Startups with giga-ideas for the circular economy wanted

Circular Valley is launching the next round of its international funding programme at the beginning of 2025 and is looking for young companies whose ideas avoid emissions on a large scale.
Participants in the next round of the funding programme can look forward to workshops with top-class coaches and mentors, among other things. (Image: Jan Turek / Circular Valley)

Circular Valley is launching the next round of its international funding programme at the beginning of 2025. Young companies whose ideas avoid emissions on a large scale can apply until 5 January.

Visits to large industrial companies and innovative SMEs, contacts with decision-makers from the German and European economy, their own stand at a major trade fair and workshops with high-calibre coaches and mentors - all this awaits the participants the next round of the Circular Valley funding programme at the beginning of 2025. Applications for the Accelerator are possible until 5 January.

More than 120 start-ups from six continents have developed their business models in Circular Valley to date. The extended Rhine-Ruhr region with its industrial heart and its unique scientific landscape is has become the Silicon Valley of the circular economy. Numerous co-operations between young and established companies have been established in the large network.

This pleasing development will continue in the next round of the funding programme. Start-ups can apply for the programme, whose ideas prevent emissions on a scale of billions of tonnes (giga-scale). This is possible in the following nine fields:

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  • Building materials
  • Capital goods (including equipment for renewable energies)
  • Consumer goods
  • Agricultural products (focus on biomass for conversion into new materials and ingredients)
  • Water (focus on reduced water consumption and recycling utilisation in industry)
  • Plastics
  • Alternative and renewable raw materials
  • Orchestration of the value chain (including packaging, transport, collection)
  • Reverse logistics

In mid-January, a jury will 15 startups for the new round which will then start at the end of January. Participants will be given a stand at the Circular Valley Convention in Düsseldorf (12 and 13 March) and will be able to present their business models to several hundred guests at the Circular Valley DemoDay.

Source: Circular Valley