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Circular Venture Building in the Textile Industry

A Recap of an Inspiring Day at Wageningen University & Research

On Wednesday, March 5, over 150 circular entrepreneurs, venture builders, financiers, investors, industry experts, policymakers, and ecosystem partners gathered for our conference: Circular Entrepreneurship in Transition.
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‍It was an inspiring day filled with positivity, connection, and high energy. As one participant described it: "Encouraging, concrete, and no empty sustainability talk."

‍During the event, Invest-NL shared insights on Circular Venture Building, focusing on the specific challenges circular ventures face and the foundations necessary for circular ventures to thrive. 

‍Dutch Circular Textile Valley, Manufy - Circular Innovations  and a delegation of the Invest-NL team, initiated a new collaboration group in one of the breakout session, focusing on Circular Textiles.

The group is filled with experts from Fashion Brands, MVO, RVO, Venture Capitalists, Stichting UPV, Groene Brein and many more.

The Proposed Solution: Approach Circularity as small, linear-like business cases

Often, circular initiatives are not bought, implemented or are eligible for investments because the world is not ready for circular business models yet.

At the start of the session, Nout Knabben from Circular Innovations proposed his possible action plan to help circular ventures in a linear world. The root of the possible solutions is breaking down circularity in small interventions that look like linear solutions, with a more understandable business case.

Key Insight: Circular startups must speak the same business language as traditional companies. Sustainability and circularity become appealing only when financial gains are clear and measurable.

Unlocking Growth: Ignite a Fly Wheel for Circular Ventures

The better we become at showing how circular solutions fit into the current way companies operate—and how they create real value—the faster the circular economy can grow. This process could work in several steps:

  1. Circular companies offer solutions that help traditional businesses reduce waste, reuse materials, or design products differently.
  2. To win these projects, circular companies need to show a clear business case—proving that their solution not only helps the environment but also makes financial sense.
  3. With a solid business case, it becomes easier for investors to step in because they can see how their investment will create both impact and financial returns.
  4. More investment means these circular companies can grow, improve their solutions, and serve even more businesses—creating a positive cycle of impact and scale.

Key Insights From the Group Discussions

After the initial pitch, several points where discussed, leading to the following insights:

  • Demonstrating Return on Investment (ROI) is essential to unlock circular opportunities within linear companies. Clothing brands confirmed this as a decisive factor.
  • Investors are more willing to engage if circularity is presented in small, validated business cases. Securing a launching customer with proven results is critical.
  • There is an opportunity to collaborate with venture builders to explore market "white spaces" where new entrepreneurs can offer solutions.
  • Public subsidies could help offset initial costs for circular initiatives within traditional companies, lowering the barrier to entry. Circular Innovations can play a more active role in facilitating this.

Join the Movements!

The initial group will contribute conversations and follow up meetings will be planned. Do you want to tag along in these conversations? Please contact us via the information below.

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Let's transform the textile industry together and make a circular future a reality!

Get in touch

Left any questions or you want to write a message to us?
Contact us
info@textielregie.nl