In The News 21 Nov 2024

Three impact start-ups have won this year’s Circular Economy ClimAccelerator in Bengaluru, a programme powered by EIT Climate-KIC and SecondMuse to help solve the city’s growing waste problem. Amongst the seven participants, Sunbird Straws, Carbon Craft and Wheedle were awarded €30,000 of equity-free funding. This will allow them to access all the benefits of the programme without giving up ownership during early growth stages.

Bengaluru is one of Asia’s fastest-growing cities. This growth brings the pressing issue of waste management. Innovation can help alleviate the problem by transitioning the city to circular economy principles – such as designing waste out of product lifecycles, keeping materials in use, and regenerating natural systems.

Through the Circular Economy ClimAccelerator, seven ventures have shown how innovative solutions can tackle waste management issues and reduce waste at its source. Over the course of six months, these ventures received dedicated capacity building support from leading circular economy experts and a business coach. Through workshops and one-on-one mentorship, the participants gained deeper insights into sustainable business practices. The programme concluded with a pitch day, where the founders presented their innovative solutions to an expert jury, competing for equity-free support.

And the winner is…

After a careful evaluation of the solutions’ circularity and potential climate impact, Sunbird Straws, Carbon Craft and Wheedle were selected as the winners of the Circular Economy ClimAccelerator. These teams stood out for their entrepreneurial approach, their ability to adopt new ideas, and the emissions mitigation potential of their products and services.

Chirag M G, Co-Founder Sunbird Straws: “Having been part of several accelerators, ClimAccelerator truly stood out. The workshops not only helped us quantify our environmental impact but also had it validated by third-party experts, adding immense credibility to our work. The insights gained from my cohort were invaluable, pushing us to redefine our approach and way forward. The mentor interactions were particularly impactful, offering an external perspective on our business, helping us refine our expansion strategy, and deepen our understanding of the investor mindset. This experience has been transformative for us.”

Bare Necessities received the award for the Best Pitch, impressing the jury with their enthusiasm, presenting their business in an original way, as well as showcasing the market potential for their start-up.

Meet the 2024 cohort

The following start-ups were selected to participate in the Circular Economy ClimAccelerator in Bengaluru, each bringing unique solutions to the waste challenge in the city:

• Bare Necessities Zero Waste Solutions Pvt. Ltd.: A social enterprise addressing the plastic pollution crisis by creating zero-waste personal care and lifestyle products.
• Carbon Craft: A design and material innovation company developing tiles made from upcycled carbon to reduce air pollution and foster circularity in construction materials.
• R Buy Smart Refill: India’s first smart refill kiosk platform providingan easy, app-connected solution for customers to refill home care products in reusable containers and reduce plastic waste in households.
• SAAHAS Zero Waste: Addresses the textile waste management challenge by collecting and upcycling textile waste into beautiful home decor and practical daily-use items.
• Saving Grains: Turns food waste into nutritious products by repurposing leftover spent grains from the brewing process, tackling both waste reduction and food security issues.
• Sunbird Straws: The world’s first multi-layered straws and pens made from dried coconut leaves, reducing plastic use and carbon emissions.
• Wheedle: An online platform for pre-loved baby and kids’ products, promoting sustainability by reducing waste and encouraging the reuse of items.

What’s next?

The Circular Economy ClimAccelerator encourages entrepreneurship as a lever of change for waste management and prevention in Bengaluru. After the programme concludes, ventures will continue to receive support including mentorship and opportunities to participate in diverse ecosystem events to expand their networks.

Supported by the IKEA Foundation, this ClimAccelerator is a part of the Circular Economy Innovation Cluster in Bengaluru which is pioneering entrepreneurship that drives innovation and social change in the circular economy.