Since 2020, Circul’Egg has been recycling eggshells from egg breakers to produce biomolecules of interest, such as calcium carbonate, hyaluronic acid and collagen. Today, the start-up is raising more than one million euros to finance its industrialisation and is positioning itself as a player in the circular economy.
France, Europe’s largest egg producing country, discards over 40,000 tonnes of eggshells each year without any recovery. While the shell is a sustainable source of calcium, the membrane contains four high-value ingredients: collagen, hyaluronic acid, chondroitin and glucosamine.
These co-products are recovered using a patented process that separates the outer shell from the shell membrane without chemicals. Their high protein content as well as their interest in preserving the skin have aroused the interest of the cosmetics sector, which is constantly looking for more environmentally friendly ingredients.
With this first round of financing, Circul’Egg, which is announcing its industrialization and numerous recruitments, is now supported by a board of specialists in communication, industry, import-export and agri-food.
At the same time, close relationships have been built with industrialists in the cosmetics, food supplement and animal feed sectors, who see this as an opportunity to supply themselves with biobased ingredients and total transparency.
Circul’Egg has secured its customers for the next year and a half, pre-marketing all of its production over the same period.