Directory

Circular Economy startup ecosystem

We track 22 organisations in this sector across 6+ countries.

22 entries.

Accelerate Green

County Offaly, Ireland · Accelerator

Accelerate Green is Ireland's flagship climate-tech and sustainability accelerator, launched in 2021 and operated by state energy company Bord na Móna in partnership with Resolve Partners and ERINN Innovation, part-funded by the European Commission's LIFE Programme and a €5M Bord na Móna commitment. Based at a dedicated hub beside Lough Boora in Co. Offaly, it takes no equity and runs an eight-module series of residential workshops, mentoring and site visits over roughly four months, culminating in a public showcase conference. The programme runs two tracks — GROW for established climate-focused SMEs and START for early-stage founders — and gives participants access to Bord na Móna as a reference customer and pilot partner. Focus sectors span renewable energy, circular economy, carbon capture, sustainable agriculture and low-carbon mobility across the island of Ireland. Since 2022 it has supported 60+ companies across five cohorts, with alumni including EpiSensor, CameraMatics, Hibra Design and Volta Robotics.

asgoodasnew

Frankfurt, Germany · Startup

asgoodasnew is a Frankfurt-based re-commerce platform specializing in professionally refurbished consumer electronics including smartphones, laptops, tablets, and wearables. Founded in 2012, the company offers devices graded by condition with up to 30-month warranties, providing a trusted alternative to buying new. asgoodasnew handles its own refurbishment and quality assurance processes in-house, differentiating it from pure marketplace models. The company has grown steadily in the German and European market and is part of the broader circular-economy movement alongside Back Market and refurbed, helping reduce electronic waste across Europe.

Back Market

Paris, France · Startup

Back Market is a leading European marketplace for refurbished electronics, connecting certified refurbishers with consumers looking for affordable, sustainable alternatives to new devices. The platform covers smartphones, laptops, tablets, and other consumer electronics, with quality grading and warranty guarantees. Valued at $5.7 billion after its 2022 Series E, Back Market operates across Europe and the US and is a flagship example of the circular economy model.

Cyrkl

Prague, Czech Republic · Startup

Cyrkl is a circular-economy marketplace described as “Tinder for industrial waste.” It enables factories to sell scrap materials such as plastics or metals to recyclers instead of landfilling them. The platform improves pricing transparency and accelerates reuse of materials across industrial supply chains. By 2026, Cyrkl is a recognized circular-economy player in CEE with growing cross-border adoption.

DEScycle

London, United Kingdom · Startup

Deep-tech company using Deep Eutectic Solvents — non-toxic, low-energy salts — to recover critical and precious metals from e-waste and industrial waste via a modular, distributed platform. Backed by EU Horizon, EIC Accelerator, SPRIND, Innovate UK and a Mitsubishi partnership.

EcoBean

Warsaw, Poland · Startup

Circular-economy startup commercializing technology to upcycle spent coffee grounds into bio-based ingredients, including oils, antioxidant fractions, polymer feedstocks, and protein-rich additives for cosmetics, packaging, and food supply chains.

Feelsgood Capital

Zagreb, Croatia · Venture Capital

Feelsgood Capital was founded in 2019 and officially licensed by the Croatian Financial Services Supervisory Agency on June 10, 2020, making it the first social impact investment fund in Croatia and the third VC to launch in the country with an entirely Croatian team. Led by Managing Partners Renata Brkić, Domagoj Oreb, Vedran Blagus, and Dinko Novoselec, the fund manages approximately €30 million targeting Croatian and Slovenian ventures. It backs pre-seed through Series A companies delivering measurable social impact in financial inclusion, agriculture, circular economy, education, and healthcare. Portfolio companies include GameBoost and VIDI X, with roughly 12 investments to date.

Greenfest

Braga, Portugal · Event Organisator

Greenfest is the organiser of Portugal's largest sustainability festival, running for over eighteen years around pillars such as circular economy, green entrepreneurship, energy and biodiversity. It convenes companies, public bodies, NGOs and the public through talks, exhibitions and activities promoting sustainable development.

Greentech Festival

Berlin, Germany · Event Organisator

Organizer of Greentech Festival, a major Berlin sustainability and climate innovation conference and exhibition co-founded by former Formula 1 champion Nico Rosberg. Since 2019, the multi-day festival has attracted thousands of attendees to explore green technology showcases, startup pitches, and award ceremonies celebrating environmental innovation.

