Best Startup
At Best Startup UK we track over 130,000 UK startups and over 500,000 people who hold key positions in these companies. We use this directory of startups to highlight top employees, founders and board members we think deserve more appreciation than they are currently getting.
This list showcases the top United Kingdom based Founder operating in the Recycling space. If you think a Founder is missing from this list, feel free to contact our editor on editor@beststartup.co.uk.
The individuals on this list have been included because of exceptional performance in one of the following categories:
- Innovation – Operating as a key part in an extremely innovative business or startup.
- Growth – Operating as a key figure in the growth and upscale of a market leading business or startup.
- Management – Showing exceptional management skills.
- Societal impact – Putting their business on the map for their positive societal or environmental impact.
Our Data – We source our data from OSINT (open source intelligence) and public directories such as Companies House UK, Crunchbase, SemRush and many more. The data from these sources should be treated with a degree of caution and verified yourself.
Matthew Lumsden
Chief Executive Officer/Founder of Connected Energy
With 20 years experience in the low carbon energy and transport sectors, Matthew founded Connected Energy to commercialise a range of energy storage and control systems developed by parent company Future Transport Systems.
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About Connected Energy, Future Transport, Unreasonable: A pioneer of 2nd life electric vehicle battery based energy storage systems.
Arthur Kay
Founder of bio-bean
Arthur Kay is an award-winning designer and entrepreneur, the Co-Founder and CEO of bio-bean, an award-winning green energy company that recycles waste coffee grounds into advanced biofuels. Arthur came up with the idea for bio-bean whilst studying architecture at The Bartlett, UCL, and in two years has raised several million in financing, built the world’s first coffee waste recycling factory and a team of twenty. He currently holds positions on a number of boards associated with social enterprise and green entrepreneurship and is a Fellow of WIRED, the RSA and IoD. In 2013, Shell named him ‘the UK’s most Innovative Entrepreneur,’ he was appointed as a ‘London Leader’ by Mayor Boris Johnson, in 2014 he became one of NESTA’s ‘New Radicals’ and was named ’25 under 25 most influential Londoners’ by the Evening Standard. He was named the youngest ever Guardian Sustainable Business Leader of the Year in 2015.
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About bio-bean, Skyroom, UCL, United Nations Global Compact: bio-bean is a U.K.-based green company that offers its users with processes of recycling and waste management solutions.
Alexander Guslisty
Founder, CEO of BIG Atom
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About BIG Atom: Recycling company on a mission to end polymer waste. They develop, build and operate new generation infrastructure for processing waste.
Riccardo Segat
Founder & CEO of Amplio Group
During his career, Riccardo has worked on a number of private equity deals across Europe, which required international complex financial structuring. He was partner of AMP Private Capital a large international insurance company managing USD 2 billion of private capital in Europe, Asia and Australia. Prior to this, Riccardo was a Principal at Compass Partners, a USD 1 billion LBO fund focused on acquisition of non-core assets from large international corporations. Riccardo started his career in the Investment Banking group of Merrill Lynch in London and the Equity Capital Group at GE Capital.
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About Amplio Group, Envirogen Group, ReGen Future Planet: Amplio Group invests in renewable energy, alternative fuels, filtrations, recycling, environmental services and specialty care enterprises.
May Al-Karooni
Founder & CEO of Globechain
May Al-Karooni is the founder of Globechain – an award winning British reuse marketplace that connects corporates to charities and smes to redistribute free unwanted items, creating social impact data to its members. May previously worked within the investment banking and asset management industry, fundraising monies for venture capital, property and hedge funds for the last 10 years totaling over £120 million in funds raised. In 2013 May set up Globechain after seeing a demand for a new online circular economy within the waste management industry after her own employer expressed a need to reuse items in a more collaborative way. Globechain has gained huge momentum growing to 10,000 members with eBay as its mentors and securing contracts with some of the world’s largest brands as well as growing a large network of charities nationally and internationally. Globechain works within the retail, commercial and construction industry and last year diverted 5,100,000 kilos from landfill with items being re distributed within the UK as well as abroad as far as Sierra Leone, Guinea, Kenya, Libya and the Ukraine providing savings of over £1,500,000 to charitable causes.
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About Globechain: Globechain is a B2B reuse marketplace connecting businesses to charities, creating social impact data.
Adrian Griffiths
Founder & CEO of Recycling Technologies
Founder of RT in 2011. Previously a management consultant and engineer, Adrian has extensive commercial and technical experience in a variety of manufacturing sectors. He co-founded two successful UK businesses: OEE Consulting & Vendigital. Adrian holds a degree in engineering from Imperial College.
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About Recycling Technologies: Recycling Technologies specializes in waste management and engineering processes and helps customers achieve financial gains from waste.
Molawa Adesuyi
CoFounder & CTO of Recyclan
Tech entrepreneur passionate about building products and business that change lives
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About Recyclan: Tech Enabled Plastic Recycling Company
Mikela Druckman
Founder and CEO of Greyparrot
Mikela is the Founder & CEO of Greyparrot, a UK tech company using AI based computer vision to power next generation robotics and smart systems for waste management. Previously, she was CCO at Blippar, developing cutting edge computer vision and augmented reality products and partnering with global brands to deliver award-winning projects. She is a Global Future Council member at the World Economic Forum, providing thought leadership on emerging technologies including AI for the private and public sector. In 2018, Mikela was listed as “TopWomen50” in tech by WeAreTheCity. She is passionate about using new technologies to solve key challenges in our society.
