The Foundation invites businesses to discover startups through its Circular Startup Index to help accelerate the circular economy transformation
May 04, 2023, London – The Ellen MacArthur Foundation is rolling out the full version of its searchable, circular startup database. The Circular Startup Index is designed to help businesses discover circular economycircular economyA systems solution framework that tackles global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution. It is based on three principles, driven by design: eliminate waste and pollution, circulate products and materials (at their highest value), and regenerate nature. startups to facilitate innovation and accelerate the circular economy transition.
500 startups are already represented across a range of sectors, industries, and geographies, providing unprecedented visibility of the world’s current circular business opportunities.
The Index, on the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s website, only features startups that are part of the Foundation’s community. Each has been selected for incorporating one or more principles of the circular economy – eliminate waste and pollution, circulate products and materials, regenerate nature – into its business proposition.
The Foundation created the Index to acknowledge the fundamental role startups play in the circular economy transition: startups ignite innovation and innovation fuels circular economy transformation. The challenge lies in financing and scaling circular business propositions. The Index will help by facilitating the pairing of innovation with capital.
Thousands of entrepreneurs are already innovating for a future in which waste is eliminated, products and materials are circulated, and nature is regenerated. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation hopes more circular startups will apply to be part of the Index and for businesses to start searching for their ideal collaboration.
“Designing a circular future requires radical innovation to rethink how our economy works. Thousands of circular startups are already on the case. But they need more support and investment. So we created the Circular Startup Index to create visibility of the breadth of circular startups on the market and help businesses discover suitable circular solutions.” Ella Hedley, Project Manager, Startups, Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
“As a leading provider of sustainable, fibre-based packaging across Europe and the US, we are keen to work with disruptive businesses that can bring exciting and innovative circular solutions to DS Smith, helping us realise our purpose to redefine packaging for a changing world and reach our industry-leading circular economy ambitions.
“The Ellen Macarthur Foundation’s Circular Startup Index has already expedited our work, bringing us into contact with potential partners – businesses that are leading the way and surfacing hundreds of circular solutions. We have already started working with one of the businesses we found on the Index, and are inspired by the ongoing opportunity to engage with some of the most forward-thinking businesses in the circularity space.” Hugh McCann, Senior Circular Growth Manager, DS Smith.
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The Ellen MacArthur Foundation is an international charity developing and promoting the circular economy in order to tackle some of the biggest challenges of our time, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution. We work with our Network of private and public sector decision-makers, as well as academia, to build capacity, explore collaborative opportunities, and design and develop circular economy initiatives and solutions.
Increasingly based on renewable energyrenewable energyEnergy derived from resources that are not depleted on timescales relevant to the economy, i.e. not geological timescales., a circular economy is driven by design to eliminate waste, circulate products and materials, and regenerate nature, to create resilience and prosperity for business, the environment, and people.
Further information: www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org | @circulareconomy
