Ellen MacArthur Foundation

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).

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

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

• Circular economy research
• Sustainability consulting
• Corporate network programs
• Environmental policy advocacy
• Circular business frameworks

Headquarters

HQ city

Cowes

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. Philanthropic trusts and grant funding: Funding from philanthropic trusts, grant awarding bodies, and individual donors supporting the foundation's charitable objectives.
3. 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

Core 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

Named customers15 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Circular Economy Coalition for Latin America and the CaribbeancoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 June 2026The 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 InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 March 2026The 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 GoodcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 March 2026Fashion 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.
• AmazoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmazon is a Strategic Partner of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation network, collaborating on circular economy initiatives as a champion of the circular economy.
• BlackRockcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlackRock is a Strategic Partner collaborating with the foundation on circular economy as a champion partner sharing in successes.
• CATLcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCATL 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.
• DanonecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDanone 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.
• NestlécoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNestlé 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.
• UnilevercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnilever is a Strategic Partner collaborating with the foundation on circular economy transformation across consumer goods sectors.
• VisacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVisa is a Strategic Partner working with the foundation on circular economy initiatives as part of its sustainability efforts.
• SC JohnsoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSC 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 ForumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe 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

Direct 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

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/made2bemadeagain
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/2387305
• Instagraminstagram.com/ellenmacarthurfoundation
• Xx.com/circulareconomy
• Facebookfacebook.com/EllenMacArthurFoundation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments1 record

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Frequently asked questions about Ellen MacArthur Foundation