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About Greyparrot: AI-based computer vision solutions to power next generation robotics and smart systems for the waste management industry
Philip Ellis
Co-Founder ,CEO & COO of Beryl
Phil is here to make sure that it happens. Phil approaches cycling with the same ripped down simplicity he does most outdoor pursuits, look good and go fast. In his case one or the other is usually achieved but rarely both. With a law degree, accountancy qualifications and consulting experience, Phil brings a triple threat of legal, financial and operational experience to Blaze.
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About Beryl: The UK’s leading micromobility company
Emily Brooke
Founder of Beryl
Emily is the Founder of Beryl, the UK’s leading micromobility company. Beryl sell their micromobilty operating system to leading transport operators (Eg. London’s Santander Cycles) and operate their own bike, e-bike and e-scooter systems. Currently in 6 UK cities, with an exclusive contract for New York, they typically operate under exclusive, funded and long-term contracts. Beryl designed and built their micromobility system in-house (on-bike IoT, proprietary backend operating technology stack, on-street operations etc) which allows them to tailor their offering to a city’s needs and become their fully-integrated, long-term, micromobility partner, as well as partnering with other technology operators to sell their technology and platform in markets they are not yet in. Beryl began as Emily’s final year university project in 2011, she founded the business a year later with the sole purpose; ‘to build a better world by getting more people in cities on bikes.’ Beryl started with a range of consumer cycling products and were first known for their Laserlight safety innovation; a front bike light with a green laser projecting the symbol of a cyclist ahead of the bike. This was later adopted by all of the 12,000 Santander Cycles in London, and Beryl then went on to provide the London Bike Share Scheme with all on-bike technology and supporting asset tracking software. Beryl are the only micromobility company that is a certified BCorp. Emily has won numerous awards, including the Veuve Clicquot Businesswoman New Gen Award and the Everywoman Woman of the Year, Bloomberg Innovator and in 2017 she was awarded an MBE from the Queen for her contributions to Transport and the Economy.
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About Beryl: The UK’s leading micromobility company
Vikas saluguti
Co-Founder and Director of Fourth Partner Energy
Vikas’ early career was spent as an investment banker with ABN Amro in Europe for over 10 years. Since his return to India, he has been a serial entrepreneur and investor in a variety of ventures in the area of water treatment, healthcare, IT and education. Vikas brings with him extensive experience in setting and scaling-up of businesses successfully.
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About Fourth Partner Energy: Fourth Partner Energy provides turnkey rooftop solar energy solutions for customers in India.
Anton Firth
Co-Founder & CTO of DyeRecycle
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About DyeRecycle: DyeRecycle develops an innovative dyeing fibers technology using recycled dye from textile waste.
Bruce Bratley
CEO and Founder of First Mile
Bruce Bratley is the Founder and CEO of First Mile.
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About First Mile: First Mile provide super simple, low cost recycling and waste services for businesses.
Peter O’Kane
Founder of PPP GROUP
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About PPP GROUP: PPP Group creates a ‘ReTyre’ process for purification and valorisation of carbon black from ELT pyrolysis.
Lara Stallbaum
Co-Founder and Head of Marketing of SWEDISH FALL
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About SWEDISH FALL: A better fashion brand that fights fashion waste by turning its customers into recyclers
Carlos Monreal
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Plastic Energy
Carlos Monreal is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Plastic Energy.
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About Plastic Energy: Plastic Energy offers a global and sustainable solution to prevent plastic pollution.
Matt Brookes
Founder of Selected Interventions
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About Selected Interventions: Transforming technology for large enterprises in the municipal and commercial smart waste collection sector
Harry Middleton
Co-Founder & Research Chemist of Ultromex
Harry Middleton has over 30 years’ experience in various technical and management roles in the chemicals and metals industry. Harry started his career at Permutit Ltd as a Research and Development Chemist, followed by a position at International Nickel. Harry spent 30 years at the global chemicals specialist, Johnson Matthey, as a Research Chemist, Development Chemist, Production Manager and Technical Sales Manager. During this time he invented the first cyanide gold plating electrolyte and the first ruthenium and iridium plating electrolyte. He worked on electrodesposition of platinum from fused cyanide for superalloy production for jet engines and electrowinning precious metals from very dilute waste streams. As Production Manager he was in charge of recovering all PGM losses from all aspects of production and improving cost saving in refining of all precious metals at the foundry and refiner within the company. He set up the infrastructure for the recovery of precious metals from industrial plants that used precious metal catalysts. During his time as Technical Sales Manager Harry looked after all aspects, worldwide, of selling the service of precious metals recovery from industrial chemical plants and managing all technical aspects of the service. Based in the UK, Harry is responsible for R&D and process development.
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About Ultromex: Ultromex develops processes for the recovery of high-value metals from electronic and industrial waste products.
Cyndi Rhoades
Co-Founder World Circular Textiles Day of Worn Again
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About Worn Again: Worn Again is a textile to textile recycling technology that can separate and recapture polyester and cotton from discarded.
Rosalie McMillan
Co-Founder and Director of Smile Plastics
Rosalie McMillan is the co-founder and director at Smile Plastics Ltd.
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About Smile Plastics: Smile Plastics manufactures hand-crafted panels from waste materials.
Lucy Hughes
Founder of MarinaTex
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About MarinaTex: MarinaTex manufactures and develops bioplastics and a biodegradable flexible film for home composting.
Rob Webbon
Founder and CEO of GRN Sportswear
Rob Webbon is the founder and CEO of GRN Sportswear.
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About GRN Sportswear: GRN Sportswear is a sportswear manufacturer out of recycled and sustainable materials.
Rob Webbon
Founder and CEO of GRN Sportswear
Rob Webbon is the founder and CEO of GRN Sportswear.
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About GRN Sportswear: GRN Sportswear is a sportswear manufacturer out of recycled and sustainable materials.
