What are the latest funding news in the circular economy? (July 2026)
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Circular economy funding remained active in 2026, with the latest disclosed rounds concentrated in recycling, material recovery and circular infrastructure.
Battery recycling, textile recycling and plastic recycling stood out because these categories connect waste reduction with valuable industrial supply chains.
India was especially visible in the latest funding news, with BatX Energies, Recykal, Karo Sambhav and ECOIL all raising capital.
And if you want to better understand this new industry, you can download our pitch covering the circular economy.
Insights
- Battery recycling attracted three of the twelve latest disclosed circular economy rounds, showing how critical minerals are becoming a central funding theme.
- India accounted for four of the twelve latest deals, led by battery recycling, e-waste recovery, circular commerce and used cooking oil collection.
- The largest latest deal was Recykal’s $23M bridge round, which shows investor appetite for digital infrastructure behind waste recovery and recycling marketplaces.
- Plastic and textile recycling remained highly fundable, with GR3N, Circular11, Renasens and Epoch Biodesign all targeting hard-to-recycle material streams.
- Most companies in this list are already moving beyond lab research, with pilots, commercial plants, collection networks or industrial scale-up plans.
- European circular economy startups were strongest in advanced materials, textile recycling, construction circularity and waste-to-chemicals technologies.
- The latest rounds suggest investors prefer circular economy models with clear industrial buyers, such as battery materials, recycled PET, nylon and construction products.
- Early-stage funding is still active, but most rounds were tied to scaling physical capacity rather than building software-only circular economy tools.
As this chart shows, and as featured in our circular economy deck, search interest in eco-friendly brands has been growing steadily
Summary table of the latest funding deals in the circular economy as of July 2026
We define the circular economy market as all activities that keep products and materials in use for longer and return them safely to the economy or nature instead of sending them to waste.
We include circular design, sharing and product-as-a-service models, repair and refurbishment, remanufacturing, high-quality recycling, bio-based and compostable materials, regenerative agriculture, and the digital, logistics, consulting and financial services that enable these loops.
We exclude purely linear “take-make-waste” activities, traditional waste disposal such as landfilling and non-recovering incineration, and generic sustainability actions that do not materially change how resources and materials flow through the economy.
You can also read our detailed analysis to understand how funding activity in the circular economy has evolved over the last few years.
We also have a quarter-by-quarter analysis of funding activity in the market here.
Finally, you can check our complete list of fundraising deals for the circular economy (we update this list every quarter) as well as our ranking of the most funded startups.
| Name | When | Amount in $ | Round Type | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BatX Energies | 2 July 2026 | $12.2M | Series A | Battery recycling & critical minerals |
| Recykal | 20 June 2026 | $23.0M | Bridge | Circular commerce & waste technology platform |
| Karo Sambhav | 18 June 2026 | $6.5M | Pre-Series A | E-waste, EPR & critical material recovery |
| Oscorp Energy | 4 June 2026 | $0.85M | Pre-seed | Recycling automation & battery detection |
| GR3N | 3 to 5 June 2026 | $16.7M | Series B | PET and polyester chemical recycling |
| Circular11 | 1 June 2026 | $2.9M | Seed | Plastic recycling & construction materials |
| Renewable Metals | 20 April 2026 | $7.8M | Series A | Battery recycling & critical minerals |
| MAECONOMY | 10 April 2026 | $1.6M | Seed | Circular construction & material traceability infrastructure |
| ECOIL | 7 April 2026 | $2.5M | Series A | Used cooking oil recovery & biofuel feedstock |
| Renasens | 26 March 2026 | $11.5M | Seed | Textile recycling |
| Epoch Biodesign | 25 March 2026 | $12.0M | Financing round | Enzymatic plastic and textile recycling |
| Level Nine | 18 March 2026 | $4.6M | Seed | Waste-to-chemicals & bio-based materials |
All the latest funding deals during in the circular economy as of July 2026
BatX Energies raised $12.2M in Series A funding in July 2026
When was it?
The deal was announced on 2 July 2026.
Who are they?
BatX Energies recycles end-of-life lithium-ion batteries and manufacturing scrap into battery-grade lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite and other critical materials.
Geographical focus?
BatX Energies is based in Gurugram, India, with a strong focus on India’s EV battery and critical minerals supply chains.
Why do we include them in the circular economy?
BatX Energies fits the circular economy as a battery recycling and critical material recovery company.
What is the company stage?
BatX Energies appears to be at growth and commercial scale, with technology demonstrated at commercial scale.
How much did they raise?
BatX Energies raised about $12.2M, equal to ₹105 crore, in this round.
What round is it?
The round was a Series A led by IvyCap Ventures.
Why did they raise?
BatX Energies raised to expand recycling and refining capacity, strengthen R&D and build a domestic critical minerals supply chain.
Recykal raised $23M in bridge funding in June 2026
When was it?
The deal was announced on 20 June 2026.
Who are they?
Recykal runs a digital platform for waste management, recycling marketplaces, deposit-return systems and sustainability workflows.
