The Circular Economy Accelerator of the Circular Valley Foundation supports startups not only during their participation in the program. Particularly after completing a batch, many alumni continue to grow, attract investors, establish partnerships with companies and other institutions, and bring their technologies into real-world applications. Two recent examples demonstrate this positive development: Porelio has closed a €2.4 million funding round, while Volterica has completed a highly oversubscribed pre-seed round.

“Our startups come to us with innovative ideas and technologies. Our goal is to help them turn these into viable business models and concrete applications – through knowledge, contacts, and access to our network of industry, academia, and investors,” says Dr. Carsten Gerhardt, Chairman of the Circular Valley Foundation. “When our alumni subsequently secure additional funding and bring their solutions to market, it demonstrates the potential these young companies have.”

Porelio: From Research to Industrial Application

Deep-tech startup Porelio, a participant in Batch 10 of the Accelerator program, is developing materials that can be used to recover valuable metals from industrial material streams and remove pollutants such as PFAS from water. Following its participation in the Circular Economy Accelerator, the company has now closed its first equity financing round, raising €2.4 million. The round was led by Portuguese investor Faber, with participation from Polytechnique Ventures, Grupo Tecnológica, and better ventures. The funding will support Porelio in further scaling its technology and making the transition from pilot projects to commercial applications.

The company is also attracting international attention: in 2026, Porelio was selected as one of the Falling Walls Foundation’s “Venture 100 Science Start-ups to Watch.” The startup is thus among 100 selected companies chosen from 597 nominations across 60 countries.

Volterica: Investors Bet on the Energy Transition

Startup Volterica, an alumnus of Batch 8 of the Circular Economy Accelerator, has also reached an important funding milestone. The company has closed its pre-seed round – with strong demand: the round was highly oversubscribed. Its investors include industry experts from the energy sector.

Volterica is developing a cloud-based, AI-powered solution that enables industrial companies to plan complex energy systems and evaluate investments in technologies such as photovoltaics, battery storage, and heat pumps. Following the successful completion of the funding round, the company is now also expanding its team.

The two examples demonstrate how startups continue to develop after participating in the Circular Economy Accelerator. Circular Valley’s support is not focused on financial assistance alone. Instead, participating companies gain access to expert knowledge, industrial and research partners, as well as an international network, while receiving support in further developing their business models.

Around 300 Applications for the Next Batch

The next batch of the Circular Economy Accelerator is already taking shape. Around 300 applications have been received from around the world. The program’s jury is currently reviewing the applications and selecting the startups for the next round. The selected companies will come to the Rhine-Ruhr region in the fall.