Stockholm-based circular materials startup Enkei has raised €0.4 million in a pre-seed round at a €3 million valuation, led by Danish architect Anders Lendager, known for the UN17 Village sustainability project, alongside Christina Åqvist, co-founder of recycling group Vinning, and Ulf Mattsson, former CEO of surface materials giant Tarkett. Investor Fabian Månsson adds strategic guidance from his extensive experience in private equity-backed enterprises.
RadCap, a Swedish investment collective backed by 81 women, also joined the round, reinforcing support for female-founded ventures. The investment also includes backing from materials specialists Thomas Granfeldt and Daniel Strömberg, bringing scientific and industrial depth to Enkei’s technical roadmap.
Beyond private investment, Enkei has secured €110,000 in EU grant funding via Interreg, part of a cross-border collaborative initiative worth around €430,000.
The fresh capital will drive R&D acceleration and the commercial rollout of its flagship innovation, ReCeramix™, a circular material that transforms construction and ceramic waste into design-grade architectural surfaces. The company also plans to refine production techniques, expand use cases beyond interiors, and strengthen its supply chain to achieve scalable impact.
Bridging design, robotics, and circular engineering
Founded in 2022 by Lovisa Sunnerholm and Miriam Bichsel, Enkei was born from the recognition that construction is Europe’s largest waste-generating sector, and one of the least circular. Despite producing nearly 40% of EU waste, much of it is downcycled or discarded entirely.
ReCeramix™ addresses this by using over 90% recycled construction and ceramic waste to create architectural surfaces that rival concrete, marble, and terrazzo in appearance and performance. Unlike many early-stage circular concepts, ReCeramix™ is already in commercial deployment, featured in interior applications including tabletops, window sills, and bespoke installations.
Enkei adds, “What sets us apart is that we upgrade waste into high-value architectural materials, while building the full system around it, from sourcing and production to market adoption. We also focus on commercial viability from the start, ensuring that circular materials can compete on price, performance and design, which is critical for scaling.”
Before scaling into architecture, Enkei validated ReCeramix™ through a line of lighting products distributed by Nordiska Galleriet, NK Stockholm, and The Oblist in Paris. These pieces, now found in boutique hotels like Ett Hem and art spaces such as Fotografiska, bridged the gap between design experimentation and material proof of concept.
This early traction, combined with recognition for sustainability from ELLE Decoration and Plaza Magazine, positioned Enkei as one of the most promising Nordic players in circular design innovation.
Scaling circularity for the built environment
The company’s mission goes beyond sustainability. Enkei is female-founded and majority-women-led, with women holding over 85% of the equity.
The company states, “We are a diverse team across disciplines, including engineering, design and production, with a strong gender balance and an international perspective. Our team spans disciplines including material science, engineering, interior architecture, supply chain management, AI and brand strategy, with international backgrounds across Europe.”
Looking ahead three to five years, Enkei plans to evolve from small-scale validated products to large-volume architectural materials. In the long term, the company aims to build a platform for circular materials, where waste from existing buildings becomes feedstock for future ones.