Geographical focus?
Recykal is based in Hyderabad, India, and is expanding across India and international markets.
Why do we include them in the circular economy?
Recykal fits the circular economy as a circular commerce and waste technology platform for collection, recycling and material recovery.
What is the company stage?
Recykal appears to be at growth stage, with reported revenue growth and improving profitability.
How much did they raise?
Recykal raised $23.0M in this bridge round.
What round is it?
The round was a bridge round with primary and secondary capital.
Why did they raise?
Recykal raised to scale circular economy solutions, deposit-return deployments, its technology platform and international growth.
This chart, featured in our circular economy deck, compares the main business model options for refurbished tech sellers
Karo Sambhav raised $6.5M in Pre-Series A funding in June 2026
When was it?
The deal was announced on 18 June 2026.
Who are they?
Karo Sambhav builds collection, recycling, EPR and critical material recovery systems for e-waste, batteries, glass and other waste streams.
Geographical focus?
Karo Sambhav focuses on India, with collection networks across more than 50 cities.
Why do we include them in the circular economy?
Karo Sambhav fits the circular economy as an e-waste, EPR and critical material recovery company.
What is the company stage?
Karo Sambhav appears to be at growth stage, after bootstrapping for nearly nine years and building a proven operating base.
How much did they raise?
Karo Sambhav raised about $6.5M, equal to ₹56 crore, in this round.
What round is it?
The round was reported as a Pre-Series A led by Rainmatter.
Why did they raise?
Karo Sambhav raised to scale infrastructure for recovering critical, precious and high-value materials from end-of-life products.
Oscorp Energy raised $0.85M in pre-seed funding in June 2026
When was it?
The deal was announced on 4 June 2026.
Who are they?
Oscorp Energy builds AI vision and robotic systems that detect and remove lithium-ion batteries from recycling streams.
Geographical focus?
Oscorp Energy is based in Sydney, Australia, with an initial focus on Australian waste and recycling facilities.
Why do we include them in the circular economy?
Oscorp Energy fits the circular economy as recycling automation infrastructure that improves material recovery and reduces battery fire risk.
What is the company stage?
Oscorp Energy appears to be at pre-seed and pilot stage, with commercial pilots planned with recycling operators.
How much did they raise?
Oscorp Energy raised about $0.85M, equal to A$1.3M, in this round.
What round is it?
The round was a pre-seed round led by Atlas via its AI VB Fund.
Why did they raise?
Oscorp Energy raised to fund commercial pilots and deploy battery-detection robotic systems in waste and recycling facilities.
This chart, featured in our circular economy deck, shows why Back Market is winning in the circular economy
GR3N raised $16.7M in Series B funding in June 2026
When was it?
The deal was announced between 3 and 5 June 2026, depending on the source.
Who are they?
GR3N develops microwave-assisted depolymerisation technology that turns PET and polyester waste into virgin-grade PET inputs.
Geographical focus?
GR3N is based in Lugano, Switzerland, and is building its first industrial plant in Spain.
Why do we include them in the circular economy?
GR3N fits the circular economy as an advanced PET and polyester recycling company.
What is the company stage?
GR3N appears to be at scale-up stage, with funding aimed at its first industrial recycling plant.
How much did they raise?
GR3N raised about $16.7M, equal to €15.5M, in this round.
What round is it?
The round was a Series B led by 360 Capital.
Why did they raise?
GR3N raised to accelerate construction of MODUS, its industrial microwave-assisted PET depolymerisation plant in Spain.
Circular11 raised $2.9M in equity funding in June 2026
When was it?
The deal was announced on 1 June 2026.
Who are they?
Circular11 turns low-grade plastic waste into composite lumber, fencing, furniture and landscaping products.
Geographical focus?
Circular11 is based in Dorset, UK, with an initial focus on UK construction and estates customers.
Why do we include them in the circular economy?
Circular11 fits the circular economy as a plastic recycling and recycled construction materials company.
What is the company stage?
Circular11 appears to be at early commercial scale-up stage, with capital raised to expand manufacturing.
How much did they raise?
Circular11 raised about $2.9M, equal to €2.7M, in this round.
What round is it?
The round was reported as seed equity funding.
Why did they raise?
Circular11 raised to scale manufacturing and process around 10,000 tonnes of low-quality plastic over two years.
In our circular economy deck, we identify pain points entrepreneurs should prioritize
Renewable Metals raised $7.8M in Series A funding in April 2026
When was it?
The deal was announced on 20 April 2026.
Who are they?
Renewable Metals recycles lithium-ion batteries through a cleaner process that recovers lithium, cobalt, nickel, copper and manganese.
Geographical focus?
Renewable Metals is based in Western Australia and is focused on battery recycling capacity for Australia and emerging battery markets.
Why do we include them in the circular economy?
Renewable Metals fits the circular economy as a battery recycling and critical minerals recovery company.
What is the company stage?
Renewable Metals appears to be at commercialisation stage, with work moving toward first commercial-plant engineering.
How much did they raise?
