Circular

What Circular does

Circular (Circular Bv, Belgium, founded 2021, ~5 employees, headquartered in Gent) develops integrated circular economy systems for new and existing districts and business zones, built on its proprietary ZAWENT principle that simultaneously closes the loops of energy, water, and resources. The company co-develops and operates Circular Economy Service Companies (CESCOs) — local ESCO/WASCO vehicles — together with real estate developers, utilities, energy cooperatives, and municipalities, and supplies a proprietary energy management system, the Circular Energy Manager, jointly developed with OpenMotics. The Energy Manager is a modular, vendor-neutral platform that monitors and optimizes real-time energy flows across PV, batteries, heating, EV charging, and district heating assets, supports CSRD emissions reporting, and integrates with partner systems such as Powered by Zeno for smart EV charging. Its flagship reference implementation is the DuCoop CESCO at the De Nieuwe Dokken district in Ghent (~400 homes), with additional deployments at Tuinen van Eden in Wilrijk (195 homes, with Triple Living) and the Transfo Site pilot in Zwevegem (Energy Manager role with Intercommunale Leiedal).

Circular makes money through a mix of multi-year professional services engagements and managed services. Revenue streams include (1) CESCO development and ongoing management fees from co-developing the legal, financial, and governance structures with developers; (2) à la carte Circular Expert advisory services covering conceptual design, business modelling, legal assistance, technology selection, construction management, and exploitation support; (3) feasibility scans and masterplanning as lead-generation engagements; and (4) a SaaS-style subscription to the Circular Energy Manager, sold directly to facility managers and SMEs and indirectly through installer resellers. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with annual billing for the platform and multi-year contracts for project-based work. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales targeting large real estate developers and municipalities in Flanders and the Netherlands, supported by thought-leadership content, case studies, and participation in workshops including the LOGES Interreg series, Flux50 Smart Energy Academy, and Dag van de Energiegemeenschap. Customers and partners include SoGent (Stad Gent), Van Roey Vastgoed, Caaap, Triple Living, Intercommunale Leiedal, Farys, Energent, Fluvius, Ghent University, OpenMotics, Powered by Zeno, and primary investor Clean Energy Innovative Projects (CEIP).

Name

Circular

Legal name

Circular Bv

Website

https://circular-living.be

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Circular is a Belgian circular-economy developer that co-creates and operates district-level energy, water, and resource systems (CESCOs) with real estate developers and municipalities, supported by its proprietary Circular Energy Manager platform. It serves large developers, public entities, and utilities across Flanders and the Netherlands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Circular Economy & District Sustainability Services

NAICS

Utilities (22), Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211), Electric Bulk Power Transmission and Control (221121)

SIC

Electric Services (4911), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Circular Economy & Resource Efficiency (BPADALAM), Circular Economy & Sustainable Products (Reuse, Repair, Upcycling) (BPAGALAF), Residential DER Aggregation & VPPs (Solar+Storage, Smart Home, Community) (EUAFAHAA)

Keywords

• Circular economy services
• Energy management systems
• District sustainability development
• ESCO advisory services
• Real estate sustainability consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Gent

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. CESCO Development & Management (Circular Economy Service Company): Circular co-develops and manages Circular Economy Service Companies (CESCOs) with real estate developers. These CESCOs provide long-term energy, water, and mobility services to residents of new districts. Circular earns fees for setting up the structure and ongoing management. The CESCO generates steady cash flow as a shareholder, creating long-term value for Circular and the developer.
2. Circular Expert Advisory Services: A la carte professional services covering conceptual design, business model development, legal assistance, technology selection and due-diligence, construction management, end-user interaction, and governance. These are billed per engagement as professional services.
3. Feasibility Scans & Masterplanning: Circular offers feasibility scans that investigate the technological, legal, and financial framework for developing energy or water communities. This serves as a lead-generation and early-revenue engagement, with the potential to evolve into full CESCO development mandates.
4. Energy Manager Platform (SaaS-style): Circular's Energy Manager platform is offered to installers (who resell to end users) and directly to end users (SMEs, real estate/facility managers). Installers receive a full setup and follow-up service with no configuration required on their end. End users receive system checks, annual reviews, and optional simulations for optimization. The platform supports CSRD reporting and dynamic energy tariff integration.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Circular co-develops and manages Circular Economy Service Companies (CESCOs) for large-scale real estate districts, providing end-to-end services from feasibility and masterplanning through long-term operation. It delivers advisory services through its Circular Expert toolbox, builds and operates the proprietary Circular Energy Manager platform for real-time monitoring and optimization of district energy assets, and structures local energy and water communities (ESCOs/WASCOs) that create long-term cash flow and reduce total cost of ownership for developers and residents.

