Programmes & Case Studies

Overview

Circle Innovation partnered with the World Food Programme (WFP) IGNITE Innovation Hub and the Novo Nordisk Foundation to design and deliver the BioSustainability Design Programme. The initiative accelerates local circular food system innovations, post-harvest loss reduction, and sustainable home-grown school feeding models across Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Uganda.

Our Approach

Through human-centered co-creation, multi-country innovation sprints, field validation, and ecosystem partnership building, the programme equips climate and bio-innovators with the tools, mentorship, and funding pathways to commercialise sustainable agricultural and nutrition technologies.

Activities

Outcomes

• Multi-country programme deployed across Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Uganda
• Catalysed bio-based solutions for sustainable school feeding & agriculture
• Learn more about the programme here

Overview

Circle Innovation partners with the British Council to design and deliver the Learning & Design Labs, bridging the gap between universities and industry through challenge-led innovation. By bringing students, faculty and industry partners together to co-create solutions to real-world challenges, the initiative builds practical innovation capabilities, strengthens university–industry collaboration, and supports universities to embed more experiential and entrepreneurial approaches to learning.

Our Approach

We bring universities and industry together around real-world challenges and guide multidisciplinary student teams through a structured human-centred design journey—from understanding the challenge and engaging users to co-creating, prototyping and testing solutions. Alongside the Labs, we strengthen faculty capabilities and university–industry collaboration, helping embed challenge-led innovation and experiential learning within participating institutions.

Activities

Outcomes

• 159 students trained
• 35+ faculty champions trained in ToTs
• 12 universities completed LDL cycles
• 6 industry partners engaged
• 24 innovative solutions created
• 123 people engaged through design research and testing

Overview

Circle Innovation, with support from ANDE, is piloting a revolving capital facility for early-stage circular economy enterprises in Kenya. The facility provides patient, flexible capital to ventures that have demonstrated early commercial traction but remain underserved by conventional grant and investment models. By combining catalytic finance with tailored venture support, the pilot aims to help entrepreneurs overcome critical growth barriers while generating evidence on financing models that can better serve early-stage climate ventures.

Our Approach

We started by identifying early-revenue circular enterprises facing clear financing constraints despite demonstrated market potential. Through venture diagnostics and due diligence, we work with each enterprise to understand its growth priorities, financing needs and capacity to absorb capital. We then structure patient financing around specific commercial milestones and combine it with tailored venture support. Throughout the pilot, we track enterprise performance, repayment dynamics and founder experience to understand which financing approaches best balance business growth, affordability and capital recyclability.

Activities

Outcomes

• 7 circular SGBs invested in
• USD 70,000 in capital deployed
• USD 20,000 in TA grants committed
• 7 entrepreneur-centred catalytic capital agreements signed

Overview

Circle Innovation and Welthungerhilfe convene the Zero Hunger & Climate Innovation Platform, a collaborative network for innovation and action across East Africa. The Platform brings together climate-focused startups, local communities, research and financial partners, industry leaders and public-sector actors to create the environment locally driven innovations need to grow into viable, scalable businesses. By combining Welthungerhilfe’s food systems expertise and deep roots in local communities with Circle Innovation’s business, climate innovation and market expertise, the Platform aims to advance zero hunger and climate resilience through strong collaboration that delivers real results.

Our Approach

We support innovations across their journey from ideation to growth, combining community-led validation with business development, market access and investment pathways. Starting with field-informed challenges, university ideas and private-sector technologies, we create opportunities to co- create with communities, experiment and test prototypes in real-world contexts. As solutions demonstrate potential, we support evidence creation, business modelling and early traction before connecting more mature ventures to strategic partners, financial service providers and investors.

Activities

Outcomes

• 24+ community members
• Second event co-created with 4 members
• 10+ partnerships facilitated
• 6+ innovations sandboxed