Circular Economy Startups

Taaleri Bioteollisuus is an investment manager that runs private equity funds and joint ventures targeting growth companies in the bio-economy and circular-economy markets, focusing on Northern European firms. Its Bioteollisuus I fund invests in new-technology, industrial-scale bioeconomy production facilities in Finland and Europe.

1 investor

Table & Teaspoon rents curated tablescape kits for events, shipping a box with dishware and step-by-step setup instructions a day or two before a party, then letting hosts return everything via a prepaid label without washing. It serves consumers hosting dinners and gatherings through a rental-by-mail model.

1 investor

Tadweer Group manages the full waste value chain in Abu Dhabi, including collection and transportation, sorting and material recovery, recycling, waste-to-energy plants, and engineered landfills for residential, commercial, industrial, and construction sectors. The company aims to divert waste from landfill and support a circular economy across the emirate of Abu Dhabi and the wider region.

1 investor

Tait Labs upcycles industrial by-products into health ingredients. The site is currently a placeholder while the company rebuilds its website.

1 investor

Takafuji is a Japanese engineering company established in 1989 that provides plant construction and maintenance, including work on plant and environmental facilities, and as a group has expanded into renewable energy, steel, painting, forestry, and food/agriculture businesses. It also operates a geothermal-based agricultural heat-exchange system for large greenhouses and serves clients in the industrial and infrastructure sectors.

1 investor

Tampon Tribe sells organic cotton period products including tampons, pads, liners, menstrual cups, and period underwear, with a focus on sustainability and plastic-neutral packaging. The direct-to-consumer brand markets eco-friendly menstrual care products to consumers in the US.

1 investor

Tanbark manufactures molded fiber parts and packaging using a proprietary thermoforming process (Type 3), serving businesses in food, medical, consumer goods, and packaging industries. The company offers design, tooling, and production services for sustainable, paper-based alternatives to plastic components.

1 investor

Tandem Repeat develops Squitex, a biobased fiber material derived from squid ring teeth protein using genetic sequencing tools, intended as an alternative to petroleum-based fibers for the textile industry. The company applies biomimetic design to create durable, more sustainable textile materials.

1 investor

Tecfil manufactures automotive filters — including oil, air, and fuel filters and wiper blades — for light and heavy vehicles, with an emphasis on ecological filter designs that use recyclable and synthetic materials to reduce waste.

1 investor

Terasort builds fully automated robotic systems for material sorting and recycling, using AI and computer vision to process and separate material types in real time with high-purity outputs. The company serves waste management and recycling operations with modular, container-based sorting solutions designed for flexible deployment at scale.

1 investor

Termo provides ESG services to companies and organizations, including carbon footprint measurement (organizational and product-level), circularity assessments, and decarbonization projects such as photovoltaic installations. It supports the implementation of sustainability and energy transition initiatives.

1 investor

Terragon develops onsite waste-processing equipment, including the Micro Auto Gasification System (MAGS) that converts solid waste and sludges into recoverable energy and the Wastewater Electrochemical Treatment Technology (WETT) that purifies oily, grey, or black water for clean-water recovery or safe discharge. Its systems serve production facilities, businesses, marine vessels, remote habitats, hospitals, military and civilian operations, and hotels managing solid and liquid waste streams.

1 investor

TerraSafe is a material innovation platform developing plastic-free barrier packaging by combining natural materials into advanced packaging formats. It targets the packaging industry with alternatives to conventional plastic barrier materials.

1 investor

Terravive makes American-manufactured, compostable food service products certified as ocean-degradable and compostable as an alternative to traditional plastics. The company serves the food service market and is a woman-, minority-, and veteran-owned business based in the United States.

1 investor

TerraWaste develops htloop®, a modular hydrothermal process that uses high-temperature, high-pressure water to convert low-quality mixed waste plastics and biomass into near-naphtha oil for use as petrochemical feedstock. It targets waste handlers and petrochemical companies, aiming to enable plastics recirculation and reduced CO2 while competing economically with fossil oil.

1 investor

TERREPOWER is a sustainable manufacturing company that remanufactures and extends the life of essential products to reduce waste, operating within the circular economy. It serves industrial customers globally, with operations in over 90 countries and manufacturing facilities across North America and Europe.

1 investor

tex.tracer operates a supply chain traceability platform that collects and authenticates primary-source environmental and social data at product and facility level, giving brands and retailers a transparent view of their supply chain from manufacturing to raw materials. It serves fashion and apparel brands, retailers, and corporate wear partners to support compliance with laws and regulations and communicate verified supply chain data to consumers.

1 investor

Texélan makes decorative tiles, acoustic panels, shelves, and mannequin busts by shredding unsold clothing and textiles that would otherwise be landfilled and transforming them into new products. The company operates a circular upcycling process, taking back its products at end of life to re-grind and reuse the material.

1 investor

Textbooks for Change is a social enterprise that collects and redistributes donated textbooks to make education more affordable and accessible, with programs reaching students in East Africa. It also focuses on sustainability by repurposing books to reduce waste.

1 investor

The Circular Design Guide is an online resource offering design thinking methods and tools to help innovators create products, services, and business models for the circular economy. It was co-created by IDEO and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation with input from a broad community of contributors.

1 investor

The Industrial Commons develops community-owned manufacturing cooperatives and training programs focused on worker agency, business resiliency, and environmental issues, primarily serving small and mid-sized textile and furniture firms and workers. Its Innovation Campus redevelops a brownfield factory site into a hub for manufacturing, training, incubation, and regional business support.

1 investor

The Pro's Closet is an online marketplace for buying and selling used bikes, frames, and wheels, operating a certified pre-owned process with cash, consignment, and trade-in options. It serves cyclists in the resale bike market and has sold over 75,000 bikes since 2006.

1 investor

The Tyre Collective develops a patent-pending device that uses electrostatics and airflow to capture tyre wear particles from vehicles, and works with researchers on tyre wear characterisation and toxicology. The captured micronised rubber is upcycled into products such as bitumen, shoe soles and soundproofing, targeting pollution from mobility.

1 investor

The Water and Carbon Group builds PFAS removal and wastewater treatment systems for landfill operators, councils, utilities, and private companies, using foam fractionation and nature-based approaches to treat leachate and restore ecosystems. Founded in 2007 with Australian roots, it operates across Australia, the South Pacific, and the United States.

1 investor