Construction startup Circular11 raises £2.4m led by Vectr7 Investment Partners
This article covers Circular11, a Dorset-based construction startup that has raised £2.4m in a seed funding round to commercialise a manufacturing process that turns low-quality plastic waste into composite lumber. The funding is intended to help the startup scale production to supply durable, lower-maintenance materials for fencing, outdoor furniture and infrastructure and to divert plastic waste from incineration, easing supply pressures in the construction sector.
Circular11, a Dorset-based construction startup, has raised £2.4 million in a seed funding round to commercialise a manufacturing process that turns low-quality plastic waste into composite lumber for fencing, furniture and infrastructure — a product pitched as longer‑lasting and lower‑maintenance than timber and capable of diverting plastic from incineration.
Why it matters
The construction sector is facing increasing pressure from rising timber demand and tighter rules on traditional timber preservatives, which together are shortening timber lifespans and pushing buyers to look for durable, low‑carbon alternatives. If Circular11 can scale its process, it could ease supply-side stress and reduce the carbon profile of outdoor construction projects by offering a plastic-based substitute that requires less maintenance over time.
Inside the product
Circular11’s technology is designed to cope with variation in plastic feedstock quality. Most plastics cannot be recycled back to original purity and so are often incinerated; the company’s manufacturing lines reportedly adapt to that inconsistency and convert otherwise unusable waste streams into a composite lumber. The material is intended for applications such as fencing, outdoor furniture and infrastructure where longevity and low maintenance matter.
The company expects the new investment to support production scaling and to enable the recycling of roughly 10,000 tonnes of low-quality plastic waste over the next two years.
Who are the investors?
Circular11’s £2.4 million seed round is led by Vectr7 Investment Partners with The FSE Group acting as co-lead. The FSE Group’s investment includes £630,000 deployed from the British Business Bank’s South West Investment Fund. The round also features participation from The FSE Investor Network, Oxford Innovation Network and other private investors, alongside a separate InnovateUK grant award that will support development.
In the announcement, Dominic Wilson, Founding Partner at Vectr7 Investment Partners, said:
We are very pleased to lead this investment to support Ben and Connor on the next step of their mission. The supply side constraints within the timber markets means the construction and manufacturing industries need sustainable alternatives. Circular 11 is addressing that critical need head on and we are excited about the next stage of their growth.
In the announcement, Matt Browning, Investor at The FSE Group, said:
Circular 11 is addressing a clear challenge in the construction and materials market. The team has developed a compelling approach to turning difficult-to-recycle plastic into useful, long-life products, and this investment will help the business scale its operations and build on early commercial traction.
In the announcement, Lizzy Upton, Investor at the British Business Bank, said:
Having supported Circular11 through the Bank's Start Up Loans programme in 2024, we're delighted to see the business scale at pace with support from our South West Investment Fund. This investment is a strong endorsement of the team's vision to turn problematic plastic waste into valuable, low-carbon construction materials.
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Founder perspective
In the announcement, Benjamin Gibbons, Founder & CEO at Circular11, said:
We believe that every tonne of plastic that gets incinerated is a missed opportunity to deliver low-carbon materials to a construction sector that desperately needs affordable and long-lasting assets. The backing of Vectr7, the South West Investment Fund, FSE and other investors is an important step; it gives us the resources to scale manufacturing, whilst continuing to develop the systems behind our materials and respond to growing pressure on industry to find better uses for plastic waste.
Gibbons leads the business alongside co-founder Connor, and the funding is intended to move the firm from pilot-stage manufacturing toward commercial-scale production.
The bigger picture
Circular11’s round sits at the intersection of two wider trends in the UK: growing interest in circular-economy solutions for plastic waste and investor appetite for materials innovations that reduce lifecycle emissions in construction. Public backers such as the British Business Bank and InnovateUK are increasingly visible in early-stage deals that target waste diversion and low-carbon building materials, signalling a policy and capital environment favourable to technologies that can replace pressured timber supplies.
As the company scales, its progress will be another test of whether recycled-plastic composites can compete on cost, performance and regulatory acceptance across the UK and European construction markets.
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