Circular Economy Startups

Trashbusters offers a single-source platform for event supplies and infrastructure, spanning 14 product categories such as tents and lighting, so event planners can source everything in one place instead of coordinating multiple vendors. It serves event organizers in South Korea.

1 investor

WATCHNIAN is a brand centered on wristwatches, with a stated mission of promoting the "circulation" (resale/reuse) of watches. The page explains the meaning behind the brand name, logo, and mascot character but gives no concrete product or service details.

1 investor

Okada Aiyon manufactures attachments and equipment for demolition, forestry, and environmental/recycling applications, such as breakers and shears for construction machinery. The company is a Japan-based industrial equipment maker serving demolition, forestry, and waste-processing industries.

1 investor

Carbon Fiber Recycle Industry co.ltd. is a Japanese company that recycles carbon fiber materials. It is based in Gifu Prefecture, Japan.

1 investor

Circular Economy and Nature Positive Investment Ⅰ Limited Partnership is a Japanese investment fund established in 2025 that invests in and supports startups working on circular economy and nature-positive initiatives. It targets companies addressing challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and resource depletion.

1 investor

Sustainacraft evaluates the effectiveness of nature conservation and forest carbon projects by combining satellite remote sensing with causal inference techniques, quantifying carbon credit baselines with high accuracy. It serves the carbon credit and natural capital finance market, working with research and public institutions to counter greenwashing and low-quality credits.

1 investor

Sunlit Seedlings Co., Ltd. describes its SDGs initiatives and its fraud-prevention policy for managing public research funds, stating it operates and manages competitive research funding in line with guidelines for the administration and auditing of public research expenses at research institutions.

1 investor

A company focused on silk as a renewable, circular material intended to be gentle on both people and the environment. It works on developing silk-based products and applications to meet a range of consumer and market needs.

1 investor

Netoff operates an online store selling used and discounted books, comics, light novels, BL titles, CDs, DVDs, and games, with many items priced from 110 yen. The Japanese-language site targets consumers looking for secondhand and low-cost media.

1 investor

R-Inverse converts end-of-life waste—particularly plastic products and discarded fishing nets—into raw materials and new products through chemical recycling and material recovery technologies. The company operates a circular economy business model serving manufacturers, municipalities, and enterprises seeking to reduce waste and achieve sustainability goals.

1 investor

AiHuiShou (Wanwu Xinsheng) operates a platform for recycling and reselling used electronics and second-hand consumer devices. It is part of a Shanghai-based environmental technology group focused on the circular economy for used goods.

1 investor

HotMaxx (好特卖) operates a chain of discount retail stores in China that sell surplus and near-expiry branded goods—including snacks, beverages, instant foods, household products, and baby items—at deeply reduced prices. Founded in 2020, it uses professional buyers to source discounted inventory globally, helping brands clear stock while offering low prices to Chinese consumers, with over 800 stores across more than 100 cities.

1 investor

Nature Innovation Group operates iKasa, an umbrella-sharing service in Japan aimed at reducing single-use plastic umbrella consumption by letting people rent umbrellas affordably and conveniently. The service targets everyday commuters seeking to stay dry on rainy days without buying disposable umbrellas.

1 investor

Sells industrial metal and resin 3D printers, filament production machines, and surface treatment equipment, and offers contract manufacturing including reverse engineering, part production, and discontinued-parts fabrication. Serves business (B2B) clients in manufacturing, with applications spanning plant maintenance parts, prototyping, and medical/care product development.

1 investor

Aladdin develops SmartTrashCan, a waste-sorting system that automatically sorts real-world items to improve sorting accuracy and speed while estimating CO2 savings. The product targets sustainability and recycling use cases, with pilot programs and a first deployment noted for 2024.

1 investor

Hive Preloved is an online boutique selling authenticated pre-owned luxury handbags, such as Fendi and Balenciaga, sourced from Japan. Each item is verified and curated before listing, with international shipping including to the United States.

1 investor

KAIXIA provides comprehensive demolition, transport, and waste disposal services for construction materials and building debris. The company operates advanced intermediate processing facilities that achieve up to 98% recycling rates using proprietary wet-separation technology to convert construction waste into reusable materials.

1 investor

Spacewasp recycles plant waste that absorbed atmospheric CO₂ into building interior materials, fixing carbon within spaces to create carbon-negative interiors. It uses AI, 3D printing, and automated factories to produce interior fit-outs for spaces such as cafes, hotels, offices, and commercial facilities, addressing labor shortages in Japan's interior construction industry.

1 investor

airCloset is a fashion subscription service in which professional stylists select and ship coordinated outfits to subscribers' homes, offering monthly plans with rental, exchange, or purchase options. It serves women in Japan and operates a circular rental model, with a physical styling salon offering body-shape and color diagnoses.

1 investor

Gear provides BtoC repair services on behalf of manufacturers, positioning itself in "repair marketing" to improve manufacturers' customer satisfaction, fan base, and branding. The company anticipates growing demand tied to robotics and elderly-care needs in an aging society.

1 investor

Fruta Fruta is a company that produces and sells beverages, particularly juices, based on agroforestry-sourced ingredients from the Amazon. The company aims to connect people and nature through products that emphasize taste, beauty, and health while promoting sustainable coexistence of economy and environment.

1 investor

Market Enterprise operates businesses in reuse and e-commerce, with a stated mission of creating new markets and building a sustainable society. The company is publicly listed and publishes IR, news, and corporate media content.

1 investor

Reconnai develops AI-powered hardware and software for waste management, including a device for instant, structured waste data capture and a platform for tracing waste flows, tracking Scope 3 carbon emissions, and benchmarking circularity performance. It also offers annotated datasets for training waste-recognition AI and robotics.

1 investor

Lalalog develops IoT-enabled mushroom cultivation systems using fermentation and circular economy principles. The company provides digital twin technology and machinery for automated, sustainable, and cost-effective mushroom production.

1 investor