Circular Economy Startups

Spora discovers and cultivates wild fungal strains from pristine ecosystems, processing them with proprietary biotechnology and nanotechnology to create mycelium-based products. The company combines scientific research with ancestral knowledge from remote communities to develop sustainable, nature-inspired solutions.

3 investors

SQIM is a material innovation company that uses living organisms and organic matter (biofabrication) to produce alternative materials. It operates two product brands: Ephea, which makes mycelium-based materials for fashion, and Mogu, which makes materials for interior design and architecture.

3 investors

Stock connects brands and third-party logistics providers with nonprofits to donate excess and obsolete inventory. The platform streamlines the process of redirecting surplus goods to underserved communities.

3 investors

Sulapac develops a biodegradable plastic alternative made from biomaterials that breaks down fully without leaving microplastics, designed for use in packaging and consumer products across industries including cosmetics and food service. The material can be processed using existing plastic manufacturing equipment, enabling companies to transition from conventional plastic to sustainable alternatives.

3 investors

Sunchem develops patented processes to recover metals such as gold, copper, silver, and silicon from electronic waste, concentrates, and ore with high purity, using less energy and milder chemicals than smelting or cyanide leaching. It serves e-waste suppliers, device manufacturers, solar panel producers, and the mining industry, operating a facility in Berkeley, California.

3 investors

Swaplanet is an online marketplace for buying premium brand items at lower prices with a focus on positive environmental impact. It ships across Greece with 2-4 day delivery and offers free returns.

3 investors

Swappie sells refurbished iPhones to consumers at lower prices than new devices. The company operates across Europe and the United States.

3 investors

Swedish Algae Factory cultivates diatoms and extracts their silica shells, marketed as Algica®, a material used in high-end oceanic beauty care products and applications such as solar panel efficiency enhancement. The company runs a circular production facility in Kungshamn on the Swedish west coast that captures carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and phosphorus during cultivation.

3 investors

Swirltex manufactures modular wastewater treatment skids that use Direct Crossflow Filtration technology to reduce energy consumption and membrane fouling while increasing treatment throughput. The company serves industrial and municipal facilities handling varied wastewater streams from pilot scale to full-plant deployments.

3 investors

Syntetica develops chemical recycling technologies to make polymers circular, starting with nylon, turning waste into new materials. The company works on green chemistry and process scale-up for industrial applications.

3 investors

Syre is a textile impact company that produces circular polyester through textile-to-textile recycling, offering quality on par with virgin polyester while reducing CO2e emissions by up to 85%. It serves the global textile and fashion industry as a supplier of recycled polyester materials produced at industrial scale.

3 investors

Taelor is a men's clothing rental subscription service that pairs personal stylists with AI to curate and ship personalized wardrobes from over 10,000 items across 100+ brands. Customers receive clothes for work, weekends, and events to wear and return, refreshing their wardrobe without shopping.

3 investors

Tagaddod collects and aggregates renewable feedstocks such as used cooking oil, acid oils, and waste oils and fats, supplying them to the global biofuels industry through digital collection platforms and traded supply chains. It serves households, HoReCa, and businesses and operates across Africa, Asia, and Europe, with collection in Egypt and Jordan and storage and distribution in the Netherlands.

3 investors

Tern provides commerce technology for managing product returns and reverse logistics for both consumers and merchants. The platform aims to improve the returns experience while reducing environmental waste.

3 investors

The Nu Company produces organic vegan chocolate confections with freeze-dried fruit inclusions, marketed under the nucao brand with a focus on sustainable paper packaging.

3 investors

Dimension is an online platform that connects businesses with waste removal providers for on-demand, transparent-pricing trash and recycling services nationwide. It serves companies of all sizes seeking flexible waste management solutions with compliance and sustainability tracking.

3 investors

TrusTrace provides a platform that collects, validates, and traces real-time data from supplier networks to help fashion and footwear companies demonstrate the sustainability and fairness of their supply chains. The platform automates compliance tracking and enables circular economy practices across complex global sourcing models.

3 investors

Ubirator operates a taxi-style platform connecting businesses that want to dispose of recyclable materials with a network of contractors who collect and haul them for recycling, handling pickup scheduling, weighing, and providing legal disposal documentation. It serves corporate clients and collection points across 74 regions of Russia.

3 investors

UNDO removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere using enhanced rock weathering, a process of spreading mineralised rock on farmland to increase soil carbon capture. The company serves businesses seeking carbon removal solutions and farmers looking to improve soil health.

3 investors

Untuvia develops proprietary technology to recycle down feathers from textile waste into high-quality recycled down for use in the textile and apparel industry. The process is waterless, toxic-free, and significantly more energy and water efficient than conventional methods.

3 investors

Upcycled Foods is a full-service ingredient supplier providing turn-key products, prototypes, and custom recipe development for food manufacturers seeking to incorporate upcycled ingredients into existing or new product categories. The company serves food and beverage brands across multiple categories including bakery, snacks, confectionery, beverages, culinary applications, and pet food.

3 investors

uppercase sells eco-friendly bags and luggage—including school backpacks, sling bags, messenger bags, laptop backpacks, and hardcase trolleys—made from recycled and sustainable materials. The brand markets directly to consumers in India across travel, work, and school use cases.

3 investors

UpSolv develops a dissolution-and-purification recycling technology that turns contaminated thermoplastics (including polystyrene, HIPS, ABS, and polyolefins like PE, PP and PC) into custom purified recycled resins for industrial customers. The company is building its first commercial plant in Quebec, Canada, intended to recycle over 10,000 tonnes of contaminated polystyrene waste.

3 investors

VarageSale is an online marketplace where people join a verified local community to buy and sell secondhand items with others in their neighborhood. Membership requires identity verification via Facebook and admin approval.

3 investors