Future Innovators: CoCircular, transforming waste into resources for greener construction
Selected by PATIO Campus in his program of Circular Economy, CoCircular is changing the rules of the game in construction by transforming waste into valuable resources. With an innovative approach, this startup works to prevent construction waste from ending up in landfills, promoting a recycling cycle that not only reduces the ecological footprint, but also offers new opportunities for the sector. Their vision of greener construction is paving the way for a future where sustainability and the circular economy are the norm, not the exception.
About CoCircular
· What is CoCircular and how would you describe it in a short and powerful sentence?
We are a cleantech company specialized in CIRCULAR waste management, which provides full traceability and multiple environmental impact metrics.
· What specific problem does it solve and why is it important?
In the world, between 7,000 and 10,000 million tons of waste are generated annually
In Spain, construction and demolition waste (RCD) accounts for 30% of the total waste generated. That translates into 37 million tons, equivalent to filling 1,250 times the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium with construction waste.
54% go straight to landfill, 13% are materials that are wasted during construction and only 30% of these RCDs are channeled through authorized entities. However, the sad reality is that, once in the management companies, 90% end up in landfills, since they cannot be recycled because they have not segregated this waste properly on site.
In terms of emissions, Spanish landfills emit 11 million tons of CO2 per year.
The construction waste sector in Spain is very opaque, and it is also not adapted to the guidelines of the Circular Economy, nor to current EU regulations. Neither does it have the right technological tools nor has the staff been qualified to face this challenge. Currently, the use of technology based on the circular economy is helping the industry to reduce pressure on natural resources and to achieve the EU's goal of climate neutrality by 2050.
Our experience shows that managing the entire life of a waste, from when it is generated in the company to when it is valued or reaches landfill, with our technology and advice, it is possible to achieve 92% of guaranteed valuation (well above the 70% required by the new Waste Law), making that enormous volume of waste re-enter the production cycle as recycled raw material. This separates the sector from the linear economy model and places it in the circular economy model. For this reason, it has been essential that we connect the entire value chain, with a total of more than 10,000 stakeholders mapped throughout the country. Only in this way can developers, construction companies, industrial companies, textiles, etc. be given good advice on what to do with their waste and where to move it for optimal recovery treatment.
The new legislation increasingly calls for transparency and traceability of what happens with each waste flow that is generated, and that is not feasible if advanced technologies such as the one we have developed at CoCircular are not used.
And last but not least, with proper waste management and with our technology, we can also quantify the tons of CO2 emissions and the m2 of landfill that are avoided with good waste management.
In other words, technology, training, circularity and environmental impact can constitute a virtuous circle with the use of tools and processes such as those we have introduced to the market and that companies such as Ferrovial, Habitat, Aedas, Sacyr, Dragados, Montepino, Goodman, Neinor, Metrovacesa, Construcia, Kronos or CBRE are already using.
· What makes CoCircular different from other existing solutions in the market?
We are a pioneering company in the waste sector, which is not difficult because this sector has traditionally been very opaque and has hardly experienced technological advances for decades.
· How did you validate the idea before launching it?
We pivoted several times, but the beginning was providing onsite consulting to construction companies.
· What is the biggest current challenge you face as a company?
Scale it up by diversifying it to other sectors and internationalize it.
· What long-term vision do you have for the startup? How do you imagine CoCircular in 5 years?
A leading company at European level in the circular management of all types of waste, both for the public and private sectors
The origin
· How and when did the idea come about? What led you to undertake: was it out of a personal or professional need?
The idea came up over coffee with Iker Marcaide, founder of zubi Labs, who was interested in starting a startup that could circularly manage construction waste. I had been working in the construction sector for 15 years and in the period just before I had started out in the textile sector, with a lot of focus on building a brand that would have a positive environmental impact, so after that coffee with Iker I was clear that this was a project for me.
· What anecdotes do you remember about the initial creation process?
I imagine like many entrepreneurs. A lot of trial and error. A lot of Kafkaesque situations. A lot of carelessness. It's not easy to invent a new business without having references to learn from...
· Why did you choose that name for the startup? Does it have any special meaning?
Yes, because circularity is at the core of everything we do...
About PATIO Campus
· How important has PATIO Campus or other ecosystems been in your development?
An extraordinary impact. For example, being born inside a Venture Builder has made our adventure a little easier. The advice of a well-established entrepreneur like Iker and the team he built at Zubi Labs was a big boost in the early years, just as being able to access centralized services or contacts with Business Angels undoubtedly make getting started easier.
Being in hubs like PATIO only expands our possibilities to continue growing and scaling CoCircular
· What do you value most about being surrounded by other entrepreneurs in a space like PATIO Campus?
Without a doubt the cross pollination, What do the English say!
· What advice would you give to someone who is thinking of joining PATIO Campus?
Well, the famous African proverb: “If you want Go fast Go alone, if you want Go far Go accompanied”
Future and closure
· What type of support, collaboration or investment are you looking for right now?
For us, it is key to desectorize our tool, which is why access to large corporations in sectors other than the construction sector provided by Patio is super attractive to us. We are also interested in raising capital within the corporate sector, as it is more aligned with our investment strategy than that of VCs.
· Any curious or fun facts about your startup?
That apart from having an absolutely environmentally impactful DNA, we are a company without a gender gap: with a founding team and a board at 50% and a team where women represent 68% of the workforce.
· Finally, where can you find more information about CoCircular (web, social networks, etc.)?
In www.cocircular.es It's all there! We're also on LinkedIn and on X.
