Accelerating circular business model innovation

Established in 2020, the CIRCULÉIRE Circular Venture Accelerator is Ireland’s first dedicated late-stage circular venture programme.

By the end of 2025, the programme will have supported 34 ventures with a total of €170,000 equity free funding. It aims to support Ventures and SMEs who are demonstrating circular business models or enabling circular value propositions, but also enterprises diversifying into a circular business model.

The accelerator assists companies scale by providing circularity and entrepreneurship coaching; mentorship and capacity building; complimentary CIRCULÉIRE network membership; access to like-minded circular industry innovators; access to RD&I (with opportunities to leverage IMR’s RD&I facilities and expertise across digitalisation (e.g. IoT, Digital Twins, AI, XR), automation and control (e.g. robotics), design for manufacturing (e.g. additive 3-D printing, subtractive tech and redesign)), and finally €5,000 equity-free funding.

Since 2024 the programme has spun in-house, with Agnese Metitieri, IMR’s Circular Economy Ventures Lead at the helm supported by Geraldine Brennan, Director of CE Innovation and Ken Horan, Director of Technological Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Reflecting on the programme Metitieri says: “Partnering with the crème de le crème of internal, national and international circular economy pioneers, from systems thinking to storytelling and pitching, to advanced technologies, business models, finance and investment, IMR curate hands-on experiences to accelerate our ventures’ business growth.”

BladeBridge CEO Angie Nagle, a network member and 2024 Accelerator alumna, asserts: “Participating in the CIRCULÉIRE Venture Accelerator has been an incredibly supportive and transformative experience for BladeBridge. As the CEO, I have seen firsthand the significant impact this program has had on our business. We are confident that the skills and resources gained through CIRCULÉIRE will drive our success in expanding our capabilities and market reach.”

2025 Circular Ventures

Driving circular innovation in MedTech, BioTech, food, consumer goods, and the automotive sectors, IMR recently welcomed the 2025 cohort:

Anaula: Transforming distillery wastewater into algae-based fertiliser and feed.

Bean Around: Transforming used coffee grounds into high value-added cosmetics products.

Circular Food Co: Transforming food manufacturing waste into high-value ingredients.

EcoRoots: Combining biology with digital optimisation to deliver mycelium-based circular packaging solutions.

Hibra Design: Re-engineering fossil-fuel powered vehicles with battery-electric powertrains extending product lifecycles.

Reloop: Embedding circular household practices through shared access and recirculation in residential properties.

Kinset: Driving circularity in fashion and beyond through a Digital Product Passport and supply-chain traceability platform.

Mesh BioPlastics: Developing plant-based alternatives to single-use medical plastics.

Alan Dillon TD, Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment says: “I am delighted to see that CIRCULÉIRE has expanded its venture accelerator intake in 2025. The cohort represents a cross sectoral group of start-ups that can help Ireland to move the dial on circularity, and we are very proud to support this endeavour through the Circular Economy Fund and the scale-up of companies in the emerging circular economy sector.”

Our 2026 Call for Applications opens March 2026.

Contact us at@imr.ie