Circular Refining LogoCircular Refining

Our Roadmap

Our strategic plan for developing innovative hydrogen solutions and driving market adoption.

Product Roadmap

Q1 - Q2 2026
Hydrogen IQ
Marketplace Launch

Full commercial launch of the Hydrogen IQ marketplace, expanding from alpha testers to the wider market with a full feature set.

Q2 - Q3 2026
Earth Aggregated
Emissions Reports Launch

Official launch of Earth Aggregated as a service, providing detailed environmental and infrastructure reports for strategic decarbonisation planning.

Q3 - Q4 2026
HyLo
Hydrogen Storage

Initiate feasibility studies for deploying regional HyLo subsurface hydrogen storage networks in key industrial clusters.

Market Expansion

2026
Initial UK
Market Penetration

Securing market traction for Hydrogen IQ with a market-ready launch and revenue generation. This includes developing initial reports for Earth Aggregated and engaging with UK regional authorities and consultants. We will also conduct market validation for the HyLo storage and distribution business model in North Wales (Deeside, Wrexham) and Greater Manchester.

2027
European
Market Expansion

Expand services for Hydrogen IQ, Earth Aggregated, and HyLo into Southern Germany, focusing on key industrial regions like Stuttgart, Munich, and Nuremberg. This expansion will be supported by partnerships with regional innovation agencies, including Baden-Württemberg and Bayern Innovativ.

2028
UK and DE Expansion
Further EU Exploration

We will deepen our market presence in the UK, focusing on the North Wales (Deeside, Wrexham) and Greater Manchester industrial corridors, while expanding into Germany's Ruhr region. Concurrently, we are exploring market entry into Romania, leveraging support from the Consulate General and our network of business partners established in 2025/26.

Team Development Roadmap

2022 to 2025
Core Team Assembly

Assemble the core technical and business development teams. Finalise key leadership roles.

Q1 2026
Advisory Board Establishment

Establish a strategic advisory board with experts in hydrogen, technology, and finance.

Q2 - Q4 2026
Scale-Up Hiring

Begin scaling the team across engineering, sales, and operations to support market expansion.

Funding Roadmap

July 2022 to April 2024
Bootstrapped
Friends & Family Round

£33,300

With remarkable capital efficiency, Circular Refining achieved significant early traction on a bootstrapped budget. We established a broad stakeholder footprint, with our Managing Director championing the company across the UK—in England, Scotland, and Wales—and on the international stage in Singapore. This global outreach was endorsed by Innovate UK and the British High Commission, who facilitated our Singapore visit to explore high-impact collaborations in Net Zero 2050 infrastructure and low-carbon fuel development.

This round consisted of £27,300 from a co-founding investor's contribution of £1,300 per month between July 2022 and April 2024, approximately £3,000 in additional expense support from the same investor, and a £3,000 direct investment from a former advisory board member. This combined funding provided a 21-month runway from July 2022 before founder and Managing Director Mark Shaw assumed full financial responsibility for Circular Refining.

August 2025 to July 2026
Pre-Seed Round

£200,000

Our pre-seed funding will launch our flagship platform, Hydrogen IQ, and expand our core team to accelerate market entry. The initial revenue from Hydrogen IQ will be reinvested to begin developing our next-generation platform, Earth Aggregated, leveraging our key relationships with the UK and European Space Agencies. We will significantly extend our financial runway by securing substantial non-dilutive grant funding. These schemes provide a powerful capital boost for UK SMEs by covering up to 70% of eligible project costs, maximizing the impact of every pound invested and de-risking our path to profitability and future funding rounds.

As of January 2026, this round is attracting Angels, VCs, and PEs. The round is eligible for SEIS (Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme) shares, which offer high-net-worth investors 50% tax relief on up to £200,000 invested per year.

August 2026 to July 2027
Seed Round

£2,000,000

Leveraging data from Hydrogen IQ and Earth Aggregated, we will re-engage with key regional stakeholders in North Wales and North West England. This data-driven approach allows us to validate sites for HyLo feasibility studies, microgrids, and associated services like hydrogen-to-power and district heating. By de-risking investment decisions, we will strengthen our strategic partnerships with entities such as Ambition North Wales, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Development Bank of Wales, and the UK Infrastructure Bank, paving the way for successful large-scale project deployment.

This round is structured under the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS). While our target is £2m, EIS allows for up to £5m in a year. Should there be appetite for a larger round (£2-5m), we will assess our business needs and capital availability to accelerate our growth.

August 2027 to July 2028
Series A

£5,000,000

Our Series A round will fund the development of our first HyLo storage facility and its associated infrastructure. While £5 million is a strategic starting point, it is our fundamental key to unlocking larger public-private partnerships. We will leverage our extensive stakeholder network and an advisory team skilled in securing blended financing to deliver these ambitious commercial developments. This agile approach positions us to outpace larger competitors in the North East Wales and Greater Manchester investment zones, directly contributing to regional net-zero targets.

Circular Refining can raise up to £12m over three years under the EIS. We de-risk this by blending with grant funding, making investments go three times further. Outcomes are reinvested with regional and national funds, creating a powerful growth engine for large-scale infrastructure.

Funding Progress

Pre-Seed Round
Currently Raising
£30,000of £200,000

Interested in investing? Get in touch with our team.