PRODUCT-ORIENTED COMPANIES WITH SHARED/RENTAL MODELS

In the heart of Bucharest, a startup named Evertoys is rewriting the playbook for the toy industry. Founded in 2016, instead of selling toys, it offers a flat-fee subscription service that gives parents access to a vast library of toys for a reasonable monthly cost.

One remarkable feat of this company was the success of its crowdfunding campaign on Seedblink, the first Romanian equity crowdfunding platform. The campaign smashed its €150K target in just 20 days, achieving its goal three times faster than expected. This achievement was not only a testament to the company's compelling value proposition but also an indication of the growing support for the sharing economy in Romania and beyond.

This fresh and dynamic approach to the toy industry is, quite literally, child's play! In the same circular playground, UK-based Brick Borrow has been building quite the reputation. Brick Borrow is like a LEGO lending library, letting its subscribers enjoy an extensive range of LEGO sets for a simple monthly fee.

In a bold attempt to challenge the excessive consumption rates in Sweden, a company named Ihopa has introduced a neighborhood sharing box concept. These boxes, stocked with items ranging from premium kitchen tools to bicycle repair equipment, provide a platform for local residents to borrow and return goods as needed.

This strategy, however, goes beyond just sharing; Ihopa focuses on circulating high-quality goods and ensuring their maintenance to prolong usability, thereby slowing down the resource loop. The company's revenue comes from monthly fees paid by subscribers for access to a chosen toolbox. After its inception as a platform for co-buying and co-owning items, Ihopa adopted the neighborhood box model in 2021, collaborating with prominent brands such as Husqvarna. With only a year in operation, the firm estimates a potential 50% emission saving if two out of twenty users decide against buying a new item.

One cannot cover circularity in electronics without mentioning Fairphone, which stands as a beacon of ethical innovation. Having launched in 2013, Fairphone dared to challenge the status quo, sparking a movement for fairer electronics. With every phone created, the company peels back the curtain on the supply chain, fostering a new relationship between people and their devices. From mining to design, manufacturing to lifecycle, Fairphone's commitment to ethical values resonates through every step of the value chain. A community has grown around this mission, fueling the drive to change the way products are made.

Fairphone not only pioneered the materially sustainable phone, but has also done some exploring in the area of circular business models with their Fairphone Easy subscription. When customers sign up for leasing their phone, not only are repairs included, but the cost drops every year, which incentivizes long term use of the phone. For now it’s only available in the Netherlands, but we really hope it’ll go international very soon!