Renewable Metals raised about $7.8M, equal to A$12M, in this round.
What round is it?
The round was a Series A led by CEFC.
Why did they raise?
Renewable Metals raised to fund prototype operations and complete engineering design for its first commercial plant.
MAECONOMY raised $1.6M in seed funding in April 2026
When was it?
The deal was announced on 10 April 2026.
Who are they?
MAECONOMY builds digital market infrastructure that makes building materials traceable, auditable, monetisable and tradable.
Geographical focus?
MAECONOMY is based in the Netherlands and focuses on circularity in the European built environment.
Why do we include them in the circular economy?
MAECONOMY fits the circular economy as circular construction and material traceability infrastructure.
What is the company stage?
MAECONOMY appears to be at seed stage, moving from MVP toward market infrastructure deployment.
How much did they raise?
MAECONOMY raised about $1.6M, equal to €1.5M, in this round.
What round is it?
The round was a seed round led by LUMO Labs and LIOF.
Why did they raise?
MAECONOMY raised to accelerate a platform for verified, standardised and tradable reusable construction materials.
This market map, featured in our circular economy deck, highlights top companies and startups in the circular economy
ECOIL raised $2.5M in Series A funding in April 2026
When was it?
The deal was announced on 7 April 2026.
Who are they?
ECOIL collects used cooking oil through a tech-enabled network and channels it into biofuel and SAF feedstock supply chains.
Geographical focus?
ECOIL is based in India and focuses on organised used cooking oil recovery in the Indian market.
Why do we include them in the circular economy?
ECOIL fits the circular economy as a used cooking oil recovery and biofuel feedstock company.
What is the company stage?
ECOIL appears to be at early growth stage, with existing operations and a Series A raised to scale collection.
How much did they raise?
ECOIL raised $2.5M in this round.
What round is it?
The round was a Series A led by Fundalogical Ventures.
Why did they raise?
ECOIL raised to scale used cooking oil collection, improve responsible disposal and expand biofuel feedstock supply.
Renasens raised $11.5M in seed funding in March 2026
When was it?
The deal was announced on 26 March 2026.
Who are they?
Renasens uses modified supercritical CO₂ to decolor and separate blended textile waste into reusable fibres.
Geographical focus?
Renasens is based in Sweden and focuses on textile circularity infrastructure in Europe.
Why do we include them in the circular economy?
Renasens fits the circular economy as a textile recycling company recovering fibres from mixed post-consumer textile waste.
What is the company stage?
Renasens appears to be at seed and pilot plant scale-up stage.
How much did they raise?
Renasens raised about $11.5M, equal to €10M, in this round.
What round is it?
The round was a seed round led by Extantia.
Why did they raise?
Renasens raised to build a pilot plant in Sweden and feed recovered fibres back into European textile manufacturing.
This chart, featured in our circular economy deck, shows annual funding in circular economy startups
Epoch Biodesign raised $12M in financing in March 2026
When was it?
The deal was announced on 25 March 2026.
Who are they?
Epoch Biodesign uses AI-designed enzymes to recycle nylon 6,6, plastics and textile waste into virgin-quality inputs.
Geographical focus?
Epoch Biodesign is based in London and targets global apparel, automotive and polymer supply chains.
Why do we include them in the circular economy?
Epoch Biodesign fits the circular economy as an enzymatic plastic and textile recycling company.
What is the company stage?
Epoch Biodesign appears to be at demonstration and pre-commercial scale-up stage.
How much did they raise?
Epoch Biodesign raised about $12.0M, equal to €10.3M, in this round.
What round is it?
The source described the deal as a financing round, not as a clearly labelled Series B.
Why did they raise?
Epoch Biodesign raised to commercialise recycled nylon 6,6 and move production from pilot to demonstration scale.
Level Nine raised $4.6M in seed funding in March 2026
When was it?
The deal was announced on 18 March 2026.
Who are they?
Level Nine develops AI-designed nanozyme catalysts that convert biomass waste and industrial byproducts into renewable chemical building blocks.
Geographical focus?
Level Nine is based in Berlin and focuses on European industrial chemical feedstock resilience.
Why do we include them in the circular economy?
Level Nine fits the circular economy as a waste-to-chemicals and bio-based materials company.
What is the company stage?
Level Nine appears to be at seed and pre-commercial demonstration stage.
How much did they raise?
Level Nine raised about $4.6M, equal to €4M, in this round.
What round is it?
The round was a seed round led by Visionaries Tomorrow.
Why did they raise?
Level Nine raised to scale its catalyst platform and prepare a kilotonne-scale first-of-a-kind demonstration plant.
Related blog posts
- How strong is fundraising in the circular economy right now?
- The most recent developments reported in the circular economy
- What is the real size of the circular economy?
- How funding activity has changed in the circular economy
- What are the latest fundraising trends in the circular economy?
- All the funding deals in the circular economy
- Which startups have raised the most funding in the circular economy?
- Which startups are the most valued in the circular economy?
- A complete list of business models in the circular economy
