What Circular.co does

Circular.co (legally Circular Exchange, Inc.) is a San Francisco-based B2B procurement and sourcing platform focused on post-consumer recycled (PCR) and next-generation sustainable materials. Founded in 2022 by Ian Arthurs (former COO of TaskRabbit and Medium; ex-Google, ex-Airbnb), the company has built what it describes as the world's largest curated PCR technical database, aggregating 50,000+ records from 9,000+ global suppliers covering price, specifications, volume, and certifications. The platform digitizes a historically opaque and fragmented procurement workflow that previously required months or years of analog sourcing.

The product is organized into modular buyer workflows (Explore, Source, Procure, Manage, Portfolio) plus a supplier-facing platform. AI is applied across knowledge retrieval (ingesting and indexing supplier documentation into standardized, searchable data), recommendation/matching (connecting RFQs to vetted suppliers by spec, geography, compliance, price, and carbon footprint), and optimization (analyzing virgin plastic portfolios to propose spec modifications that broaden PCR matches and reduce cost). Named tools include the Circular Cohort Price Indices (transaction-derived pricing benchmarks) and the PCR Spec Heatmaps (visual deep analysis of material specifications). Partnerships with USPP, APR, and ReMA anchor the company in industry standards work.

Circular operates a hybrid revenue model combining subscription-based platform access with transaction-related fees, including a 2% no-bypass fee on direct buyer-supplier transactions occurring within 12 months of introduction. The go-to-market is enterprise sales-led with self-serve modules for buyer discovery and supplier onboarding via monthly webinars. Customer logos include Walmart, Coca-Cola, Schneider Electric, Stellantis, Braskem, and Danone. As of March 2024, the company had raised $10.5M in total funding (a $5.2M seed led by Eclipse and a $5.3M round from Eclipse, Maniv, and Oxygea), employs 11-50 staff, and reports $43M in Q4 2023 GMV and 570+ RFQs processed in 2024.

Name

Circular.co

Legal name

Circular Exchange, Inc.

Website

https://circular.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Circular.co is an AI-powered B2B procurement platform that digitizes sourcing of post-consumer recycled (PCR) and next-gen sustainable materials, connecting enterprise buyers with 9,000+ vetted global suppliers across 50,000+ technical records.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Materials Sourcing Platform

NAICS

Computer and Computer Peripheral Equipment and Software Merchant Wholesalers (42343)

SIC

Wholesale-Computers & Peripheral Equipment & Software (5045)

akta.pro primary industry

Asset Recovery, Surplus & Decommissioning Services (EUAIANAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Circularity Consulting & Program Management (EPR, Design-for-Circularity, LCA) (EUAIANAH)

Keywords

• Recycled materials sourcing
• Sustainable procurement platform
• PCR materials marketplace
• AI sourcing solutions
• Post-consumer recycled procurement

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Procurement Services Fees: Circular facilitates transactions between buyers and suppliers and charges fees for its services. The platform handles searching, sourcing, vetting, and onboarding process. A 2% fee applies if customers make direct purchases from suppliers introduced by Circular within 12 months without engaging Circular's services.
2. Platform Services: Search, Source, Procure, and Manage modules providing end-to-end sales facilitation between companies seeking to purchase recycled materials and suppliers. Circular prepares proposals outlining select suppliers' quotes and terms, and facilitates testing, onboarding, and contracting.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Circular.co operates an AI-powered B2B digital procurement platform that connects enterprise buyers with vetted global suppliers of post-consumer recycled (PCR) and other sustainable materials. The platform aggregates 50,000+ technical records from 9,000+ suppliers, enabling digital RFQs, supplier matching, transparent pricing benchmarks, and end-to-end workflow management from discovery through contracting, on a modular suite covering Explore, Source, Procure, Manage, and Portfolio functions.