Grover

Berlin, Germany · Startup

Grover is a Berlin-based technology rental and subscription platform founded in 2015 by Michael Cassau. The company lets consumers and businesses rent electronics such as laptops, smartphones, gaming consoles, and smart home devices on a monthly subscription basis instead of buying them outright. Grover promotes a circular economy model by refurbishing and re-renting returned devices multiple times. The company raised over $1 billion in equity and debt financing and operates across Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Spain, and the US. It partners with major retailers including MediaMarkt and Samsung.

Maze Impact

Lisbon, Portugal · Accelerator

Founded 2018 with backing from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. Runs the Maze X 3-month accelerator for social impact startups, providing tailored mentoring, impact investor access, and a EUR 50K stipend. Notable alumni include Speak. Scope: International.

NOWOS

Amersfoort, Netherlands · Startup

Extends the life of lithium-ion batteries through repair, remanufacturing, diagnostics and maintenance using original parts. Founded 2019; operates hubs in the Netherlands and France with capacity for 120,000+ batteries per year.

refurbed

Vienna, Austria · Startup

refurbed is a Vienna-based online marketplace for refurbished electronics, household appliances, and sports equipment, founded in 2017 by Peter Windischhofer, Kilian Kaminski, and Jurgen Riedl. The platform connects certified refurbishers with consumers seeking sustainable, warranty-backed alternatives to new devices at savings of up to 40%. refurbed operates across 11 European markets including Germany, Austria, Italy, and Sweden, and has raised over EUR 55 million. By planting a tree for every product sold, the company emphasizes its sustainability mission and has become one of Austria's most visible circular-economy startups.

Revolty

Paris, France · Startup

Gives second life to used lithium-ion EV and industrial batteries, remanufacturing them into affordable residential solar energy storage systems that let households self-consume up to 90% of their solar production.

The Shift 2026

Oslo, Norway · Event

Norway's premier business transformation conference focused on sustainability, circular economy, and climate tech. Held in Oslo and organized with support from the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise (NHO). Attracts 1,500+ executives, founders, and investors working on green transition. Tickets from EUR 300-600.

Thibaud Hug de Larauze

Paris, France · Person

Co-founder and CEO of Back Market, the refurbished-electronics marketplace he co-founded in 2014 to make second-hand devices mainstream. He scaled it into one of Europe's largest circular-economy platforms, valued at over $5bn.

Vestiaire Collective

Paris, France · Startup

Luxury fashion resale platform with strong operations and authentication teams in Spain. Vestiaire Collective is a startup based in Paris, France at the growth stage. The company operates in the Marketplace, Fashion, Circular Economy space. Learn more at their website.

Vianney Vaute

Paris, France · Person

Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of Back Market, shaping the brand and product behind the refurbished-electronics marketplace he started with Thibaud Hug de Larauze and Quentin Le Brouster.

Vinted

Vilnius, Lithuania · Startup

Vinted is one of the most important consumer internet companies to emerge from the Baltics and the dominant European marketplace for second-hand fashion. Its scale comes from solving the resale experience in a way that feels simple for ordinary users rather than niche collectors: easy listing, broad demand, integrated shipping, and a business model that reduces friction on the supply side. That combination turned wardrobe resale from an occasional behavior into a repeat consumer loop, helping normalize recommerce across Europe. Vinted matters in the startup ecosystem because it proves that Lithuania can produce globally relevant consumer platforms with strong brand recognition, operational depth, and defensible marketplace dynamics. It also sits at an interesting intersection of circular economy, logistics, trust, and consumer product design, showing that major marketplace businesses are built as much on operations and liquidity as on software. For founders and investors, Vinted remains a strong case study in how marketplace design choices and local logistics execution can compound into continental scale.

Wojciech Pysiewicz

Warsaw, Poland · Angel Investor

Wojciech Pysiewicz is a Polish investor and co-founder of WP2 Investments (founded 2021, Wrocław), a venture and venture-building fund focused on fintech, green energy, medtech and e-commerce at pre-seed to Series A. He spent nearly two decades in banking, including nine years at Santander Consumer Bank where he served on the management board overseeing Belgium and the Netherlands, before turning to early-stage investing. Recognised as a SuperAngel by COBIN Angels, his portfolio of 17 companies includes fintechs Verestro and Fenige, and the fund achieved an exit when wellbee was acquired by Benefit Systems in 2024.