With the support of the Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Transport of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, KNUW enables innovative start-ups to participate in the joint stand at the Circular Valley Convention.
By participating in the joint stand, KNUW offers start-ups access to a marketplace for circular expertise - from product design, production, logistics and use to collection, sorting and recycling. The international circular economy community meets at the trade fair. The event format consisting of conference, expo and events offers start-ups the best opportunities for marketing their solutions, exchanging knowledge, networking and cooperating to bring new ideas to the streets.
That's why you should visit us and our start-ups at the Circular Valley Convention:
- Conference: benefit from the knowledge of internationally renowned top speakers
- Expo: Experience the innovations of the circular economy and discover new impulses for your circular business
- Event: Take the opportunity to network and exchange ideas with industry leaders and up-and-coming start-ups
Get your 2-day or 1-day ticket with 200€/100€ discount with the code: KNUWCVC
KNUW Stage Slot
Dialogue "Green start-ups in NRW"
12.3. | 13:40 - 14:10 Uhr | Innovation Stage
Green start-ups and their innovations play a fundamental role in the sustainable transformation of the economy towards a green economy. North Rhine-Westphalia has been doing valuable pioneering work for over ten years with tailor-made support offers for green start-ups. At the Circular Valley Convention 2025, the Green Economy Network.NRW will present current support options for green start-ups and examples of good practice.
- Hartmut Schug, KNUW
Innovative Recycling Solutions form NRW - Important Enablers for Securing the Supply of Critical Raw Materials
13.3. | 16:15 - 16:45 Uhr | Innovation Stage
Improving the recycling rate of critical raw materials is one target set by the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act. The Green Economy Network.NRW has therefore identified 17 raw materials that are particularly critical for the land North Rhine-Westfalia, including silicon and silicon compounds. These are essential for PV modules or semiconductors, for example. At the Circular Valley Convention, the Green Economy Network.NRW will be presenting innovative solutions from NRW for a sustainable supply of critical raw materials on an industrial scale. Reiling PV-Recycling developed an innovative mechanical recycling process that allows for economic recycling of valuable materials such as silicon, glass and metals on an industrial scale. The new RECOSiC process paves the way for sustainable and circular synthesis of silicon carbide – a highly important and very demanding material whose end-of-life processes were so far limited to downcycling.
- Malte Fislake, Betriebsleitung Reiling PV-Recycling GmbH & Co. KG
- Matthias Hausmann, Geschäftsführer der ESK-SIC GmbH
- Marieke Eckhardt and Tim Bichlmeier, KNUW
Start-ups at the KNUW joint stand
INSULATE FOR GENERATIONS – sustainable, recyclable, durable
Aerolight GmbH has developed a purely mineral, high-performance insulating plaster with CERABRAN® AEROPUTZ. By using the high-tech material airgel, the extremely low thermal conductivity of λ 0.027 W(mk) is achieved. This enables a slim structure with significantly lower layer thickness than conventional thermal insulation composite systems. The minimum thermal protection is achieved with just 2 to 3 cm of insulation layer.
Website: aerolight.net
From Waste to Oil
carboliq GmbH has developed a process for oiling plastics of different fractions in which the necessary energy is introduced into the process exclusively through mechanical friction. This results in very low energy consumption for chemical recycling processes. With 100% renewable electricity, the process is also completely CO2-neutral. High yields of more than 80% can be achieved. The petroleum substitute product obtained is a virgin raw material that can be used, for example, to produce new plastic granulates. This can reduce the use of fossil raw materials in the plastics industry. These granulates are also suitable for the production of new, high-performance films that can be used for packaging demanding products with high quality and hygiene requirements.
Website: carboliq.com
Turn CO2 into value!
Co-reactive GmbH is a provider of solutions for converting carbon dioxide into mineral and pozzolanic products, which significantly reduce the CO2 footprint of building materials. Depending on the application, the use of these pozzolanic materials can partially or completely replace emission-intensive cement clinker and, due to their significantly negative CO2 footprint, enable CO2-neutral construction methods.
Website: co-reactive.com
HEAT ONLY WHERE YOU ARE – efficient, regenerative, smart
With fiorhome, Fior Familie GmbH has developed a heating carpet that can be used for zone-specific - and therefore sustainable and energy-saving - heating. The fiorhome heat zone reduces up to 90% of the heat energy by heating zones instead of whole rooms, i.e. 30% of the room area for up to 8 hours/day.
