Circle-8 Backs AI to Clean Up Textile Waste

Smart Money Meets Smart Sorting

In a strategic move to modernize recycling, Netherlands-based investment firm Circle-8 has poured funding into AI-powered textile sorting firm Syskins. The investment aims to scale up Syskins’ sophisticated technology, which uses artificial intelligence to identify and sort discarded clothing and fabrics by fiber composition and color with impressive speed and accuracy. This isn’t just about cutting-edge tech — it’s reshaping how the fashion industry manages post-consumer waste. By boosting efficiency in textile recycling, Circle-8 is equipping Syskins to meet the growing demand for circular fashion solutions.

A Timely Boost for Circular Fashion

Circle-8’s investment comes at a pivotal time, as the EU’s new waste directives and circular economy goals push for better textile reuse and recycling. Less than 1% of garments are currently recycled into new garments, largely due to sorting challenges — an issue Syskins’ AI tech hopes to eliminate. With textile waste volumes soaring globally, the need for scalable, tech-driven solutions is urgent. This partnership signals growing investor confidence in the role of artificial intelligence to help close the loop in fashion sustainability.