CIRCULAZE Wrapped 2023

2023 has been a busy year at CIRCULAZE, and, as the year comes to a close, we are taking a moment to reflect on all of the fantastic moments it brought.

by Rachel Johnson | Dec 19, 2023

From keeping up to date on the latest start-up trends in our virtual Trend Tour series to the exciting On Tour visits to see first-hand how companies like BMW are approaching circularity, informative eXchanges on topics that are affecting businesses today, and our biggest event of the year, the CIRCULAZE Night and Summit, it has been a pleasure to have you along for the ride with us.

Nearly a year ago, in January 2023, we first sat down with the beautiful backdrop of the Spitzingsee for our team retreat to discuss the year plan and the implementation of the various formats we offer.

CIRCULAZE Virtual Trend Tours

We learned about all of the amazing circular solutions already available with our virtual Trend Tour series on topics like: Tech, Logistics, Construction, Fashion & Textiles, Waste Management, Digital Solutions, Mobility, Plastics & Packaging, and FMCG. Trend Tours give start-ups the chance to pitch their ideas to an audience of corporate decision makers and investors and make valuable connections.

Interested in joining upcoming Trend Tours? Keep up to date here.

CIRCULAZE eXchange

With the CIRCULAZE eXchange, we swapped insights and heard from experts Marianne Kuhlmann and Dr. Paul Woebkenberg from Circularity on Monitoring & Reporting approaches and Dr. Claas Oehlmann, Managing Director Initiative Circular Economy Environment, Technology and Sustainability Industry Promotion at BDI (Federation of German Industries) on the crucial development of EU Regulations.

In November at the ISPO Munich, we also hosted a special in person eXchange with Alexandra Letts, Sustainability Manager at Oberalp Group Spa, to discuss Oberalp’s pioneering journey in sustainable innovation.

Summer Talk

The summer really heated up when we hosted the CIRCULAZE Summer Talk in Munich with our partner ODDO BHF, and heard from Former Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger, President of the Board of Trustees of the Munich Security Conference Foundation. We delved into the topic of “Sustainability as a Security Strategy: How Companies are Positioning Themselves More Resiliently in an Unstable World Order” and left with motivation to inspire more leadership and initiative.

CIRCULAZE On Tour

We also went out into the field with our CIRCULAZE On Tours to the BMW Recycling- und Demontagezentrum, where we got a behind the scenes look and an exclusive tour by Steffen Aumann, Head of the BMW Recycling Center.

In November, together with IFAT, we went to the ISPO Munich 2023 and visited the Material Lab by Studio Nima to see products made from mycelium, egg shells, pineapple leaves and more, Polartec, a pioneer in sustainable fleece, and CIRCULAZE Top Start-up 2022 numi.circular, who has developed a digital infrastructure for circular product take-back. Guests were left inspired and buzzing with new approaches.

Photos by TheGroupMovement

CIRCULAZE Night and Summit

2023 culminated with our biggest event of the year: the CIRCULAZE Night and Summit 2023. At the CIRCULAZE Night on November 7th, the Top 21 Start-ups 2023, selected by our expert jury, were revealed for the first time. The following day, the CIRCULAZE Summit featured a stellar lineup of panel talks, keynote speakers, a start-up village, campus area, and interactive topic rooms.

Check out the official after movie here.

The CIRCULAZE Night and Summit brought together a community of corporates, start-ups, investors, universities, and experts in the topic of the circular economy to ignite the spark towards a more circular future. What did you enjoy the most?

Interested in joining CIRCULAZE event formats like the Trend Tours, eXchange, On Tour, and Night & Summit? Check out our upcoming events or get in touch with us today to find out how.

CIRCULAZE is made possible through the friendly support of our amazing co-host dfv Mediengruppe and partners DB Cargo, ODDO BHF, Otto Krahn New Business, Knauf, Capgemini Invent, 4P Capital, Jokey, SBC Hamburg, Payback, Fressnapf, von Beust & Partner, phiyond by adelphi, and 1. FC Nürnberg.