CIRCLE ZERO COMMUNITY

Building the circular economy.

We actively build the circular economy by investing in and building throughout the entire textile value chain, and by advising startups, scale-ups, incumbents and VCs/PEs on scaling circular solutions.

CAWA Ventures is based on a strong network of the world's largest family business owners, family offices, VCs, PEs and business leaders from Asia, Middle East to Europe and North and South America with the one goal to create zero waste industries.

We have raised over $150M and created over 300 jobs.

How we work

Build

Our long-term comitment to zero waste solutions. We invest in and build companies by co-founding innovative solutions and taking on board and advisory seats in startups and scale-ups.

Growth

Access to capital and industry are key for early stage solutions. We provide both in short-term commitments and enter the collaboration with our own entrepreneurial commitment.

Scale

We commit to scale and advise scale-ups over a short- and mid-term time by enabling access to capital partners, investors and industry players for offtake agreements and commercial contracts.

Advisory

Next to our work with McKinsey GBB we offer fractional C-level work and interim management support as well as expert advisory on specific areas like team growth, offtake agreements, commercial strategy, fundraising strategy, business development and shareholder management as well as mediation.

Across the value chain. At the intersection of industry and capital.

Carl Warkentin is a builder, investor, and advisor working across the full textile and consumer-products value chain - from material science and production technology to supply chains, retail systems, and recycling infrastructure.

Over more than a decade, he has built companies and industrial projects at the points where innovation, commercial reality, and capital meet. His experience spans the development of new materials, manufacturing and recycling facilities in Asia, North America and Europe, digital and on-demand production systems, consumer products, and the infrastructure required to bring materials back into circulation.

Today, Carl works with global brands to make their operations more profitable, resilient, and circular. He partners with funds and family offices on investment and portfolio strategy, invests directly in companies, and works alongside founders as they move from technical promise to commercial and industrial scale.

Carl co-initiated CIRCULAR REPUBLIC within UnternehmerTUM, Europe's largest entrepreneurship hub, where he built and led the textiles platform and contributed to the development of Germany’s textile EPR framework.

Learn more about Carl Warkentin.

Selected Work & Portfolio

Venture Partner

Co-Founder

Co-Founder

Senior Advisor

Venture Partner

Co-Founder & Executive Chairman

Co-Founder

Founder & Host

Senior Advisor

Senior Advisor

Family Enterprise Governance & Stewardship

Deal Partner

Member of the CPSC Textiles Stewardship

Member of the Textile Leadership Group

M&A Advisor

Founder

Board Advisor

Co-Founder & Co-CEO

Co-Founder & Co-CEO

Advisor

We are building the Circular Economy

CIRCLE ZERO is a curated, high-trust community for entrepreneurs building the circular economy. We offer founders a platform to exchange as well as exclusive access to industry leaders and investors in order to scale the solutions shaping tomorrow's industries.

Let's Build a Regenerative Future Together

Building something real in circular materials or manufacturing, or backing someone who is? Let's talk.

I am based in Los Angeles, California.

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