Product overview

Circular offers a suite of interconnected sustainability services for large-scale real estate developments. The core offerings include Circular Energy Manager (energy management system with real-time monitoring and optimization), Circular Expert (service toolbox for CESCO development and exploitation), Energy and Water Communities (district development services), and Energy Simulations (investment decision support). These products work together to enable developers to create sustainable districts with local energy and water services managed through Circular's EMS platform, with DuCoop serving as a reference operational implementation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Circular Energy Manager A proprietary, cloud-based, vendor-neutral Energy Management System that connects with PV, batteries, heating/cooling, and EV charging assets in a cyber-secure way. It provides real-time monitoring of energy flows, financial dashboards (cost savings), and CSRD-compliant emissions reporting, with optimization algorithms and predictive analytics. Offered to installers (reseller model) and directly to facility managers, energy managers, and SMEs in food, construction, horticulture, and real-estate sectors.
• Circular Expert A la carte service toolbox supporting the development and exploitation of local energy and water communities. Covers conceptual design, business model development, legal assistance, technology selection and due-diligence, construction management, end-user interaction, governance, and exploitation support. Sold as professional services engagements to real estate developers and public-sector clients.
• Energy and Water Communities Services for organizing energy or water flows among different buildings to create added value and minimize total cost of ownership, helping real estate developers comply with sustainability regulation and unlock new revenue streams through local ESCO/WASCO structures. Co-developed with developers and supported by the Circular Energy Manager platform.
• Energy Simulations Accurate decision-support simulations that help stakeholders evaluate the potential of energy assets and optimize renewable energy investments, supporting investment and operational decisions for energy communities and district projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• De Nieuwe Dokken achieves annual reuse of >30,000 m³ of city water (>90% of total consumption)
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Intercommunale LeiedalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Intercommunale Leiedal is a key partner in the Transfo Site project in Zwevegem. Circular was appointed as Energy Manager for the site in autumn 2024, managing the DC smart grid, CHP, batteries, EV charging, and overall system optimization. Leiedal is the site owner and project initiator.
• OpenMoticscoreTechnology or IntegrationCircular partnered with OpenMotics to develop its own proprietary energy management system. OpenMotics is an open smart home/building automation platform. This technology partnership gives Circular full control over its EMS stack and enables seamless integration with the Circular Energy Manager platform.
• DuCoopcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDuCoop is the first Circular Economy Service Company (CESCO) for a district in Europe, developed by Circular in tandem with real estate developers Van Roey Vastgoed and Caaap for the De Nieuwe Dokken district in Ghent. Circular developed and now supports the operation of DuCoop, which provides local services for energy, water, mobility, and waste. Circular is also a management partner for DuCoop.
• FaryscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFarys is the local water utility and a shareholder of DuCoop. Farys provides water treatment plant management, grey water collection system, IT network, and 24/7 online monitoring of DuCoop's systems throughout the building and operational phases.
• EnergentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnergent is a local energy cooperative in Ghent and shareholder of DuCoop. Energent provides expertise on the energy part (solar panels, sustainable heating solutions) and supports decision-making regarding energy and mobility as a stakeholder in the DuCoop cooperative.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Arcadis: Global design and consultancy firm with sustainability, energy transition, and water practices serving real estate and public-sector clients — comparable as a broader competitor with deeper resources in district-scale projects.
• Schneider Electric (EcoStruxure): Global energy management and automation vendor with EcoStruxure platforms serving buildings and districts — a broader incumbent offering competing EMS and DER integration capabilities to facility managers and developers.
• ENGIE: European energy major with deep local-energy-community and ESCO programs in Belgium/France — comparable as a utility-side counterpart that could partner with or compete against Circular for CESCO mandates.
• Veolia: Global environmental services and circular economy operator with district heating, water reuse, and resource recovery capabilities — comparable to DuCoop's integrated district utilities and Circular's ZAWENT framework.
• Drees & Sommer: Large European real estate and infrastructure consultancy offering sustainability, energy, and district development services — a broad incumbent with overlapping capability in district-level energy and circular advisory.
• Sweco: European engineering consultancy with strong Benelux presence covering energy, water, and sustainable district design — a broad incumbent competing for the same developer and municipal mandates as Circular.

Direct peers

• Metabolic: Dutch circular economy consultancy that advises governments, developers, and businesses on circular district strategies, materials flows, and sustainability transitions — directly comparable to Circular's Circular Expert advisory offering.
• Bopro: Belgian sustainability and ESG consultancy supporting real estate developers with BREEAM, energy, and circular economy advisory — comparable because Bopro targets the same Belgian developer/municipality buyer for district-level sustainability mandates.

Others

• Flux50: Flemish smart energy cluster that runs the Smart Energy Academy and convenes Circular's partners (Leiedal, Fluvius, Ghent University) — not a direct competitor but an ecosystem enabler and channel where Circular runs workshops and lead-generation events.

Emerging players

• Enervalis: Energy management platform company focused on local energy communities and DER optimization — comparable to Circular's Circular Energy Manager for vendor-neutral, asset-independent EMS functionality.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/circularliving

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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