Ellen MacArthur Foundation
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation is a UK-registered charity founded in 2010 that accelerates the transition to a circular economy through research, network convening, and policy advocacy, serving corporations, policymakers, and educational institutions globally across critical minerals, plastics, and fashion.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersCowes, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Ellen MacArthur Foundation does
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF) is a UK-registered charity (No. 1130306) founded in 2010 by Dame Ellen MacArthur following her solo circumnavigation sailing record. It operates as a knowledge-based intermediary accelerating the global transition to a circular economy, with the stated objective of eliminating waste and pollution, circulating products and materials at their highest value, and regenerating nature. The Foundation's core offering is its circular economy network and research output rather than any technology product; it has no software platform, API, or proprietary technology stack and serves as a thought-leadership and convening organization rather than a vendor.
Its operational model is built around three strategic mission areas aligned with global trends — critical minerals, plastics, and fashion — and a fourth cross-cutting policy stream. Core deliverables include research reports and policy frameworks (over 20 publications plus books), a tiered Network of Strategic Partners, Partners, and Members, the Global Commitment 2030 multi-stakeholder plastics initiative, the Circulytics company-level circularity measurement tool, the Network Portal/Community Platform connecting 1,000+ organizations globally, and educational curricula plus The Circular Economy Podcast. There is no proprietary software, API, or AI product.
Revenue is generated through three streams: corporate partnership and network membership fees (Strategic Partners, Partners, and Members pay tiered, application-based fees), philanthropic grants and trust funding (e.g., People's Postcode Lottery, Schmidt Family Foundation), and Strategic Partner collaboration fees. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. Strategic Partners include Amazon, BlackRock, CATL, Danone, Nestlé, Unilever, Visa, and SC Johnson; Partners include Google, H&M Group, IKEA, Inditex, L'Oréal, SAP, LEGO Group, TOMRA, DHL, Volvo Cars, JLR, and Microsoft. Legal entities include the UK charity, Ellen MacArthur Foundation Trading Limited (UK private limited), and Ellen MacArthur Foundation ANBI (Netherlands).
Ellen MacArthur Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ellen MacArthur Foundation
- Legal name
- Ellen MacArthur Foundation
- Website
- https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- The Ellen MacArthur Foundation is a UK-registered charity founded in 2010 that accelerates the transition to a circular economy through research, network convening, and policy advocacy, serving corporations, policymakers, and educational institutions globally across critical minerals, plastics, and fashion.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ellen MacArthur Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sustainability and Circular Economy Research
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Circular Economy & Resource Efficiency (BPADALAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM), International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH), Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI)
Keywords
Where Ellen MacArthur Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cowes
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Ellen MacArthur Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Corporate partnerships and memberships: Revenue from Strategic Partners, Partners, and Members who pay for network membership and collaboration opportunities with the foundation's circular economy initiatives.
- Philanthropic trusts and grant funding: Funding from philanthropic trusts, grant awarding bodies, and individual donors supporting the foundation's charitable objectives.
- Strategic partner fees: Strategic Partners pay for the privilege of collaborating on multiple areas and sharing in successes with the foundation.
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels10 records
Ellen MacArthur Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation is a UK-registered charity that accelerates the transition to a circular economy through three strategic missions (Critical Minerals, Plastics, and Fashion). It produces thought-leadership publications and reports, runs a tiered global corporate Network (Strategic Partners, Partners, Members), operates the Circulytics measurement tool, and convenes the Global Commitment 2030 initiative to eliminate plastic waste.
Product overview
Ellen MacArthur Foundation is a charity and non-profit organization (not a technology company) focused on accelerating the transition to a circular economy. The Foundation operates three strategic mission areas: Critical Minerals, Plastics, and Fashion. Its core offerings include research publications and reports (such as the EV Battery whitepaper with CATL, Circular for Nature blueprint, and Policy Levers for Resale and Repair), a Network program connecting businesses at Strategic Partner, Partner, and Member tiers, the Circulytics measurement tool, the Global Commitment 2030 initiative for plastic waste elimination, educational resources and curricula, and the Circular Economy Podcast. The Foundation also coordinates industry coalitions for policy advocacy, such as the EU Circular Economy Act campaign involving LEGO Group, SAP, and TOMRA. The organization does not offer software products or APIs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Circular for Nature blueprint estimates $10 trillion annual commercial opportunity by 2030 from transitioning to bio-based circular economy
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Ellen MacArthur Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Ellen MacArthur Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Ellen MacArthur Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Circular Economy Coalition for Latin America and the CaribbeancoreThe foundation and the Circular Economy Coalition for Latin America and the Caribbean launched the 'Circular for Nature' blueprint, establishing a strategic framework for integrating bio-based materials into circular economic systems.
- REMADE InstitutecoreThe REMADE Institute partnered with the foundation to host the 2026 Circular Economy Technology Summit & Conference in Washington, D.C. featuring about 50 innovations focused on reuse, remanufacturing, recovery, and recycling of critical materials.
- Fashion for GoodcoreFashion for Good launched the Stretching Circularity initiative on 12 February 2026, a collective to test and validate lower-impact elastane alternatives for circular textile supply chains.
