HaPPE Earth has been announced as the overall winner of the inaugural All-Island Circular Venture Awards for late-stage start-ups and venture thats are shaping the future of circular business across Ireland.
The awards are led by Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) through CIRCULÉIRE and funded by the Department of Climate, Energy and Environment.
Cork-based HaPPE Earth has developed a solution to transform single-use PPE into a fully circular system, replacing plastics with compostable materials and converting waste into fertiliser.
The 10 shortlisted companies, including Arcology System, Biographene Innovations Ireland, BladeBridge, Circular Food Co, Ecoroots, Gemell Technology Limited, HaPPE Earth, Harp Renewables, Integrated Materials Solutions and Kinset Limited, pitched to a high-profile audience of investors, industry leaders, policy makers, and media to compete for a prize pool of €10,000.
The finalists represent sectors as varied as commercial fitout infrastructure, construction waste management, compostable PPE, biobased production and packaging solutions; repurposed wind energy infrastructure; digital enablement of circular processes; aerobic digestion; additional manufacturing for textiles; and upcycling of food residuals. Read more about the shortlisted firms below:
Gemell Technology was named first runner-up and Ecoroot was second runner-up.
Congratulating the three companies, Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) CTO Micheal Cassidy, said: "Today IMR celebrates these pioneers, and as a strategic delivery partner to the Government, we are committed to driving industrial-oriented circular innovation with many more companies like these over the coming years."
Regarding HaPPE Earth, Dr Geraldine Brennan, director of circular economy innovation at Irish Manufacturing Research, said: "Ireland's transition to a circular economy is not just an environmental imperative, it's a strategic opportunity to unlock innovation, create green jobs and build resilient economies and supply chains.
"Pioneering circular ventures represent the bold thinking and collaborative spirit needed to redesign production and consumption systems for a regenerative future. HaPPE Earth our winner, exemplifies this spirit at every level."