What Circle Sportswear does

Circle Sportswear is a French direct-to-consumer (DNVB) sportswear brand headquartered in Paris that designs and sells circular and sustainable premium athletic apparel, footwear, and accessories. Its product line spans technical t-shirts (€55–€95), shorts (€79–€150), leggings (from €44), running socks (€22–€29), running caps (€59), and the SNR running shoe (~€175), organized into four collections — Legend™ (high-performance), Essentiels (training), Everyday (recovery/lifestyle), and Keep The Flow (seamless yoga/Pilates) — with accessories and end-of-life services (shoe recycling and repair) completing the offer. Manufacturing is concentrated in Portugal (the SNR is the first midsole of its type produced there), with selective inputs from Italy, Poland, and the United States, and the brand operates a single flagship retail store at 1 rue de Marseille (75010 Paris) alongside its Shopify-powered e-commerce storefront.

The company's technical differentiation rests on proprietary bio-based material technologies: PLNT-FOAM™ (a 45% castor-seed-derived midsole foam produced via SuperCritical Foaming), ProWeave™ (a 50/50 Woolmark wool / TENCEL Lyocell upper manufactured in Italy and winner of the Prix Écologique Footwear at Performance Days in March 2024), a Mirum® natural-rubber outsole, and a reduced-adhesive construction enabling end-of-life disassembly. The brand carries a deep stack of third-party certifications — B-Corp (score 96.1 in March 2024 vs. a 50.9 average), Fairly Made (5/5 traceability), GRS, GOTS, Oeko-Tex Standard 100, Woolmark, and FSC — and explicitly avoids PFAS and waterproof membranes in its design philosophy.

Commercially, Circle Sportswear generates revenue almost exclusively through direct sales of physical goods via its owned website and single retail store, supplemented by digital gift cards (€25/€50/€75/€100). Pricing is fully published, free shipping applies in France from €85, and payment-in-3-installments is available. The company targets two horizontal consumer segments: recreational/enithusiast runners seeking technical apparel without greenwashing, and eco-conscious active-lifestyle consumers prioritizing verifiable sustainability credentials. It has raised approximately €6.5 million in cumulative venture funding across a 2021 pre-seed, a €2.5M seed in March 2022, and a €4M Series A in November 2023 led by Alter Equity, with Bpifrance participation in the seed. Distribution currently spans France and broader Europe, with e-commerce shipping also enabled to Switzerland, the UK, the USA, and Canada.

Name

Circle Sportswear

Legal name

Circle Sportswear

Website

https://circlesportswear.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Circle Sportswear is a French direct-to-consumer brand producing circular and sustainable premium running apparel, footwear, and accessories from bio-based and recycled materials, serving eco-conscious runners and active consumers primarily across France and Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Athletic Apparel

NAICS

Shoe Retailers (45821), Sporting Goods Retailers (45911), Footwear Manufacturing (3162)

SIC

Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600), Retail-Shoe Stores (5661), Footwear, (No Rubber) (3140)

akta.pro primary industry

Running & Endurance Wear (CRAAAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Athletic Footwear & Sport Apparel Retail (CRAMABAC), Athletic / Performance & Activewear Brands (CRAAAAAD), Athletic Footwear Manufacturing (Running/Training/Court) (IMAOAIAA)

Keywords

• Sustainable sportswear
• Athletic apparel
• Running shoes
• Recycled materials
• Performance clothing

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Product Sales (Apparel & Footwear): Circle Sportswear generates revenue through direct-to-consumer sales of sustainable running and athletic apparel, footwear, and accessories via its e-commerce platform and retail store. Product categories include T-shirts, shorts, leggings, sports bras, jackets, socks, caps, and running shoes (SNR). All products feature recycled or bio-based materials and are manufactured primarily in Portugal.
2. Gift Cards: Digital gift cards sold in €25, €50, €75, and €100 denominations, valid across the entire website with no minimum purchase and no expiration date.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Circle Sportswear designs, manufactures, and sells sustainable technical running apparel and footwear under its own brand, including t-shirts, shorts, leggings, sports bras, jackets, socks, caps, and the SNR running shoe. Products are sold direct-to-consumer through the company's own e-commerce site and a Paris retail store, with manufacturing carried out in Portugal using bio-based and recycled materials.

