Circular Austin Showcase and Accelerator Programs
The City of Austin offers two tracks to support circular entrepreneurs and small to mid-sized enterprises.
- The Circular Austin Showcase track offers established circular economy businesses and entrepreneurs the opportunity to compete for a cash prize in May each year.
- The Circular Austin Accelerator track helps early and idea-stage entrepreneurs improve their circular business ideas through a program of workshops.
Get notified when applications reopen
2026 Event Information
The public is invited to attend the Circular Austin Showcase pitch event from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, May 14, 2026! It will be held at The Cathedral: 2403 East 16th St., Austin Texas 78702. Refreshments provided. Register here for your free tickets.
Attendees can expect to meet business owners and learn how to get involved in Austin's circular economy. Four small businesses will pitch to judges for a chance to win $10,000 in prize money. Plus, additional entrepreneurs emerging from the Circular Accelerator will compete for $2,000. See this year’s list of finalists after the Showcase Prize section!
Judges for the May 14, 2026 event are:
Alina Sanchez, founder, Accelerating Purpose
Bart Bohn, partner, ATP
Jeff Blickman, director, Palm Venture Studios
Nancy Lyon, director, Austin Community College Bioscience Incubator
The Circular Austin Accelerator helps local entrepreneurs improve their circular business ideas. During the program, participants receive free expert-led training and one-on-one coaching. The program ends with a soft pitch event. The top ideas at the soft pitch will receive entry to compete for a $2,000 prize at the Circular Austin Showcase annual event.
Learn | Receive free business training and coaching from professionals. |
Connect | Network with like-minded entrepreneurs in a group setting to improve your idea. |
Impact | Increase the positive impact your idea can have the community. |
Accelerator application and eligibility
Sign up to be notified when applications reopen for fiscal year 2027.
Eligible applicants for the Circular Austin Accelerator must meet these requirements:
- Must have an idea focused on the circular economy, zero waste or sustainability.
- Must have an annual revenue below $35,000.
- May not have received more than $35,000 in outside funding.
- The founder or representative must live or attend school in Austin city limits.
- Prior applicants may apply, but priority will be given to new applicants.
Scoring is based on alignment with the circular economy, community impact and the organization’s potential for growth and success in the program.
Program details
Participants should plan to do the following:
- Spend an average of four hours a week on program activities
- Attend six evening workshops taught by industry professionals
- Attend four business coaching sessions and one business engagement meeting
- Participate in additional evening activities including a program kick-off and networking session
- Present a four-minute pitch at the soft pitch event
- Provide program feedback
The workshops will cover:
- Circular principles
- Creation of a circular business canvas
- Social impact in your business
- Financial literacy
- Marketing strategies
- Storytelling and preparing a pitch
Circular Austin Showcase connects established circular economy businesses with potential investors in the region. Circular economy businesses provide sustainable solutions to their customers and practice zero waste within the organization. Sign up to be notified when applications reopen for fiscal year 2027.
Showcase Prize
Circular economy enterprises will pitch to judges for a chance to win $10,000 in prize money.
Connect | Event attendees can network with business owners to learn more about local efforts and opportunities. |
Pitch | A pitch event hosting a diverse group of people from investor and business communities to support and inspire growth in the circular economy. |
Impact | The showcase will inspire and educate the investment community on the social, environmental and economic benefits of circular economy businesses. |
Watch the 2025 Circular Showcase pitch event, and stay tuned for a video of the 2026 event.
The finalists competing for a $10,000 grand prize at the May 2026 Circular Austin Showcase are:
FitDel - FitDel delivers club-quality fitness equipment directly to homes, offices, and communities so anyone can build consistent habits without the cost or hassle of owning large machines. Each piece of equipment is professionally maintained, repaired when needed, and reused across multiple customers. This minimizes unnecessary disposal and reduces the demand for new resources. By offering flexible rental terms and full-service support, they create a system where products are shared efficiently among multiple users, transforming what might otherwise become idle or discarded equipment into ongoing value.
Pickle Envy - Pickle Envy makes authentic, deli-style pickles, sauerkrauts, and other seasonal fermented foods from locally-grown vegetables—often from “seconds” and bumper crops, which prevents the produce from becoming waste. They reduce our community's reliance on industrially-produced foods by offering a viable alternative: fermented foods packed with nutrients and live probiotics.
That's Sew Austin - That's Sew Austin is a shared-use sewing studio and circular-economy workspace focused on extending the life of textiles through repair, reuse, and skill-building. They offer the tools, guidance, and circular mindset needed to keep textiles in use and out of the landfill, building a more sustainable, community-centered future for Austin.
Wanderlust Wine Co. - Wanderlust Wine Co. is an Austin-based winery leading the way in sustainability and circular innovation in the beverage industry. As the world's largest wine-on-tap winery, they have developed a keg wine program that eliminates the need for single-use glass bottles—significantly reducing waste, carbon emissions, and energy consumption. Their approach reimagines wine distribution, keeping materials in circulation longer while providing a scalable, eco-friendly alternative for Austin's hospitality sector.
Showcase application and eligibility
Businesses must be located within Austin City Limits and meet these additional requirements:
- Must be focused on the circular economy, zero waste or sustainability.
- Have been in operation for at least 12 months.
- Cannot have raised more than $500,000 in lifetime outside funding.
- Must have an annual revenue between $35,000 and $250,000, or have raised at least $100,000 to date.
- Prior applicants may apply, but priority will be given to new applicants.
Scoring is based on viability, fundability and impact on the circular economy/zero waste, economic impact and social impact.
Program details
Participants are required to attend an evening kickoff meeting and submit information requested by the stated deadlines. They will also be encouraged to attend a free, one-on-one pitch-coaching session. The winner must sign a Prize Winner Agreement before receiving funds. Participants will receive a copy of the agreement when notified about their selection.
The City of Austin supports businesses and entrepreneurs in the circular economy sector through a partnership between Austin Resource Recovery and Austin Economic Development. The City of Austin is proud to support our local circular businesses by hosting events that help Austin reduce waste, create a cleaner environment and grow the local circular economy.