eBay expands Circular Fashion Fund programme across Europe and North America

Returning for its fourth year, eBay’s Circular Fashion Fund for 2026 is open to applications to businesses and start-ups across the EU, Switzerland and Canada for the first time.

Underscoring eBay’s commitment to circularity in the fashion industry on a global scale, eight selected businesses will each receive $50,000 in funding, alongside mentoring to develop innovative solutions that extend the life of clothing and reduce textile waste.

One standout business will also be named the Global Winner of the Circular Fashion Fund and will have the opportunity to receive an additional $300,000 investment from eBay Ventures as per previous years.

With this expansion, eBay’s total global funding through the programme is set to reach $1.9 million by the end of 2026.

Alongside expanding into new markets this year, the Circular Fashion Fund builds on its established presence in the UK, Germany, Australia and the US.

Alexis Hoopes, Vice President and Global Head of Fashion at eBay, said: “When we launched the Circular Fashion Fund, we set out to support the businesses turning circularity from ambition into action. Over the past three years, we’ve seen scalable solutions emerge in areas like textile recycling, resale and repair - but these businesses need capital and support to grow.

“With this expansion, we’re helping more founders build the infrastructure to make circular fashion an integral part of the fashion industry.”

Since 2022, eBay’s Circular Fashion Fund has supported over 25 businesses with funding and mentoring, helping to unlock some of the biggest challenges facing fashion startups today, including access to the right partners and industry networks needed to scale.

Last year saw California-based company Refiberd, which uses AI to identify fibre composition in garments enabling high precision sorting for textile recycling, scoop the top prize as Global Winner of the Circular Fashion Fund, receiving the additional $300,000 investment from eBay Ventures to accelerate commercial scaling.

Sarika Bajaj, co-founder of Refiberd, said: “eBay’s support has been truly transformative for our business. With both funding and mentorship, we’ve been able to scale our technology faster and expand our reach across the circular fashion ecosystem.

“The programme has also given us access to eBay’s expertise as a long-term player in the industry, opening up new opportunities for collaboration and partnership.

“Together, this allows us to deliver our solution to a broader network of brands, recyclers, and ultimately consumers who are committed to building a more sustainable future for fashion.”

This year’s cohort will benefit from the insight of industry leaders including Australian Fashion Council Chair Marianne Perkovic, CFDA CEO Steven Kolb, Fashion Council Germany CEO Scott Lipinski, Refiberd’s Sarika Bajaj, and SOJO founder Josephine Philips, who all join the programme as judges.

Applications for 2026 are now open for all markets until 8 March 2026.