Welcoming the 5th Cohort of the CIRCULÉIRE Circular New Venture Accelerator Programme
On Tuesday 16th of July 2024, the 5th year of the CIRCULÉIRE Circular New Venture Accelerator Programme launched with 5 participating organisations. The programme will provide the cohort of participants with key knowledge and tools to help their circular solutions make a systemic impact on both economic and social level and drive Irelands transition to net-zero carbon circular economy.
After a competitive evaluation process we are welcoming Blade Bridge, Finline Furniture, HaPPE Earth, Rezero, and Shareclub to the CIRCULÉIRE Network. Each organisation will receive an equity-free grant of €5,000 and guidance and mentoring from a select panel of international experts to grow and develop their circular businesses.
BladeBridge
BladeBridge repurposes retired wind turbine blades into sustainable infrastructure such as bridges and e-bike charging hubs. Wind blades are made from a composite material which is incredibly strong and durable and can be used to substitute raw materials such as steel and concrete for lower carbon & lower maintenance products.
“As three engineering founders with little marketing experience, we feel we’re NOT capturing the full value of our circular product offering across all stakeholders. We’re excited to have access to other circular entrepreneurs and mentors through the CIRCULEIRE New Venture Programme to help us realise our market value.” – Dr. Angie Nagle CEO BladeBridge
Finline Furniture
Revive by Finline Furniture is an initiative that not only promotes circularity but also supports social causes and customer loyalty. This take back scheme gives old furniture a second life. We restore and resell it, reducing waste and promoting sustainability thereby making a positive impact on the environment and society as a whole.
“We want to understand how best to market The Revive by Finline Programme to our stakeholders. Gaining best in class knowledge from experts in the circular field will help us to achieve our goals of promoting this as a new business model. Being part of a network of peers that have similar objectives is important to us.” – Kilian Finane Finline Furniture
HaPPE Earth
HaPPE Earth have created bio-digestible (compostable) Personal Protective Equipment, such as single use splash aprons, using sustainably sourced bio-resin. The PPE is used as before but this time, the value is recovered by using our HaPPE onsite medical bio-digester creating a pathogen safe, nutrient rich fertiliser, resin recapture or biofuel potential.
“We believe that this programme and network access from CIRCULÉIRE Circular Venture programme will help us to build a streamlined educational programme for staff to segregate healthcare waste with minimal disruption to current practice. Securing buy-in from all levels of healthcare staffing, promoting appreciation of environmental and financial targets and gains will be critical in securing a sustainable market growth for our business venture.” – Dr Mary O’Riordan Co-Founder HaPPE Earth
Rezero
Rezero eliminates waste by preventing millions of unused cigarettes from being incinerated annually, addressing a global issue. By isolating cellulose acetate from the cigarette filters, Rezero manufactures sustainable products like buttons and eyewear frames, reducing reliance on virgin materials and supporting the circular economy in the fashion industry and beyond.
“We applied to this Programme to scale our capacity to recycle cigarette filters and to scale production of high-quality recycled material and products that will replace harmful alternatives in the fashion industry. We aim to be at the forefront of sustainable manufacturing in Ireland and inspire innovation in the circular economy” – Johnnie Bell CFO Rezero
Shareclub
Shareclub offers innovative circular packaging solutions for events, workplaces, and takeaway services, designed to cut costs and minimise waste. Utilising QR-enabled reusables, shareclub tracks usage and impact, providing event hosts and corporate partners with quantifiable insights on their reduction of disposable items and CO2 emissions, enhancing sustainability reporting.
“We applied to the CIRCULÉIRE Circular Ventures Accelerator Programme to leverage their network and mentorship for validating our impact measurement tools and aligning with regulations. Our goal is to enhance the value of our solutions, help clients meet waste reduction targets, and contribute to Ireland’s transition towards a net-zero carbon circular economy.” – Sarah Fliessbach Founder shareclub
