ecoworks | CIRCULAZE

Leonhard brings in more than 13 years of sustainable entrepreneurship, social innovation and social business work experience in more than 20 countries from Brazil to New Zealand. He’s incubated, grown, advised and consulted start-ups and established organizations around the globe working in various fields, including plastic waste, circular economy, fair fashion, sustainable mobility and many more.

At Studio Nima, with his team, he is implementing and promoting social innovations with a range of players from the private, the philanthropic, the academic and the public sector. He also serves as the Educational Advisor to the Yunus Sports Hub and as a Venture Building Advisor to the Yunus Environment Hub, two organizations founded by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Prof. Muhammad Yunus and regularly act as an expert and mentor in various incubation and acceleration programs.

An experienced moderator at international conferences, such as the Global Social Business Summit, the rad°hub, the Social Innovation Summit and many more, he has been on stage with and interviewed Heads of States, UN leadership, leading business executives, philosophers, artists, and other exceptional personalities.

MATR is revolutionizing the hospitality industry with Austria’s first circular economy mattress, designed specifically for hotels. By utilizing high-quality, recyclable materials, MATR has developed an innovative mattress solution that not only provides superior comfort for guests but also significantly reduces waste and CO2 emissions. Their unique approach includes a take-back service, ensuring that old mattresses are responsibly recycled, thus closing the loop in the product lifecycle.

The mission of MATR is to create a sustainable sleeping experience that benefits both people and the planet. They aim to lead the way in providing hotels with eco-friendly solutions that enhance guest comfort while minimizing environmental impact.

MATR addresses the pressing issue of mattress waste, as millions of mattresses end up in landfills each year. By offering a product that is designed for longevity and recyclability, they help hotels reduce their ecological footprint and comply with emerging sustainability regulations.

In contributing to the circular economy, MATR exemplifies how innovative design can lead to resource conservation. Their mattresses are made to be fully recyclable, and they actively promote the return and reuse of materials, setting a new standard in the industry.

Notably, MATR’s mattresses achieve a remarkable 50% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to traditional mattresses, showcasing their commitment to environmental relief. The company has also received accolades, including the 2023 Climate and Entrepreneur Champions award from the Austrian Climate Ministry.

MATR’s innovative solutions are already being embraced by renowned hotel brands, including the Lenikus Group and Mountain Hotels, who appreciate the blend of luxury and sustainability that MATR provides.

Founder/s: Verena Judmayer, Michaela Stephen
Based In: Vienna, Austria
Website: www.matr.eco

QUANTRON, with their motto “Empower the Future,” embodies the core values of reliability, energy, and bravery. But they’re not just about words; they’re all about action! What makes QUANTRON stand out is their unique blend of e-mobility expertise in both electric and hydrogen powered fuel cells and over 140 years of commercial vehicle experience; Now in the fifth generation of the Haller family, they’ve been in the transportation game since the days of horse-drawn carriages. As a tech player, they are specialists in electrifying both new and used vehicles to give them a second and environmentally friendlier life with their Q-Retrofit concept. Back in 2011, founder Andreas Haller took a giant leap and sold their very first e-bus to the municipal utility of Osnabrück. And he didn’t stop there – in 2021, QUANTRON teamed up with IKEA Vienna to supply a fleet of 60 zero emission environmentally friendly electric and hydrogen powered trucks. Even more recently, they announced their collaboration with industry leaders PepsiCo and Red Sea Global, delivering the first 50 QUANTRON QARGO 4 EV light trucks to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – the first electric vehicle to hit the roads of the country and a huge deal in the land of oil! The future holds even more great things in store. In 2024, QUANTRON is partnering up with ACE Championship, a recently launched all-electric racing series that is on a mission to promote young motorsport talents and champion green solutions. The QUANTRON QHM FCEV AERO zero-emission trucks will support in the effort to decarbonize motorsport by organizing ACE Championship’s logistics. This dedication to sustainability earned QUANTRON the prestigious European Transport Award for Sustainability in 2022. In a world where sustainable solutions are the need of the hour, the Haller family and their team are leading the charge. With QUANTRON, you’re not just getting from point A to B; you’re part of a movement towards a cleaner, hydrogen powered, and greener future.

What They Say: “We strive to change the way transportation is organized to date by placing an emphasis on moving to zero emissions. Our vision at QUANTRON is to revolutionize the transportation industry and challenge a century-old industry sector through the holistic use of clean technology, bundling it into a 360° as a Service Platform.”

