp and cellulose. Its products are formulated and packaged in the USA and sold nationwide to families seeking gentler household cleaning options.

3 investors

Paptic is a material innovation company that developed Paptic®, a fibre-based, recyclable material designed to replace plastics in packaging. Founded in 2015 and based in Espoo, Finland, it has supplied its packaging material on an industrial scale since 2018.

3 investors

Pregis designs and manufactures protective packaging materials and machines, along with related services, for businesses seeking to reduce waste and improve packaging operations. As a vertically integrated supplier, it serves customers worldwide across the protective packaging industry with a focus on sustainability and circular product design.

3 investors

Raylo operates a subscription platform for electronics brands, allowing consumers and businesses to access devices through flexible rental and upgrade options. The company offers a marketplace connecting brands with subscription-oriented customers and embedded payment solutions for direct-to-consumer and ecommerce channels, focused on circular economy principles.

3 investors

Rebelstork is an online marketplace offering discounted baby gear, home, and kitchen products—including strollers, car seats, and other baby items—from top brands at reduced prices. It sells overstock and open-box products directly to consumers with daily deals.

3 investors

Recyclops provides curbside recycling pickup for households in areas that lack municipal recycling programs, using scheduled bag-based collection with app tracking and pickup reminders. It operates in various U.S. towns and cities, including locations in Arizona, Utah, and Tennessee.

3 investors

Reebelo sells refurbished consumer electronics including laptops, tablets, smartwatches, and home appliances at discounted prices compared to new products. The company targets consumers seeking quality goods at lower price points through an online marketplace.

3 investors

Refiberd uses hyperspectral imaging combined with AI software to detect the fiber composition and contaminants in textiles, offering a fast, non-destructive material detection method. It serves the fashion industry to identify materials present in the textile supply chain.

3 investors

Refurbed operates an online marketplace for professionally refurbished electronics such as phones and other devices, sold with warranty and return options. It connects refurbishers with consumers and positions refurbished products as a more environmentally friendly alternative to new purchases.

3 investors

Releaf builds climate-resilient agriculture solutions for smallholder farmers in Africa through supply chain, agronomic expertise, and hardware-software integration. The company aims to improve farming sustainability and economic prosperity across the continent.

3 investors

ReMatter is an all-in-one software platform for scrap recyclers, offering ticketing, dispatching, a customer portal, and real-time inventory management with weighted average costing. It serves scrap yards of all sizes across the United States.

3 investors

Renewable Metals develops an alkali-based recycling process that recovers lithium, nickel, cobalt, and other critical minerals from end-of-life lithium batteries for reuse in new battery manufacturing. The company serves battery recyclers and participants in the global lithium battery supply chain.

3 investors

reverse.supply provides fashion brands with a circular retail solution to launch and manage a secondhand resale (recommerce) channel through their own branded shop, covering software integration and logistics handling. It targets fashion and apparel brands looking to enter the circular economy.

3 investors