Nine start-ups from all over the world are getting started in the Circular Valley!

Nine start-ups from all over the world are getting started in the Circular Valley!

The exciting world of the circular economy is gathering pace! The ninth round of the Circular Economy Accelerator started on Monday in Wuppertal, in which 14 innovative start-ups from ten different countries, including Germany and Sweden, are taking part. Over 400 applicants expressed their interest in this exciting program, but only the best were able to prevail. The accelerator's mission is to further develop circular business models, and the selected founders will work in the Circular Valley in the coming weeks. This is reported by the City of Wuppertal.

Numerous representatives of the partner organizations and the Wuppertal Economic Development Agency were present at the opening ceremony. The program's board member and mentor, Eva Platz, extended a warm welcome to the participants. Among those supporting the program are Sven Wagner from the Startup Unit Wuppertal and project manager Theresa Schnepp, who are already working actively with the start-ups.

Innovative start-ups in the spotlight

The program offers participating start-ups a treasure trove of opportunities. From company visits to workshops to networking events with investors and industry partners - everything is designed to support the founders. A highlight will be the Circular Valley Forum on November 14th in the Historische Stadthalle Wuppertal, where the teams can present their projects.

Among the exciting start-ups are innovative companies such as AraBat from Italy, which uses fruit and plant residues to recover valuable metals, and Anferra from Sweden, which transforms hazardous steel waste into clean water and green energy. The German company Gizil is digitizing industrial plants using a browser-based platform to create transparency in material flows. These initiatives impressively show how diverse the approaches to the circular economy are.

Circular Valley as a network

Since its founding, the Circular Valley has developed into an important network for the circular economy. Since 2021, over 130 start-ups have been supported in the accelerator program. In the spirit of sustainability and innovation, the next application phase for the tenth round is already being actively prepared. Applications can be submitted until November 15, 2025.

The terms from the field of circular economy are becoming increasingly relevant not only for Wuppertal, but also for the entire economy. Because in a world that is increasingly interested in sustainable solutions, it makes sense to have conversations about circular approaches and actively promote them.