- AmazoncoreAmazon is a Strategic Partner of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation network, collaborating on circular economy initiatives as a champion of the circular economy.
- BlackRockcoreBlackRock is a Strategic Partner collaborating with the foundation on circular economy as a champion partner sharing in successes.
- CATLcoreCATL and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation jointly published a landmark whitepaper at the 2026 World Economic Forum on circular EV batteries. CATL operates over 1,000 battery swap stations and achieves 99.6% recovery rates for critical minerals. Partnership aims to decouple 50% of new battery production from virgin raw materials by 2045.
- DanonecoreDanone is a Strategic Partner that renewed its endorsement of the 2030 Global Commitment and has achieved 85% reusable, recyclable, or compostable packaging. The company advocates for a global treaty on plastics.
- NestlécoreNestlé is a Strategic Partner committed to circular packaging with 86.4% of plastic packaging designed for recycling against a target of above 95% by 2025.
- UnilevercoreUnilever is a Strategic Partner collaborating with the foundation on circular economy transformation across consumer goods sectors.
- VisacoreVisa is a Strategic Partner working with the foundation on circular economy initiatives as part of its sustainability efforts.
- SC JohnsoncoreSC Johnson is a Strategic Partner that surpassed its virgin plastic reduction goal and increased recycled content per the Global Commitment 2025 Progress Report.
- World Economic ForumcoreThe foundation released its circular EV battery report at the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos, collaborating on circular economy policy and industry transformation.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Ellen MacArthur Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Circle Economy: Amsterdam-based nonprofit publishing the Circularity Gap Report and a global Circular Economy network; one of the most directly comparable organizations to EMF in mission, network model, and circular-economy thought leadership.
- Fashion for Good: Amsterdam-based nonprofit launching the Stretching Circularity initiative with EMF; operates a fashion-specific innovation platform, corporate partnerships, and textile circularity programs targeting the same fashion brands as EMF's Fashion Initiative.
- REMADE Institute: U.S. R&D institute co-hosting EMF's 2026 Circular Economy Technology Summit; shares EMF's focus on reuse, remanufacturing, recycling, and recovery of critical materials with overlapping industry and government partners.
- Sitra: Finnish Innovation Fund and a founding force in mainstreaming the circular economy; comparable public-interest fund that funds research, convenes stakeholders, and shapes Nordic/EU circular-economy policy in parallel to EMF.
- GreenBlue: U.S. nonprofit working on packaging circularity and materials recovery with corporate coalitions; overlaps with EMF's Plastics Initiative and shares a foundation/corporate-member funding model.
Broad incumbents
- BSR (Business for Social Responsibility): Global nonprofit consultancy that convenes Fortune 500 companies on sustainability strategy including circular economy; comparable network-and-advisory model aimed at the same corporate buyer persona but with broader sustainability scope.
- World Economic Forum: International organization that hosts EMF's circular EV battery whitepaper launches at Davos; overlapping networks of global CEOs and policymakers but with a broader sustainability/geopolitical mandate.
- World Resources Institute (WRI): Global research nonprofit producing influential circular-economy and climate research for governments and corporates; similar funding model (philanthropy + strategic partnerships) and comparable research-publication influence at scale.
- Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI): U.S. clean-energy think tank with growing circular-economy and materials work; comparable foundation-led, donor-and-corporate-funded model producing influential reports for energy and industrial transformation.
Emerging players
- Material Economics: Stockholm-based consultancy producing seminal circular-economy economic modeling and Big-Bet reports; overlaps with EMF's analytical remit but operates as a paid advisory firm rather than a nonprofit network.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Ellen MacArthur Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceEllen MacArthur Foundation compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Ellen MacArthur Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ellen MacArthur Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Ellen MacArthur Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Ellen MacArthur Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments1 record
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Frequently asked questions about Ellen MacArthur Foundation
What does Ellen MacArthur Foundation do?
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation is a UK-registered charity that accelerates the transition to a circular economy through three strategic missions (Critical Minerals, Plastics, and Fashion). It produces thought-leadership publications and reports, runs a tiered global corporate Network (Strategic Partners, Partners, Members), operates the Circulytics measurement tool, and convenes the Global Commitment 2030 initiative to eliminate plastic waste.
Is Ellen MacArthur Foundation a public or private company?
Ellen MacArthur Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Ellen MacArthur Foundation founded?
Ellen MacArthur Foundation was founded in 2010. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Ellen MacArthur Foundation based?
Ellen MacArthur Foundation is headquartered in Cowes, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Ellen MacArthur Foundation make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Corporate partnerships and memberships are the primary driver. The others are philanthropic trusts and grant funding and strategic partner fees.
Who are Ellen MacArthur Foundation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Circle Economy, Fashion for Good, REMADE Institute, Sitra and GreenBlue. Broad incumbents are BSR (Business for Social Responsibility), World Economic Forum, World Resources Institute (WRI) and Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI). Material Economics is listed as an emerging player.
Does Ellen MacArthur Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
What industry is Ellen MacArthur Foundation in?
Ellen MacArthur Foundation's product category is Sustainability and Circular Economy Research. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADALAM, Circular Economy & Resource Efficiency, with a secondary code of BPAGAKAM, Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations. Its NAICS code is 813211.