Circulate Capital Ocean Fund

Date: 2022

Asset Class: Venture Capital

Description:  Circulate Capital invests in waste management and recycling companies in South and Southeast Asia, as well as in global innovations in advanced recycling technologies and alternative materials. This complementary strategy allows Circulate to scale companies that are already collecting, processing, recycling, and reusing plastic waste on the ground in South and Southeast Asia while simultaneously supporting R&D efforts around the globe that will fuel long-term transformations in the recycling and waste management sector.

Why We Invest: Plastic pollution is among the most dangerous threats facing the world’s oceans today, wreaking havoc on the climate, marine ecosystems, and economies. More than 70% of the plastic we produce is either put in a landfill or lost to the world’s waterways and other infrastructure. Waste in Asia accounts for over half of the mismanaged plastic waste that leaks into oceans. Most of this plastic escapes to the ocean due to overburdened landfills, poor collection practices, or is never collected in the first place. With a physical presence across South and Southeast Asia and a strategy that targets solutions for plastic waste and the circular economy, Circulate positions itself to generate maximal impact.