Nairobi’s circular economy entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers gathered this week for the Circular Economy Innovation Cluster (CEIC) Connect Forum, spotlighting ventures turning waste into value and reshaping Kenya’s sustainability agenda.
The forum also marked the unveiling of the Circular Venture Blueprint: ESO Principles, a collaborative guide co-created by 14 organisations from Nairobi and Bengaluru.
The blueprint provides practical tools for supporting ventures that merge environmental sustainability with commercial growth.
“Here in Nairobi, we are witnessing entrepreneurs reimagine what’s possible even in cities where policies and infrastructure are designed for linear economies,” said GrowthAfrica Managing Director and Co-Founder Patricia Jumi.
She added: “CEIC has proven that building innovation clusters — not just supporting individual ventures — creates the conditions for systemic change.”
Over the past three years, the CEIC programme has helped entrepreneurs integrate circular practices into sectors such as waste management, renewable energy, and sustainable food systems, while connecting them with investors and policymakers.
The Circular Venture Blueprint outlines three guiding principles:
• Develop circular capacities — equipping ventures to communicate circular value in markets built for linear models.
• Build ecosystem connections — fostering collaboration across value chains, from informal workers to corporates.
• Turn monitoring into learning — transforming data tracking into shared insight and ecosystem growth.
“The Blueprint captures hands-on experience and tools for supporting circular start-ups,” stated Climate KIC Entrepreneurship Orchestrator Emily Amann.
She added: “By joining forces across cities and continents, we can help entrepreneurs showcase not just their environmental and social impact, but their power to drive systems change.”
Since 2023, the CEIC initiative has enhanced capacity across entrepreneurs, enterprise support organisations, and county governments, contributing to growing investments in circular businesses and improved market access for ventures operating in linear economies.
Participating ventures include Kiseki Limited, EcoPrint Generations, Pure Plant Organics, Rware Waste Dealers, and The Shaba, among others, with each redefining how sustainability and profitability intersect in Africa’s fast-growing green economy.
