We’re delighted to announce the 2026 winners of the Circular Tech Awards! Congratulations to the companies and executives that reached the shortlist stage and a big thank you to all of this year’s applicants.
BUSINESS & OPERATIONS
Customer Service
The Big Phone Store
Shortlisted
Envirofone (runner up)
KT Corp Worldwide
Saigates Ltd
Category Sponsor
Diagnostics
Blancco Technology Group
Shortlisted
cyculus Services GmbH (runner up)
Blackbelt360
Dr.fones
Phonecheck
Recommerce
Distributor (up to €500 million)
New Way International Ltd
Shortlisted
Teleplus GSM Co. Ltd (runner up)
Longlines Mobile Distributor FZCO
OEM Distributor
Sunstrike International
Shortlisted
Alchemy (runner up)
NAET KFT
Sunstrike International Limited
Online Marketplace (Smartphone)
eBay GmbH
Shortlisted
Reebelo (runner up)
Backmarket
Refurbed
Category Sponsor
Online Retailer (Smartphone)
The Big Phone Store
Shortlisted
Breezy (runner up)
Flip Technologies srl
MTR
Smart Cellular
Category Sponsor
Parts Supplier
2Service / Mobileparts.shop
Shortlisted
MobileSentrix (runner up)
Aplong
Utopya
Category Sponsor
Smartphone Trader
Orient Telecom
Shortlisted
Teleplus GSM Co., Limited (runner up)
Cellutech FZCO
KT Corp Worldwide
Trading Platform Used & Refurbished Devices
MTR
Shortlisted
Recommerce (runner up)
Breezy
Saigates Ltd
Category Sponsor
INNOVATION & PERFORMANCE
Circularity Hero
Alex Burghelia, Flip Technologies Srl
Shortlisted
David He, Orient Telecom
Dennis Dahrendorff, Global Circular Tech
Minimise GmbH
Industry Business Excellence
The Big Phone Store
Shortlisted
FLIP TECHNOLOGIES SRL (runner up)
CosladaFon
Orient Telecom
Remalab Teknoloji
Category Sponsor
Startup of The Year
LoopOS
Shortlisted
Closing the Loop (runner up)
Cyculus
iMint
Minimise
Use of AI
Breezy
Shortlisted
cyculus Services GmbH (runner up)
DIPLI
Envirofone
RECYCLING, RECOVERY & REFURBISHING
Recycler Smartphone
Thie GmbH
Shortlisted
the80 limited (runner up)
Envirofone
Smart Recycler
Refurbisher Smartphone
Breezy
Shortlisted
The Big Phone Store (runner up)
Flip Technologies Srl
Category Sponsor
Trade-In Programme – B2B
Recommerce
Shortlisted
DIPLI (runner up)
Breezy
MTR Group
Category Sponsor
Trade In Programme – Mobile Network
Breezy
Shortlisted
Northladder (runner up)
Category Sponsor
Trade In Programme – Retail
Envirofone
Shortlisted
Flip Technologies Srl (runner up)
Breezy
The Big Phone Store
NorthLadder
Category Sponsor
Industry Recognition – Outstanding Contribution To Circularity
Sunstrike International
This award is to acknowledge the pioneers of the secondary smartphone market. The organisations and leaders that paved the way for the industry we are a part of today. The early adopters that enabled deals to be made, routes to market to develop and trusted supply lines to be established for businesses willing to give secondhand devices a chance.
This award recognises Sunstrike International, a company that has worked behind the scenes for close to 30 years to build trust, connections and a reliable supply of handsets across the world. Their presence in the market has had a huge role to play in our industry to build a working circular economy.
Industry Recognition – Women in Circularity Leadership Award
Yasmin Ahmed, Founder, Smart Cellular
Globally, women make up just 26% of the circular economy workforce. (EEA)
With this award, our intention is to celebrate the women who lead by example, and are creating pathways in the circular sector. This award goes to an entrepreneur who has founded two companies to tackle e-waste through smartphone refurbishment and recycling in the UK and Europe.