Ten Promising Businesses Selected For Level 2 Of The Circular Innovation Cohort 2025 Under Upaya’s Dignified Jobs Accelerator

Press Release

Jul 21

Written By Upaya

Bangalore, India | July 22, 2025

Upaya Social Ventures, in partnership with Global Business Inroads and rePurpose Global, has announced the ten enterprises selected for Level 2 of the 2025 Circular Innovation Cohort under the Dignified Jobs Accelerator. This program supports mission-aligned enterprises creating dignified jobs while tackling environmental challenges in India’s circular economy particularly across plastics, and textile & fashion waste value chains.

The Circular Innovation Cohort is designed to strengthen the “first mile” of the waste supply chain by accelerating enterprises working with sanitation workers, rural communities, and underserved populations. The 2025 cohort marks the ninth edition of Upaya’s flagship accelerator program.

The accelerator is structured in two stages. Level 1, completed earlier this year, brought together 60 early-stage enterprises through a three-month virtual learning experience that included expert sessions, masterclasses, and peer learning. Now, 10 promising enterprises have been selected to move forward into Level 2, a high-touch, six-month capacity-building program designed to help them grow and raise capital.

The ten enterprises selected for the Level 2 cohort are:

2nd Innings Handicrafts Pvt. Ltd. (I was a Sari): A zero-waste circular fashion brand repurposing preloved saris into accessories, empowering over 650 women artisans and diverting 1.7 million sq. meters of fabric waste.
Artitech (Kosha.ai): A deep-tech platform offering supply chain traceability and a low-cost near-infrared (NIR) device to identify textiles and plastics for recycling.
Baeru Environmental Services: Coastal waste managers engaging communities and fishermen to remove ocean plastic and run material recovery facilities.
Kadam Haat Basketry Barn Pvt. Ltd.: An Indian multi-fiber brand working with rural makers and sequestering carbon through regenerative grass cultivation.
North East Granulators: Manufacturers of cement packaging bags using more than 50% recycled plastic, helping large industries cut virgin plastic use.
RDRKD Rubber and Plastic Industry Pvt. Ltd. (Comfy Footwear): Transforming rubber and plastic waste into sustainable footwear and clean materials.
Reed Agri Waste Innovations (Sunbird Straws Brown): Creators of 100% biodegradable straws from coconut leaves, providing rural livelihoods and cutting plastic use.
Saltech Design Labs: Innovators using patented tech to recycle plastic and industrial waste into materials for sustainable construction.
Swachh Sustainable Solutions Pvt. Ltd. (ReCircle): Transforming waste into resources while supporting 3,500+ Safai Saathis through circular solutions like ClimaOne and Plastic EPR services.
Swapeco Solutions Pvt. Ltd. (ScrapUncle): A digital doorstep scrap pickup platform making India’s informal waste economy transparent and traceable.

Through Level 2, entrepreneurs will receive one-on-one, tailored support, in global market expansion, technical capacity building, impact measurement and fundraising. They will also gain exposure to a network of investors, technical experts, and circular economy champions to support their growth and mission.

This program is made possible through support from the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) at the Aspen Institute and IKEA Foundation, under the Investment Innovation Fund, a global effort to expand access to capital for waste and circularity enterprises in India and Kenya.

To learn more about the Dignified Jobs Accelerator and Upaya’s work to build inclusive circular economies, click here.

ABOUT UPAYA SOCIAL VENTURES:

Upaya Social Ventures is a nonprofit organization building an inclusive economy by providing investment and support to early-stage businesses creating dignified jobs for people living in the most extreme poverty.

Upaya’s award-winning, impact-first model seeks out and supports oft-overlooked companies creating work that is safe, stable, inclusive, and rewarding—generating a transformative impact on families, communities, and economies.

Since its founding in 2011, Upaya’s portfolio companies have created over 50,000 dignified jobs across India. Please visit upayasv.org for more information.