All-Island Circular Venture Awards €10,000 prize pool

Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) as secretariat of CIRCULÉIRE is delighted to announce the shortlist for the inaugural All-Island Circular Venture Awards. Ten ventures will pitch to a high-profile audience of investors, industry leaders, policy makers, and media on 27th November to compete for a €10,000 prize pool.

Open to late-stage start-ups and ventures across the island of Ireland, the All-Island Circular Venture Awards are designed to recognise companies pioneering the emergence of the circular economy sector by enabling or demonstrating a circular value proposition. The ten shortlisted companies include Arcology System, Biographene Innovations Ireland, BladeBridge, Circular Food Co, Ecoroots, Gemell Technology Limited, HaPPE Earth, Harp Renewable, Integrated Materials Solutions and Kinset Limited.

Circular Venture Awards €10,000 prize pool, Nov 27th

The selected ventures represent an extremely broad range of sectors including commercial fitout infrastructure, construction waste management, compostable PPE, biobased production and packaging solutions; repurposed wind energy infrastructure; digital enablement of circular processes; aerobic digestion; additional manufacturing for textiles; and upcycling of food residuals.

Referring to the recruitment and shortlisting process, Agnese Metitieri, Circular Economy Venture Lead at IMR, said: “We are very pleased with the wide range of applications we received. Their variety and ingenuity reflect the growing momentum for an emerging and healthy circular ecosystem, with great opportunities for ventures to express transformative potential and build a zero-carbon future for the island of Ireland.”

To compete for a prize pool of €10,000 plus coaching with international entrepreneurship and circular economy experts, the ventures will pitch to a judging panel of leaders in circular economy innovation, venture investment, and advanced manufacturing. Mark Nodder, Joint CEO of Makers Alliance; Jamie Rowles, Partner at Regeneration.VC; Faye Walsh Drouillard, Founding & Managing Partner of WakeUp Capital; and Dr. Geraldine Brennan, Director of Circular Economy Innovation at Irish Manufacturing Research will adjudicate on the day.

The 10 companies pitching on the 27th November are:

Arcology System enables adaptive, circular, and waste-free interiors through a modular, sensor-enabled construction system.

Bio Graphene Innovations Ireland transforms agricultural waste into bio-graphene materials that decarbonise concrete, enabling seawater use, and establishing a scalable circular manufacturing model for Europe.

BladeBridge repurposes retired wind turbine blades into durable infrastructure.
Circular Food Co recovers food waste to turn into high value ingredients.

Ecoroots transforms agricultural waste into compostable mycelium packaging powered by a data-driven platform for scalable, zero-waste biomanufacturing.

Gemell Technology Limited reduces unnecessary textile waste through data-driven 3D visualisation and analytics.

HaPPE Earth makes single-use PPE into a circular solution, replacing plastics with compostable materials, converting waste into fertiliser, and delivering ESG insights cutting costs, carbon, and complexity.

Harp Renewables supplies advanced, fully circular food waste solutions for all industries.
Integrated Materials Solutions (IMS) accepts C&D wastes and processes them into certified low carbon secondary aggregates for reuse in the construction industry.

Kinset connects supply chain, material, and lifecycle data in one trusted system, making it simple for brands to demonstrate transparency, enable reuse and recycling, and engage consumers through interactive digital experiences.

The All-Island Circular Venture Awards are designed and led by Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) and funded by the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment (DCEE).

About Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR)

IMR partners with industry to demystify emerging technologies, de-risk adoption, and deliver real-world impact – helping businesses scale and innovate with confidence.  We bridge the gap between technology and business, ensuring companies can harness the latest advancements to drive efficiency, productivity, and sustainability.

About CIRCULÉIRE

CIRCULÉIRE, Ireland’s first Circular Innovation Network, is designed and led by Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) and funded by the Department of Climate, Energy and Environment (DCEE). It is a dynamic, cross-sectoral public-private network dedicated to advancing circularity in Ireland. Our mission is to demystify, de-risk, and drive circular business model innovation by unlocking the potential of an Irish circular economy. Established in 2020, CIRCULÉIRE has evolved into a multi-million-euro, industry-led cross-sectoral national innovation platform. With support from Government through the Circular Economy Fund, CIRCULÉIRE has developed an expansive network comprised of over 50 industry actors (from start-ups and micro-enterprises to SMEs and multinational corporations) spanning the food and drinks, BioPharmaChem, MedTech, built environment, packaging, plastics, electronics and batteries, textiles, automotive, energy, consumer goods, sustainability consulting, second-life enabler, and financial services sectors.

About The All-Island Circular Venture Awards

Open to late-stage start-ups and ventures across the island of Ireland, the Awards are designed to recognise companies pioneering the emergence of the circular economy sector by enabling or demonstrating a circular value proposition. Shortlisted companies compete for a total prize pool of €10,000, plus 1-to-1 coaching sessions with international experts in entrepreneurship and circular economy.

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