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- What early-stage investors look for in circular founders
What early-stage investors look for in circular founders
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 | With access to capital still a major hurdle for startups in Africa’s circular economy, investors at the Delta40 Bestseller Foundation Circular Economy Scale Summit in Nairobi outlined what they look for when evaluating founders. These include expertise, strong teams and a clear understanding of the problem their innovations seek to solve. |
Expertise emerged as a key quality, highlighted by investors as a major determinant of whether founders can successfully navigate challenges and build scalable circular economy ventures.
The investors believe that if these gaps are addressed, founders would be better positioned to inspire investor confidence and attract funding.
Our take: Open conversations are instrumental in helping African circular economy entrepreneurs navigate the challenging dynamics of building startups… Read more (2 min)
 | Amsterdam-based DOEN Foundation, an early-stage impact fund supporting initiatives in the Netherlands and Eastern Africa, is deepening its commitment to the continent’s circular economy. According to the foundation’s Programme Manager, Coen Persijn, the region’s innovation landscape signals a growing readiness to embrace circularity. |
The Foundation provides catalytic funding in the form of grants debt, and convertible grants to impact initiatives focused on regenerative sectors such as the blue economy, regenerative agriculture, renewable energy and the circular economy.
According to Mr Persijn, Africa’s circular transition hinges on collaboration and knowledge-sharing across the ecosystem, which are essential to unlocking growth and building long-term resilience in the sector.
Find the full conversation here (2 min)
 | Africa’s circular economy sector is largely dominated by startups, with entrepreneurs transforming waste into opportunity. At the recent Delta40 Bestseller Foundation Circular Economy Scale Summit in Nairobi, several entrepreneurs showcased how Africa’s waste can be turned into scalable solutions. |
We feature four innovations that reimagine waste streams as valuable assets for construction, farming, consumer goods and technology.
The ventures have been part of the 6-month Delta40 x Bestseller Foundation Circular Economy Innovation Program, designed to accelerate breakthrough circular economy solutions across Africa.
Our take: The journeys of these startups demonstrate both the ingenuity driving Africa’s circular economy and the structural gaps that still hinder scale…Read more (2 min)
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Bestseller Foundation’s Impact Director at the Delta40 Circular Economy Summit
Events
🗓️ Network at the Africa International E-Waste Conference in Kenya (October 16)
🗓️ Participate in the Nature and Circularity Week in South Africa (October 20)
🗓️ Sign up for the South Africa Circular Summit (October 23)
Jobs
🧑💼Supervise logistics at Rent-A-Drum (Namibia)
🧑💼 Work as Site Supervisor at Rent-A-Drum (Namibia)
🧑💼 Serve as Branch Administrator at Rent-A-Drum (Namibia)
🧑💼 Be the next Health and Safety Officer at Rent-A-Drum (Namibia)
🧑💼 Lead technical waste operations at Copper Quail (South Africa)
🧑💼 Support the design of waste infrastructure at VHW (Burundi)
🧑💼 Work as circularity consultant at ITU (Africa)
Various
❌ Gabon bans single use plastic bags in supermarkets
🏭 Accra to get 100-tonne plastic waste plant
🏅 Climate-tech engineer recognised by UNEP for circular economy innovation
🎒 Z-Sustainability Lab 2025 announces waste management training opportunity
🏄🏽♀️ Tema's coastline is overwhelmed by plastic waste and hazardous contaminants
Seen on LinkedIn
Krishna Murty, a sustainability entrepreneur says, “The circular economy is fast becoming the backbone of sustainable agriculture and renewable energy across Africa, and biogenic CO₂ utilization sits at the heart of this transformation. By integrating biogas upgrading, cassava-to-ethanol fermentation, and microalgae cultivation, we can convert waste carbon into new value—powering food security, climate action, and rural livelihoods.”