Circ is a technology company pioneering textile-to-textile recycling, using a patented hydrothermal process to recover polyester, cotton, and polycotton blends from discarded clothing and waste into high-quality reusable fibers.[1][2][3][7] It serves global fashion brands like Zara, Target, Mara Hoffman, Christian Siriano, Inditex, and Avery Dennison, solving the industry's massive waste problem—where polycotton dominates clothing but was previously unrecyclable—while enabling a circular economy that cuts demand for petroleum, trees, and virgin materials.[1][3][6][7] With 51-100 employees, headquarters in Danville, Virginia (a former textile hub), and operations in 51 regions including France and the US, Circ has achieved B Corp certification (2023), Earthshot Prize finalist status (2023), and Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies recognition (2024), alongside recent $26 million funding from Taranis Investments and others to scale industrially.[1][3][6]
Circ emerged from a team of global scientists and business innovators tackling unsolvable textile recycling challenges, particularly separating polyester from cotton in polycotton blends without destroying either fiber.[4][7] Headquartered in Danville, Virginia—a historic epicenter of US textile production—the company revitalizes the region by advancing material technology and manufacturing for a circular fashion economy.[3] Key early support came from accelerators like Fashion for Good, which connected Circ to brands, and investors including Card Sound Capital, Avery Dennison, and Zalando, fueling its growth from lab breakthroughs to commercial partnerships and global scaling, including the launch of Circ France.[4][5][6]
Circ rides the circular fashion trend, addressing fashion's environmental toll—equivalent to massive GHG emissions and resource depletion—by enabling infinite recycling of polycotton waste, the industry's most abundant and problematic material.[3][6][7] Timing aligns with regulatory pressures (e.g., EU sustainability mandates), brand net-zero pledges, and consumer demand for eco-clothing, amplified by post-2020 supply chain disruptions favoring localized recycling over virgin materials.[1][6] Market forces like rising petroleum costs and landfill bans favor Circ, influencing the ecosystem through brand partnerships that normalize recycled fibers, tech collaborations (e.g., Avery Dennison for labeling), and accelerators like Unreasonable Group and Fashion for Good that scale impact startups.[1][4][6]
Circ is poised to dominate textile recycling with its unmatched polycotton tech, leveraging $26M funding for global plants like Circ France and deeper brand integrations for mass adoption.[1][6] Trends like AI-optimized supply chains, stricter emissions regs, and bio-based innovations will accelerate its path to net-zero fashion, potentially capturing a slice of the $100B+ recycled materials market as virgin fiber costs rise. Its influence could evolve from pioneer to infrastructure provider, redefining clothing lifecycles and revitalizing textile hubs—turning yesterday's waste into tomorrow's wardrobes, just as its Danville roots promised.[3][6]
Circ has raised $119.0M in total across 4 funding rounds.
Circ's investors include 8090 Industries, Daffy, First Round Capital, Illumina Accelerator, Quiet Capital, Gokul Rajaram, James Herbert, Vivek Patel, BP Ventures, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Lowercarbon Capital, BITKRAFT Ventures.
Circ has raised $119.0M across 4 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $25.0M Series B in February 2023.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 1, 2023 | $25.0M Series B | 8090 Industries, Daffy, First Round Capital, Illumina Accelerator, Quiet Capital, Gokul Rajaram, James Herbert, Vivek Patel | |
| Jul 1, 2022 | $30.0M Series B | 8090 Industries, BP Ventures, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Daffy, First Round Capital, Illumina Accelerator, Lowercarbon Capital, Quiet Capital, Gokul Rajaram, James Herbert, Vivek Patel | |
| Aug 1, 2021 | $950K Series A | 8090 Industries, Daffy, First Round Capital, Illumina Accelerator, Quiet Capital, Gokul Rajaram, James Herbert, Vivek Patel | |
| Jan 1, 2019 | $63.0M Series A | BITKRAFT Ventures, Project A Ventures, Team Global |
