Molg, Minespider, and Excess Materials Exchange drive circular economy

In its quest to contribute to accelerating the creation of circular innovations, the ABB startup challenge identifies three products that contribute to a more circular economy. More than 100 startups from around the world participated, and the three winning startups each receive $30,000 to develop their concept in collaboration with ABB.

With a focus on developing products that help to preserve the earth’s natural resources and contribute to a low-carbon society, ABB launched the 2023 ABB Accelerating Circularity Challenge seeking innovative ideas that design out waste and pollution, keep products and materials in use for as long as possible and regenerate the natural system.

“By 2030, ABB aims to innovate toward new circular business models, covering all stages of the product life cycle,” said Panu Virolainen, chief technology officer at ABB Motion. “The ABB Accelerating Circularity Startup Challenge is an opportunity to attract startups who want to work together with us to lead the way to a circular economy. Together, with their talents and our industry knowledge and domain expertise, we can make a meaningful impact to help preserve the earth’s resources for future generations.”

Three challenges—Motion Drive Products Challenge, Motion Services Challenge and Electrification Services Challenge —comprise the program, and the winners were announced.

Figure 1: Molg won the Motion Drive Products Challenge.

Motion Drive Products Challenge: Take back care of a variable-speed drive, enabling effortless upcycling and recycling of ABB drives that meet circularity principles. This was awarded to Molg from the United States (Figure 1). Molg tackles the growing e-waste problem by making manufacturing circular. The company’s robotic microfactory can autonomously assemble and disassemble complex electronic products such as laptop PCs, servers and industrial electronics. Molg also partners with leading electronics manufacturers to design new products with reuse in mind, ensuring that one product’s end is another’s beginning.

"We are thrilled to have been selected as the winner of the ABB Accelerating Circularity Startup Challenge 2023 for Motion Drive Products and look forward to working with the talented and mission-aligned team at ABB as we collectively progress the transition to a more circular economy," said Rob Lawson-Shanks, CEO and co-founder of Molg. "The opportunity to bring our Design for Circularity and Molg Microfactory automation technology to leading ABB Motion Drive products is a fantastic chance to work with a great partner and drive impact at scale."

Figure 2: Minespider won the Motion Services Challenge.

Motion Services Challenge: Keep the track on circularity, developing a reliable circularity certificate management tool. This was awarded to Minespider from Switzerland (Figure 2). Minespider is a blockchain traceability platform designed for the green transition, creating greater transparency and circularity in supply chains. By using interactive digital product passports, Minespider facilitates consumer access to comprehensive product lifecycle and environmental impact information.

"It has been an honor to participate in the ABB Startup Challenge among such innovative and forward-thinking companies," said Nathan Williams, founder and CEO of Minespider. “The quality of competition was truly inspiring, and being recognized among them is a testament to the transformative potential of leveraging emerging technology for a circular economy. We are thrilled to have our solution acknowledged and are eager to begin this collaboration together.”

Figure 3: Excess Materials Exchange won the Electrification Services Challenge.

Electrification Services Challenge: Closing the loop by generating value from power distribution end-of-life was awarded to Excess Materials Exchange (EME) from the Netherlands (Figure 3). EME is a digital platform where companies can exchange excess materials and products, aiming to create a more circular and sustainable economy. It functions much like a dating site, matching waste or surplus materials from one company with another company that can use them, thus helping to reduce waste and promote recycling and reuse. By connecting different industries and sectors, EME facilitates the transformation of waste into valuable resources, supporting environmental goals and potentially leading to cost savings for businesses.

"We are honored to be recognized by ABB in the Circularity Challenge,” said EME Founder Christian van Maaren. “This achievement reaffirms our commitment to driving the circular economy forward. By transforming excess into opportunity, we are not just reimagining waste, but also reshaping the future of sustainability. Waste, often seen as a liability, can become a platform for innovation. Together with ABB, we're proving that a greener, more resource-efficient world is not just a vision, but an achievable reality."

Now in its fourth year, the ABB Startup Challenge in collaboration with Microsoft and SynerLeap, has provided a platform for more than 125 startups to showcase their innovations. More than 10 winners have gone on to work with ABB to commercialize their offerings, with many of those that didn’t win still going on to progress their offerings, or working with fellow challengers they met on their startup challenge journeys.