The Circular Economy
The CirculaRise Accelerator in Kenya supports growth stage social businesses to develop and scale inclusive circular solutions. Through our CirculaRise Accelerator Framework, we guide entrepreneurs in bridging the gap between economic viability, environmental responsibility and social impact and enable them to implement validated circular solutions.
CirculaRise Accelerator in Kenya
The CirculaRise Acceleratoris implemented by Yunus Environment Hub in different country contexts, adapting the program framework to local ecosystems while maintaining a consistent approach across implementations.
The second, third and fourth cohorts of CirculaRise Accelerator are running from 2025 – 2027. The programme is supported by the Employment promotion for women for the green transformation in Africa (WE4D) programme, which is funded by the German government and the IKEA Foundation and implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. It supports businesses that are driving circular economy solutions or are ready to integrate circular principles into their business models, with a particular focus on advancing women’s economic participation and leadership.
The Challenge
Kenya is facing increasing environmental pressure driven by unsustainable consumption patterns, resource depletion, and rising waste generation. A transition towards a circular economy is essential to address these challenges. For this transition to be effective and equitable, it must be inclusive and accessible to a broad range of economic actors.
Social businesses play a central role in driving this transition by combining entrepreneurial approaches with a clear social and environmental mission. Despite their potential, many social businesses in Kenya face persistent barriers, including limited access to finance, technical expertise, and markets, as well as the challenge of balancing impact objectives with financial sustainability.
Women entrepreneurs are often disproportionately affected by these barriers, facing additional constraints related to access to capital, visibility, and participation within the business ecosystem.
Our Solution
The CirculaRise Accelerator empowers businesses in Kenya to lead the transition towards a socially-inclusive circular economy. Through structured support, the program enables participants to innovate within the circular economy, strengthen their business models, and create green jobs for women.
Through 10 personalised coaching sessions across six months – half delivered on-site at your business premises, half virtual – local Kenyan experts work directly with founders on circular operations, gender-responsive growth strategies, and investor readiness. The program culminates in a graduation pitch day connecting participants directly to a Tier-1 Kenyan bank and other investors.
