The Circular Valley initiative in Germany has announced a new round of funding to establish a ‘Silicon Valley of the circular economy’ in Europe. Founded by the Circular Valley Foundation in 2021, the initiative aims to close material loops in existing value chains, provide policy recommendations, and educate the public about the circular economy. Notable members of Circular Valley include BASF, Bayer, Evonik, Knipe, Vorwerk, and scientific institutions like Fraunhofer Umsicht Institute, Max Planck Society, and Wuppertal Institute.
The programme has already funded more than 100 startups from around the world, with the latest 15 coming from countries like Egypt, Chile, India, and various European nations. These start-ups will have the opportunity to spend three months in the Rhine-Ruhr region developing their business models starting in April. Throughout the programme, the start-up leaders will work with coaches and mentors
