The Circular Start Up

The Circular Start Up is an 18-month programme designed to support passionate entrepreneurs in building circular economy solutions that benefit their communities.

Since launching, The Circular Start-Up has:

raised

£ 0 K

Landfill avoidance

0 kg

We delivered The Circular Start Up, an 18-month programme designed to support passionate entrepreneurs in building circular economy solutions that benefit their communities.

Redefining consumption through circular business models

Our current economic model is not sustainable for businesses, people, or the planet. The circular economy presents a powerful alternative—keeping resources, materials, and products in use for as long as possible to reduce waste and drive sustainable growth.

The Circular Start Up aimed to redefine business success by focusing on environmental and social impact. Through this programme, we empowered early-stage entrepreneurs to launch innovative solutions that address consumption and waste challenges.

Who we supported

We prioritised supporting individuals from underrepresented backgrounds, including those from minority ethnic groups, low-to-moderate income households, and those without university degrees. By doing so, we helped increase diversity within both entrepreneurship and the climate sector.

What participants received

1:1 Mentoring – Guidance from industry experts.
Peer Support – A strong network of like-minded entrepreneurs.
Networking – Access to a community of climate-focused organisations.
1:1 Coaching – Personalised business development support.
Workspace – Access to a collaborative coworking space in Central London.
Confidence – Empowering entrepreneurs to take their ideas forward.
Community – Building connections and shared learning opportunities.
Resilience – Strengthening entrepreneurial skills to overcome challenges.

Our impact

Since launching, The Circular Start-Up has:

Supported 50 business ideas in the pre-incubation phase.
Helped 70% of participants develop a structured business action plan.
Facilitated the formal establishment of 10 businesses, with 12 officially registered.
Enabled 63% of participants to gain clarity on their next business steps.
Guided 30 entrepreneurs through the incubation phase, providing advanced support.
Supported 85% of incubated businesses in successfully registering.
Helped 63% of participants secure their first customers.
Contributed to £99,000 in collective funding raised by five businesses.
Enabled seven businesses to divert 676kg of materials from landfills.

Many entrepreneurs with brilliant ideas to make the world a better place often find themselves navigating the journey alone. From the very beginning, Impact Hub gave me something invaluable: a community of like-minded people who, like me, are driven to build businesses that not only generate profit but also create meaningful social impact

The programme managers were amazing. They helped us shape our goals and held us accountable for them. When things were bad, you didn’t feel alone, someone was there egging you on and saying look it isn't that bad. Being an entrepreneur can be super lonely. Having people on that are on the same journey is important

It helped me gain the clarity I needed to better define my vision, and I've been able to go from a fuzzy idea to a much more concrete vision with a step-by-step plan of how to get there. I'm proud of the work I've done and I'm also doing this for my daughter, I want to set the right example for her and to help create a better world for her