Website: fiorhome.de
electric vehicle and mobile power supply - innovative, environmentally friendly, mobile
With the Filmhybrid 30/60, kemama GmbH Co KG has developed a completely new and innovative system for mobile power supply for film and television productions. Based on a purely electric vehicle, a power supply system has been created that combines various energy resources in a unique way and processes them for power supply. The base vehicle is a Orten ET35 from Orten Electric Trucks. The central element is the 110 kWh battery of the electric vehicle, which is used both to drive the vehicle and to operate the inverters. If the purely electric resources are not sufficient or the battery charge level is running low, a 20 kVA range extender is switched on. The range extender is limited to 15kW for continuous operation, is operated with C.A.R.E. fuel and complies with the EU Stage V emissions standard. A photovoltaic system also supplies the control system and on-board electrics during longer downtimes. The FH30/60 has enough energy on board to continuously supply 30 kW for a 10-hour day of filming. Combined from battery capacity and C.A.R.E. fuel, this is 300 kWh (with AC feed-in correspondingly more). The peak continuous output is 60 kW.
Website: kemama.de
algorithms
Kumo Cloud Solutions GmbH optimizes business processes in various industries through the targeted use of artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced algorithms. Efficiently designed processes generate substantial added value for customers. SayHy is the innovative communication platform for customer service and sales. BrainBridge supports knowledge transfer in order to secure, structure and pass on knowledge within the company.
Website: kumo-cloud.com
reprint your logistics! 3d printing for automated and circular packaging
PALPRINT GmbH revolutionizes industrial logistics by offering a sustainable packaging solution through 3D printing technology, enabling businesses to automate the local creation of custom, reusable packaging from recycled materials, reducing costs, enhancing supply chain resilience, and ensuring compliance with environmental and legal standards (e.g. Circular Economy Action Plan CEAP).
Website:palprint.de
stopping ocean plastick pollution at scale
Plastic Fischer stops ocean plastic pollution by stopping it with simple technologies in rivers while creating local jobs. Organisations support Plastic Fischer's work as part of their CSR/Sustainability/Branding strategy.
Website: plasticfischer.com
Sustainable Aerogel textiles for high-performance applications
SA-Dynamics develops sustainable, high-performance insulation materials made from 100% cellulose aerogel fibers, offering a bio-based, biodegradable alternative to traditional fossil-fuel-based insulation products used in the textile and construction industries as initial markets. The advanced cellulose Aerogel fibre technology offers high-performance insulation with minimal weight and is easy to process using existing textile machinery, allowing seamless Integration into manufacturing.
Website: sa-dynamics.com
Reinvention of cosmetic sampling – sustainable, digital, circular
samplistick is a patented service innovation and offers retailers and manufacturers in the perfumery/drugstore, dermatology and hairdressing sectors the opportunity to create samples exactly when they are needed. They are packaged in a specially developed smart stick made from 100% recycled plastic. The sticks are recyclable and circular. The customer receives all information about the product digitally in the samplistick app. The special sticks are suitable for all common packaging types and textures, so that all desired products are actually available to try before buying.
Website: samplistick.com
MODULAR Smart Castle Houses – digital, circular, sustainable
SMART CASTLE is the modern construction of timber houses in a new dimension of efficiency and sustainability. SMART CASTLE relies on a fully digitalized production process that allows maximum design freedom and construction flexibility. The use of natural materials and compliance with the highest energy standards are as much a matter of course as the greatest possible integrity of the surrounding nature. SMART CASTLE combines the best of prefabricated house construction, smart home innovations and active sustainability efforts.
Website: smart-castle.com
New water repellent by a fluorine-free and recyclable yarn
The Octo yarn developed by Texterial GmbH is non-wettable and enables circular functional textiles. It adheres to ecological standards and bans fluorine-containing, environmentally persistent chemicals, it can be made from recycled materials and can itself be recycled at the end of its life. A surface made of Octo yarn is thermally insulating under water and has low frictional resistance; above water, Octo yarn is breathable. The non-wettability of Octo yarn is based on the effect of a water plant, which was analyzed and transferred to the yarn.
LinkedIn Page: linkedin.com/company/octogermany
If you have any questions, please contact Hartmut Schug.
Phone:+49 211 6214-365
E-Mail: schug@knuw.nrw