Product overview

Circle Sportswear is a French sustainable athletic brand founded in 2022 that produces technical running clothing and footwear made from recycled and bio-based materials, manufactured in Portugal. The product portfolio is organized into four main collections: Legend™ (high-performance technical gear for running and competition), Essentiels (versatile technical pieces for regular training), Everyday (comfort-focused clothing for pre/post-workout and recovery), and Keep The Flow (seamless apparel for moderate-impact activities like yoga). The company also offers the SNR (Supernatural Runner) bio-based running shoe featuring proprietary PLNT-FOAM midsole technology, various accessories including running caps and socks, plus services like repair and shoe recycling. All products emphasize sustainability through use of recycled polyester from plastic bottles, regenerated polyamide, TENCEL Lyocell, merino wool, and other eco-friendly materials, with manufacturing in Portugal and Poland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Legend™: High-end technical range for running and high-intensity performance, made from recycled Legend™ fabric (polyester from plastic bottles).
• Essentiels
• Everyday
• Seamless Keep The Flow

Products and services

• SNR Running Shoe Sustainable performance running shoe built around PLNT-FOAM™ plant-based midsole technology and reduced-adhesive construction, designed for eco-conscious runners seeking lower-impact footwear.
• Legend™ Collection Technical running apparel collection within the Circle Sportswear range, built for performance running use cases using the brand's sustainable material platforms.
• Essentiels Collection Foundational running apparel collection offering core, everyday technical pieces such as t-shirts, shorts, leggings, and sports bras.
• Everyday Collection Active lifestyle apparel collection designed for daily wear and light training, bridging performance running pieces with casual everyday use.
• Keep The Flow Collection Apparel collection using Mirum® plant-based leather alternative and ProWeave™ seamless knitting techniques for sustainable technical pieces.

Quantifiable outcome

• B-Corp score of 96.1 in 2024, significantly above the certified company average of 50.9
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• The Mills Fabrica / Fabrica XminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 January 2026Circle Sportswear was selected as one of 37 global exhibitors at the 'Performance without Toxicity' exhibition at Fabrica X innovation gallery near King's Cross in London. The five-month exhibition, presented by The Mills Fabrica, showcases non-toxic and sustainable alternatives for sportswear alongside brands including Vivobarefoot, Allbirds, Goldwin, Finisterre, and others.
• SoulCycleminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Circle Sportswear planned to partner with SoulCycle as part of its 2022 growth strategy following its seed funding round. The partnership was intended to support marketing, sales, and U.S. market expansion. The status of this planned partnership beyond 2022 is not confirmed in later sources.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Allbirds: Sustainable DTC footwear and apparel brand using natural and bio-based materials (wool, eucalyptus, sugarcane foam). Exhibited alongside Circle at Fabrica X's 'Performance without Toxicity' show — most directly comparable sustainable running/lifestyle brand at similar scale and price point.
• Vivobarefoot: UK-based minimalist/barefoot running and lifestyle shoe brand with a strong sustainability and bio-material narrative. Exhibited alongside Circle at Fabrica X, competes for the same eco-conscious runner and active consumer.
• Vuori: Premium DTC activewear brand for training, yoga, and running with a sustainability-led positioning. Comparable to Circle on performance apparel assortment, DTC model, and community-driven GTM at the premium price tier.

Broad incumbents

• On Running: Swiss high-performance running brand now dominant globally in premium road and trail running. Overlaps directly with Circle's SNR category but at vastly greater scale, brand recognition, and category breadth.
• Hoka: Performance running footwear leader (owned by Deckers). Targets similar road and trail runner demographics as Circle but with a much broader price-and-model lineup and global distribution footprint.
• Salomon: French-owned outdoor and trail running brand with a growing sustainable materials roadmap. Comparable to Circle on trail/road crossover, EU heritage, and premium positioning, but at much larger scale via Amer Sports.
• Patagonia: Outdoor and active apparel leader with the strongest sustainability and circularity reputation in the category (Worn Wear, B-Corp). Sets the benchmark Circle is benchmarked against on environmental credentials and product durability.
• Adidas: Global sportswear giant with a substantial sustainability line (Adidas x Parley, FUTURECRAFT loops). Competes with Circle in running footwear and apparel, with much larger scale and active sustainability marketing.
• ASICS: Japanese performance running footwear and apparel major. Direct overlap with Circle's road-running, marathon-trainer target customer and a growing sustainability messaging line targeting the same eco-conscious runner.

Emerging players

• Finisterre: UK-based sustainable outdoor apparel brand focused on coastal and active lifestyles. Exhibited alongside Circle at Fabrica X and competes in the same 'responsible activewear' segment with similar pricing and EU/UK reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/circlesporstwear/?originalSubdomain=fr
• Instagraminstagram.com/circle_sportswear/?hl=fr
• TikToktiktok.com/@circle_sportswear?lang=fr
• Xx.com/CircleOfficiel

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors3 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 Circle Sportswear