New Critical Materials, Supply Chain Infrastructure, and Modular Solutions in the Circular Economy with Aly Bryan
What will it take to recover more critical materials when demand is growing and recovery systems aren’t keeping up?
With the growing deployment of solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicles, and data centers, demand for metals and minerals is rising fast. But current systems for recovering and reusing these materials are limited, inefficient, or missing entirely.
In this episode, Aly Bryan, Senior Member of the investment team at Closed Loop Partners’ Venture Group, explains why critical materials have become a central topic in the circular economy. She introduces the concepts of small-loop and large-loop circularity, discusses the role of modular recovery infrastructure, and shares why relying on large, centralized processing facilities may no longer be the most effective approach. Aly also explores how circular startups can work within existing supply chains and why reverse logistics is essential to making recovery work at scale.
This episode is part of VC for Circularity - the Venture Capital Perspective on Circular Economy Startups.
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41:51
How to Get VC funding for Circular and Impact-driven Startups with Charlotte Lafont from Ring Capital
What does it take for circular and impact-driven startups to raise funding from VCs?
In this episode, Charlotte Lafont, Principal at Ring Capital, explains how funds can integrate impact into every stage of the investment process, from evaluating impact intentionality to setting KPIs that are audited and tied to carried interest. Charlotte highlights what circular founders need to demonstrate to attract funding: strong product–market fit, alignment with existing value chains, and the ability to scale beyond niche markets.
This episode is part of VC for Circularity - the Venture Capital Perspective on Circular Economy Startups.
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38:08
How a global leader in building solutions invests in circular startups with Bengt Steinbrecher from Holcim Maqer Venture
What does it take to invest in circularity in construction - an industry defined by waste, emissions, and long scaling cycles?
In this episode, Bengt Steinbrecher of Holcim MAQER Ventures shares how one of the largest building materials companies works with startups to decarbonise the sector. From reusing 10 million tons of demolition material to testing carbon-storing concrete across Europe, Holcim blends strategic relevance with clear circular KPIs.
The episode explores how corporate venture capital enables circular startups to scale in the construction industry - through market access, operational integration, and long-term collaboration.
This episode is part of VC for Circularity - the Venture Capital Perspective on Circular Economy Startups.
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34:06
Leveraging New Technologies to Decarbonise the Economy with Mark Windeknecht from World Fund | Venture Capital
Decarbonising the economy is a political goal and a commercial opportunity. How can circular startups benefit as well?
In this episode, Mark Windeknecht, Principal at World Fund, discusses the connection between decarbonisation and the circular economy. By examining the battery recycling startup Cylib, the food startup Planet A Foods and the consumer tech startup Faircado, Mark provides insights into the drawdown potential of different business models. As a considerable share of circular startups are asset-heavy, Mark touches upon the challenges and opportunities of financing the growth of these circular business models.
This episode is part of VC for Circularity - the Venture Capital Perspective on Circular Economy Startups.
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34:04
Plastic waste as a business opportunity in Asia & Latin America with Ellen Martin from Circulate Capital | Venture Capital
Ocean plastics are a danger to the environment and humans. Cleaning it up and avoiding it from happening is a business opportunity, though.
In this episode, Ellen Martin, Chief Impact Officer at Circulate Capital, presents how the circular startups in their portfolio tackle the plastics crisis while running profitable businesses. With venture capital investments in Asia and Latin America, Ellen highlights commonalities and differences of markets in these continents. She illustrates the dependency of circular business models on local circumstances.
This episode is part of VC for Circularity - the Venture Capital Perspective on Circular Economy Startups.
Circularity.fm is the podcast about understanding, building and managing circular business models.
Most episode showcase one specific organisation that runs a circular business model or a business model in the circular economy. This can be a startup, an established SME or a business field of a corporate. Hence, interviews are both about founding and funding a circular business as well as transforming an existing linear business to a circular one, be it in Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa or Australia. The podcast focuses on experiences made in this build-up and transformation phase.
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