Circunomics goes USA

A short interview with Circunomics CEO Felix Wagner.

Why did you decide to take the step toward internationalization?

Felix Wagner: The topic of circular economy for batteries is globally relevant – everywhere e-mobility is gaining ground, the question arises: what happens to the batteries? From the very beginning, it was clear to us that we’re not just solving a European problem, but that we need to operate internationally. There were discussions on our board about whether we should focus on Europe first, but as a tech startup, we couldn’t risk being overtaken by other markets on the technology front. Over the past few years, we’ve already acquired our first customers in the U.S. and established relationships with various associations. In order to secure market share, we decided to establish a local presence – starting with one person on the ground and dedicated budget from our Series A.

And what is the rest of the budget intended for?

Felix Wagner:In addition to internationalization, we’re continuing to invest in product development. While our product already has a solid foundation, there’s still a lot to do to reach our long-term goals. With a growing team – especially in sales and marketing – we also aim to close larger framework agreements, and we plan to hire additional staff once those deals are successfully secured.

Why did you choose the U.S. as your first international market? After all, Asia shows impressive registration numbers for electric vehicles.

Felix Wagner:We carefully weighed that decision. While electric vehicle registration numbers in Asia are indeed impressive, the U.S. market is more attractive for a small startup like ours for several reasons. Entering the U.S. requires lower investment and fewer complex regulatory adjustments, as the market is culturally and economically closer to Europe. Asian markets – from China and Malaysia to Japan – all have distinct legal systems and cultural specificities, making market entry much more demanding and costly. Nevertheless, we have allocated budget to explore the Asian market more closely in the future.

You can find more information in Circunomics’ press release.