Product overview

Circular.co is an AI-powered B2B sourcing platform for sustainable and next-generation materials (PCR plastics, metals, glass, paper, rubber). The platform operates as a modular system for both buyers and suppliers, comprising six interconnected modules: Explore (market discovery), Source (supplier matching/RFQ), Procure (testing, compliance, contracting), Manage (QA), and Portfolio (optimization). The Supplier Platform provides complementary access for material sellers. Built on proprietary AI technology, the platform aggregates data from over 9,000 global suppliers and 50,000+ technical records to enable digital sourcing of recycled materials in weeks rather than months or years.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Circular Platform for Buyers AI-powered B2B procurement platform for enterprise buyers to source post-consumer recycled (PCR) and other sustainable materials, comprising integrated modules for market discovery, supplier matching, digital RFQs, testing/compliance/contracting, QA management, and portfolio optimization across plastics, metals, glass, paper, and rubber.
• Supplier Platform Self-serve platform for PCR material recyclers and producers to claim and manage company profiles, access detailed market data, run competitive benchmarking, and connect with active global buyers sourcing recycled and next-generation materials.
• PCR Spec Heatmaps Analytical visualization tool within the Circular platform that lets buyers and suppliers perform deep spec analysis on any PCR material, surfacing which records and suppliers best match a given technical specification.
• Supplier Introduction Webinar Monthly live training and onboarding service teaching suppliers how to onboard onto Circular, including software demo, instructions for accessing global buyers, and free competitive benchmarking guidance.

Quantifiable outcome

• Average 11-20% savings on materials vs. market price
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• United States Plastics Pact (USPP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to harmonize resin technical specifications and drive sustainable packaging initiatives. Collaboration part of industry foundation-building efforts.
• Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partnership to harmonize resin technical specs and advance plastic recycling standards. APR represents the recycling industry voice.
• Recycled Material Alliance (ReMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to harmonize technical specifications for recycled materials across the industry.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Source Intelligence: Supply chain transparency and materials compliance platform helping brands trace raw materials and verify sustainability claims. Comparable to Circular in applying data-driven workflows to sustainable materials sourcing and supplier vetting.
• EcoVadis: Sustainability ratings platform with a global supplier network that scores and connects buyers with vetted sustainable suppliers. Highly comparable two-sided B2B model targeting enterprise procurement teams on ESG/sustainability, overlapping directly with Circular's buyer-supplier matching value proposition.
• IntegrityNext: Cloud platform for sustainable supply chain management that helps enterprises monitor supplier ESG compliance and risk. Directly comparable as a B2B SaaS connecting large buyers with their supply base on sustainability criteria.

Others

• Xometry: AI-driven B2B marketplace for on-demand manufacturing and custom parts. Not a sustainability peer, but highly comparable two-sided marketplace model using AI matching between enterprise buyers and a vetted supplier network — useful structural comp for Circular's marketplace economics.

Emerging players

• rePurpose Global: Plastic action platform enabling brands to fund plastic recovery and measure impact. Thematically related to Circular as a sustainability-for-plastics play aimed at CPG/enterprise buyers, but monetizes via credits rather than materials sourcing fees.
• CleanHub: Plastic action platform connecting brands with plastic recovery and recycling projects via credits and traceability. Adjacent peer operating in the same plastic circularity theme but using a credits/impact model rather than B2B materials procurement.
• Watershed: Enterprise carbon accounting and sustainability data platform. Adjacent to Circular through shared enterprise sustainability buyers and supply-chain emissions features, though focused on carbon reporting rather than materials matching.
• Measurabl: SaaS for ESG data collection, benchmarking and sustainability reporting for real estate and corporates. Comparable as a sustainability data platform sold into enterprise sustainability teams that overlap with Circular's buyer personas.

Broad incumbents

• Sphera: Established enterprise EHS, sustainability and supply-chain software suite. A broader incumbent than Circular, but competes for similar enterprise sustainability procurement budgets and provides overlapping supplier-risk and materials-data capabilities.
• Anthesis Group: Large sustainability consultancy with proprietary data and platform tooling for circular economy and supply-chain sustainability. Competes for enterprise circular-economy advisory and implementation budgets that often overlap with Circular's deals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/circularco

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors4 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Circular.co