Circular Economy Startups

WPC – WOODPLASTIC manufactures composite wood products including terraces, fences, and facade systems from sustainably sourced wood flour and recyclable high-density polyethylene. The company serves customers in the construction and outdoor design sectors.

1 investor

Woola makes protective packaging from waste sheep wool as an alternative to plastic for shipping fragile items. It targets businesses seeking sustainable, reusable e-commerce packaging, primarily in Europe.

1 investor

Wright Brothers operates an online marketplace for buying and selling bicycles and cycling products in South Korea, acting primarily as an intermediary connecting individual sellers and buyers. It also offers a certification service (라브인증) for certain products listed on its store.

1 investor

wTe provides metal and plastics recycling services, using sorting and processing technologies to recover and reuse materials. It offers metal recycling and roll-off dumpster services for homeowners, businesses, and communities.

1 investor

WunderGrubs produces mealworms for use in food, animal feed, and organic fertilizer through bioconversion farming. The company operates a micro-farm offering sustainable protein solutions with educational experiences for regenerative agriculture.

1 investor

Xera Energy is developing recycling solutions for electric vehicle batteries, targeting the growing volume of battery scrap generated in the U.S. The company focuses on recovering critical minerals and materials from EV battery waste.

1 investor

XFrame provides a modular, demountable building system that lets architects and designers construct and reconfigure interior spaces with reduced material waste and re-use. The system emphasizes circularity and flexibility in the construction and architecture sector.

1 investor

Xylene provides a Digital Product Passport platform that traces and verifies product information across the supply chain from raw materials to disposal, using satellite data and blockchain notarization. It serves companies in sectors such as coffee, fashion, and diamonds to prove authenticity, sustainability, and ethical sourcing to their customers.

1 investor

Yamori renovates vacant homes across Japan and operates them as long-term affordable rental housing, having restored over 200 properties. It also offers services for property owners, including a cloud-based real estate management platform, an IoT monitoring service to detect emergencies in elderly single-occupant households, coaching for property investment, and an educational media site.

1 investor

Yangi produces complete dry-formed paper fiber machine lines and offers prototyping, lab services, and an industrial demo platform for packaging producers seeking plastic-free, fiber-based packaging. Customers gain full ownership of the delivered production lines and support to bring sustainable packaging products to market.

1 investor

Trove provides resale and returns-management software for retail brands and third-party logistics providers, using computer vision and AI to price, route, and process aged, imperfect, or returned inventory. Its platform includes a recommerce warehouse management system and program design options serving brands in North America, the UK, and Europe.

1 investor

Yindii operates a marketplace connecting consumers with businesses to buy surplus and unsold food at reduced prices, aimed at reducing food waste. It serves consumers and F&B partner stores across Asia, with operations in Bangkok, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Seoul.

1 investor

York Timbers is a South African solid wood processor that produces lumber and plywood from sustainably sourced timber, supplying the market through a wholesale distribution network. Founded in 1916, it is South Africa's largest solid wood processor and is listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.

1 investor

A platform for designing, customizing, and ordering personalized eco-friendly packaging, featuring a 3D packaging creator, ready-made templates, and vetted suppliers. It serves businesses and brands with low minimum order quantities, bulk discounts, warehousing, and deferred payment options.

1 investor

ZealaFoam makes a 100% plant-based, compostable foam from PLA beads expanded with CO2 as a drop-in replacement for polystyrene, compatible with existing manufacturing equipment. Its applications include bean bag fill (EcoBeans), cool chain packaging for fresh and chilled produce, helmets, and bee boxes, produced in New Zealand.

1 investor

ZenRobotics develops AI-based robotic sorting systems that help waste operators extract value from waste and achieve circular economy goals. The company's robots can sort 500+ waste categories for customers across 15+ countries.

1 investor

Zeopore develops modified zeolite catalysts using its mesoporization technology to improve the activity, selectivity, and lifetime of catalysts for oil refining and petrochemical processes. Its catalysts also target emerging green applications such as plastics recycling, crude-to-chemicals, alcohol conversion, and biomass conversion for the energy transition and circular economy.

1 investor

Zero Waste provides consolidated recycling, waste management, and industrial services under a single point of accountability, serving clients across sectors such as automotive, manufacturing, transportation, food, metal, and water treatment. It also offers customized janitorial and disinfectant solutions.

1 investor

Zest Bio uses engineered microorganisms to convert low-value industrial fruit and vegetable processing waste — such as citrus peels, sugar beet pulp, potato peels, and grape pomace — into higher-value products. The company applies synthetic biology and green chemistry to agricultural byproducts.

1 investor

Zeyton produces hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol extracts derived from olives and olive oil, offered in liquid and powder forms for uses such as olive oil enrichment and skincare applications. The products are based on a patent developed by chemical engineers in partnership with NOVA University Lisbon.

1 investor

Zhana Solutions provides water treatment and fatty waste management technology, installing equipment on customers' premises, training staff, and collecting grease waste. It issues disposal and reuse certificates and reports environmental impact metrics such as water saved and CO2 emissions reduced.

1 investor

ZWCo converts agro-industrial byproducts into higher-value resources such as livestock feed through custom, technology-driven processes, and helps partners reduce waste costs while generating revenue from carbon credits. It serves businesses in agriculture and food production seeking circular, closed-loop waste valorization and emissions reduction.

1 investor

KOCETAL® is a polyacetal (POM) copolymer engineering plastic used in automotive components (gears, fuel pump modules, door latches), appliance drive parts, and consumer goods like buckles and zippers. The product line includes eco variants made from bio-waste, carbon-capture, and renewable-energy-derived feedstocks, with ISCC PLUS certification for a sustainable supply chain.

1 investor

Terra Sem offers sustainable products and eco-conscious lifestyle guides through an earth-first commerce platform aimed at consumers interested in sustainable living.

1 investor