Sunday, April 27, 2025

16 Game-Changing Startups from Circular Valley Demo Day 2025

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On March 13, 2025, Circular Valley hosted its much-anticipated Demo Day, showcasing 16 startups on a mission to transform global industries through circular innovation.

Circular Valley Deo Day: from tackling textile waste and decarbonizing logistics to revolutionizing diapers and electronics, these startups are building a smarter, cleaner, more sustainable world.

The startup teams of Batch 8 Photo- Jan Turek : Circular Valley
The startup teams of Batch 8 – Jan Turek/ Circular Valley

Here’s your front-row view of the bold ideas reshaping the circular economy — one pitch at a time.

🧠 Moderator: Maximilian Merklinger (Kearney) introduced the Circular Valley Accelerator, highlighting:

  • Over 120 startups supported in 4 years.
  • 15 startups per cohort.
  • On-site weeks, network access, workshops, and training.
  • The importance of feedback, connections, and collaboration from the audience.

Circular Valley Demo Day 2025: Startup Pitches Overview

🔋 PragmaCharge (UK) – Founder: Jeffrey Lu

Solution: Full-service electrification for heavy-duty truck fleets. Offers fleet-as-a-service with no upfront costs, including electric truck leasing, custom charging infrastructure, and smart software integration. 

Key Pitch Highlights:

  • Full-service electrification for heavy-duty fleets — no upfront costs.
  • Building Europe’s largest electric truck charging hubs in Spain and Finland.
  • Offers smart software integration and flexible pricing to rival diesel.

📄 fainin (Germany) – Founder: Maximilian Lehmann

Solution: Peer-to-peer sharing marketplace enabling secure, local rentals of unused personal items. 

Key Pitch Highlights:

  • Peer-to-peer marketplace with ID verification and insurance.
  • 15,000 users, 7,000 rentable items in exclusive communities.
  • Recent corporate pilot with CHG-Meridian adds 1,000 new users.

🌿 Folgrid Technologies (Spain) – Founder: Oriol Sanchez

Solution: Innovative lenses to enhance agrivoltaics, allowing better light diffusion under solar panels on farmland. 

Key Pitch Highlights:

  • Specialised lenses for agrivoltaics that improve light distribution.
  • Targeting energy cooperatives and corporate PV developers.
  • Proven potential to enhance crop yield under solar panels.

⚡ Volterica (Germany) – Founder: Jan-Eric Wörheide

Solution: “What-If” simulation software for industrial energy planners to assess complex energy system investments. 

Key Pitch Highlights:

  • Advanced simulation software guides CAPEX decisions for PV, batteries, and hydrogen.
  • Saves 90% of time in planning and thousands in OPEX.
  • SaaS rollout is underway with pilots in the steel and fashion industries.

📚 Circular Library Network (Iceland) – Founder: Anna De Matos

Solution: Modular hardware/software platform for local sharing infrastructure (e.g., tool libraries). 

Key Pitch Highlights:

  • Modular software/hardware system for sharing goods in real estate, municipalities.
  • 40 systems presold, aiming for 200 installs by year-end.
  • Notable success: +15% footfall, +70% memberships in Reykjavik libraries.

🧪 Simplyfined (Germany) – Founder: Max Krause

Solution: Standardised oleic acid platform from heterogeneous plant oils for chemical use. 

Key Pitch Highlights:

  • Transforms mixed vegetable oils into standardised oleic acid.
  • 50%+ CO2 reduction, scalable across surfactants, polymers, and lubricants.
  • Patent-protected innovation with cost benefits and wide applicability.

🌱 Solaveni (Germany) – Founder: Senol Öz

Solution: Ultra-pure perovskite solar precursors and recycling from end-of-life batteries. 

Key Pitch Highlights:

  • Produces precursors for next-gen perovskite solar cells using water-based processes.
  • Recycles lead-acid batteries into solar-grade materials.
  • Targets $700M market share by 2030 with high-margin, recyclable inputs.

🏢 Midwest Composites (Malaysia) – Founder: Sunil Raaj

Solution: High-performance bio-composite mats from jute and kenaf fibers. 

Key Pitch Highlights:

  • 75% lower emissions, 5x cheaper than flax or hemp.
  • Pilots with Suzuki/Mitsubishi and Malaysian airports.
  • Focused on automotive, aerospace, and infrastructure.

🔬 Namalab (Mexico) – Founder: André Holguín

Solution: Biodegradable, plant-based superabsorbent material for hygiene products. 

Key Pitch Highlights:

  • Patent-pending SAP replacement that is compostable, affordable, and scalable.
  • Working with Coty and Beton to develop a fully compostable nappy.
  • Expanding into agriculture and food packaging by 2026.

♻️ Vlastic (Belgium) – Founder: Laura Willems

Solution: Binder-free biofoam made entirely from flax waste. 

Key Pitch Highlights:

  • Healthier, lighter, cheaper alternative to petrofoam.
  • Applicable in acoustics, packaging, and construction.
  • Seeking partners for certification and mass production.

💡 Circelec (Switzerland) – Founder: James Bourely

Solution: Printable, recyclable circuit boards using zinc and biodegradable substrates. 

Key Pitch Highlights:

  • Zinc-based printing tech: cheaper than copper, greener than silver.
  • Patent filed, NFC prototypes available.
  • Targeting €100B PCB industry starting with €10B RFID market.

🌫️ ChemSmog (Italy) – Founder: Tom Schoffelen

Solution: Turning chemical waste into value through a verified B2B marketplace.

Key Pitch Highlights:

  • Matches slow-moving inventory with verified buyers.
  • No cure, no pay model; LCA-verified 67% CO2 reduction.
  • 500+ tonnes diverted from disposal across 12 countries.

📝 Paper Earth (India) – Founder: Ayush Khandelwal

Solution: Sustainable packaging and paper made from upcycled textile waste. 

Key Pitch Highlights:

  • Saves 17 trees per ton, 90% lower energy usage.
  • Two core products: packaging + stationery.
  • Based at RWTH Aachen, won multiple startup awards.

🧼 MONSAPO (France/Tunisia) – Founder: Sabrine Chennaoui

Solution: Machine converting used cooking oil into soap and cleaning products onsite. 

Key Pitch Highlights:

  • IoT-enabled, AI-adjusted formulations.
  • Hilton pilot, 5 pre-sale contracts signed.
  • Circular solution with ROI under 18 months.

🪩 Trashify Tech (Estonia) – Founder: Nikhita Bhagwat

Solution: AI-powered waste analysis for smarter recycling and inventory. 

Key Pitch Highlights:

  • DIY AI platform for customization.
  • Deployed in 5 facilities.
  • Expanding into supermarkets and industrial conveyor uses.

🔄 Circular Flow (UK) – Founder: Peter Palmer

Solution: Closed-loop recycling of neoprene waste into new products (e.g., flip-flops, insulation). 

Key Pitch Highlights:

  • Works with Rip Curl and O’Neill on eco flip-flops.
  • Lamination/binding IP differentiates process.
  • Seeking partners in chemicals, construction, and global logistics.

Why It Matters: The Future is Circular

The start-ups at Circular Valley Demo Day 2025 are not just solving problems — they are pioneering the next era of clean innovation. From AI and advanced materials to everyday products like soap and nappies, these founders are proving that circular solutions are here, now, and ready to scale.