Founder/s: Andreas Haller
Based In: Gersthofen, Germany
Website: www.quantron.net/en/

Across the world recycling rates are improving, but still only 9% of plastic waste is recycled each year. One of the biggest barriers recycling plants face is separating the huge variety of materials which end up in our trash. Recycleye’s AI-powered trash-sorting robots have Recycleye Vision, which is the London start-up’s flagship technology and functions exactly like a human eye to tell different products apart. In fact, the robots are more consistently accurate than humans, because they’re more reliable, more cost-effective, and can work 24/7. If human-like robot vision sounds like a very futuristic invention, then the future is now. With 21 robots already installed in sites across Europe, Recycleye is successfully reducing waste in the present. Earlier this year they were named as one of the “100 ways to fix the future” on Norrsken’s Impact 100. And let’s not forget that at the end of 2022, the start-up was recognized at the UK’s National Recycling Awards for Robotic Equipment Innovation. Quite an impressive resume! The ability to cheaply and easily sort waste using robots is transforming the recycling landscape, allowing materials that were previously thought unrecyclable to become part of the
circular economy. With Recycleye’s innovation that lacklustre 9% of plastic waste recycled per year is sure to increase.

What They Say: “Recycling starts with the sorting of materials. But if the cost of sorting those materials is higher than the value of the materials themselves, the economics don’t stack up. We believe that waste doesn’t exist, just materials in the wrong place, so by creating innovative sorting technology that lowers the costs of sorting waste, we’re making materials recovery more economic and a better deal for waste management companies and the planet.”

Founder/s: Victor Dewulf & Peter Hedley
Based In: London, United Kingdom
Website: www.recycleye.com

The benefits of taking public transport over driving alone are no secret: carbon emissions are reduced by 45%, local air quality improves, unnecessary noise is cut, and traffic on the roads is greatly reduced. Unfortunately, there are many areas with impractical or non-existent transportation networks. In some cases, on-demand public transport works to plug these gaps and can be a lifeline to those who live there. But, even when such options exist, they rarely work efficiently. Enter, The Routing Company, whose founders have developed a suite of technology to help transportation providers run useful and cost-effective on-demand services. Founded in 2018, The Routing Company’s algorithms are based on five years of MIT research, and their core technology has been hailed by newsbrand CNN as “a striking example of the potential around ride sharing.” Solutions are tailored from a raft of innovative products in order to meet the requirements of any business which moves people around; be it paratransit or university. Yet, for the transport users, solutions are easy to use. The transatlantic start-up’s Ride Pingo app surfaces all available modes of transport in one app, making public transport the simplest yet. It has also already been put into use across the US and in Europe, improving public transport across the globe.

What They Say: “Co-founders Alex and Menno developed a passion for the engineering and mathematical challenge of dynamic on-demand public transportation. Once Alex and Menno realized what they had created, they decided to bring their solution to the world. They brought ridesharing experts and transit leaders on board to help take The Routing Company from an idea to a critical solution to tackle underutilization of shared transport and by doing so contribute to the goals of the circular economy.”

Founder/s: Alex Waller and Menno van der Zee
Based In: Massachusetts, USA & Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Website: www.theroutingcompany.com

With its innovative TRIQBRIQ system, a modular wood construction solution that utilizes micro-modular wooden building blocks known as BRIQs, the start-up is leading the change within the construction industry. These BRIQs are manufactured with high precision using robotic technology from cost-effective industrial and damaged wood, allowing for a sustainable and efficient building process. The unique design enables the BRIQs to be assembled on-site without the need for artificial bonding agents, making the construction process not only faster but also environmentally friendly. With the ability to construct a 500 sqm floor in just two days, TRIQBRIQ significantly reduces traditional building timelines, which can take up to 20 days with conventional materials like concrete.

The mission of TRIQBRIQ is to promote sustainable building practices that harmonize with nature, offering a fully circular alternative to traditional construction materials. By focusing on resource efficiency and minimizing waste, TRIQBRIQ aims to lead the way in eco-friendly construction solutions.

The startup addresses the pressing issue of waste in the construction industry, particularly the underutilization of weak and damaged wood that often goes to waste. By repurposing this wood into BRIQs, TRIQBRIQ not only reduces landfill contributions but also captures CO2 emissions that would otherwise be released during wood decay.

In terms of its contribution to the circular economy, TRIQBRIQ ensures that its building materials are 100% reusable at the end of their lifecycle. The BRIQs can be easily disassembled and repurposed, drastically reducing construction waste and maximizing the value derived from natural resources.

Notably, a single floor constructed with TRIQBRIQ can save significant amounts of CO2 emissions, showcasing the startup’s commitment to environmental relief.

Founder/s: Maximilian Wörner
Based In: Stuttgart, Germany
Website: www.triqbriq.de