Circular Economy Startups

Re-Fresh Global uses its SMART-UP enzymatic biotechnology to convert mixed-fiber textile waste into new raw materials such as woven fabric, recycled textile pulp, microfibrillated cellulose, and ethanol for manufacturers. It also offers textile waste collection and sustainable product development services to businesses seeking circular alternatives to virgin materials.

2 investors

Rebag operates an online marketplace for buying, selling, and trading luxury goods including designer bags, accessories, watches, jewelry, apparel, and shoes. It serves consumers looking to purchase or resell pre-owned and new luxury items.

2 investors

Recepta develops a digital receipts platform that replaces paper receipts, reducing waste and simplifying the purchase return process for consumers.

2 investors

2 investors

RTS is a waste and recycling management provider that combines services with a customer portal offering real-time data, analytics, and reporting to help organizations track diversion, cut costs, and meet sustainability goals. It offers AI-powered smart waste sensors (Pello) and gamified reverse vending machines (Cycle) for clients such as stadiums, convention centers, and large venues.

2 investors

RecycleSmart picks up hard-to-recycle items from households and businesses, sorts them, and diverts them from landfill through partnerships with recycling and reuse organizations. The company uses technology and traceability to manage the recycling process and serves consumers and businesses in Australia.

2 investors

Recycleye builds AI and robotics technology for sorting waste and recyclable materials at materials recovery facilities (MRFs), aiming to improve purity and output of recovered materials. It serves the waste and materials management sectors, with installations across Europe and the United States.

2 investors

Recyda offers a software platform for centralising packaging data to automate Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) reporting, assess packaging recyclability, and manage compliance with PPWR and other international packaging regulations. It serves companies with global packaging portfolios needing regulatory compliance, sustainability reporting, and packaging optimisation.

2 investors

Re:Dish provides a reusable dishware program for food service businesses, offering product supply, pickup, professional washing, sanitizing, and return logistics, along with inventory management software and environmental impact tracking.

2 investors

REDstack develops membrane and electrodialysis technology used to remove salt, capture CO₂ from alkaline solutions, and recover resources such as nitrogen and phosphorus. It partners with industrial businesses worldwide to integrate this technology into circular-economy processes aimed at water reuse, resource recovery, and emission reduction.

2 investors

Refacture recovers materials from industrial processes and re-engineers them into critical materials for modern manufacturing, including silicon carbide for semiconductors and ceramics, rare earth elements for EVs and electronics, and recovered graphite and metals for battery, smelting, and defense applications. It combines recycling and manufacturing to produce domestic secondary-sourced inputs as alternatives to raw extraction.

2 investors

Resortecs provides pre- and post-consumer textile waste management services and design-for-disassembly technology, connecting brands, sorters, and recyclers to make textile recycling easier. It serves the fashion, workwear, bedding, and automotive industries.

2 investors

ReJoule develops battery diagnostic and testing solutions based on electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, a non-invasive method that works across battery chemistries, form factors, and voltages. Its technology serves automakers, battery repurposers, and energy storage operators for end-of-line quality control, remanufacturing, and qualifying batteries for second-life use.

2 investors

Relement is a Dutch company producing biobased aromatic chemicals by converting non-food biobased raw materials into performance ingredients for products such as coatings, adhesives, and materials. It operates in the renewable chemistry industry, offering alternatives to fossil-based aromatics.

2 investors

Renbizz creates flexible consumer-product relationships aligned with consumer expectations and planetary sustainability needs. The company operates in the retail and ecommerce space, leveraging expertise in operations, logistics, and data analytics.

2 investors

Renet Japan operates a mail-based computer and small electronics recycling service authorized by the Japanese government under the Small Appliances Recycling Law. The service collects used desktops, laptops, tablets, and related devices from households nationwide, with free collection for computers containing hard drives and specialized data destruction services.

2 investors

Renow operates an AI-powered recommerce platform that helps retailers, brands, and marketplaces handle, grade, and resell customer returns, trade-ins, and overstock through a decentralized network of local warehouses. It offers services such as Outlet-as-a-Service, Trade-in-as-a-Service, and B2B buyback, targeting Nordic retailers and marketplaces.

2 investors

Rentbrella operates a network of shared-umbrella vending machines that let users rent umbrellas via a mobile app by scanning a QR code, positioning the service as urban mobility and out-of-home media for brands. It uses umbrellas made from recycled PET and operates in cities including São Paulo, New York, and London.

2 investors

ReSpark provides a software platform for metal recycling and scrap yard operators, unifying scale ticketing, inventory, dispatch, pricing, finance, logistics, and equipment maintenance, with role-based agentic AI agents that automate routing, inventory monitoring, and settlements. Formed by combining GreenSpark Software and ReMatter, it serves single-site and multi-location recyclers, with deployments across 1,200+ locations in 15+ countries.</parameter> <parameter name="founders">[]

2 investors

Revibe is an online marketplace specializing in refurbished and pre-owned mobile devices, offering renewed smartphones with warranty coverage, battery upgrades, and device protection plans. The company serves consumers looking for affordable alternatives to new devices while emphasizing sustainability and quality assurance.

2 investors

The Sanergy Collaborative is a network of partner organizations addressing urban sanitation through a circular economy model, building safe sanitation systems, collecting waste, and upcycling it into products such as organic fertilizer, insect-based animal feed, and ecofuels. It serves cities and low-income communities across the developing world, with operations centered in Nairobi, Kenya.

2 investors

Sapro-Tech develops biopolymer-based textiles, including a patent-pending leather alternative made from fungi (mycelium) and plant materials that is biodegradable, plastic-free, and animal-free. The company targets the fashion industry with sustainable material alternatives and is producing samples for partner brands to prototype products.

2 investors

Savor produces sustainable fats and oils from non-animal sources for food manufacturing and consumer use. The company manufactures alternatives to conventional butter and palm oil without using animals, hormones, antibiotics, farmland, or synthetic fertilizers.

2 investors

ScrapAd is a digital marketplace for buying and selling scrap metal and recyclable materials across 45+ countries. The platform handles verification of suppliers, logistics management, and secure payments to simplify global metal trading for businesses.

2 investors