Accelerator

Rewriting the Future of Fashion: Circular Sourcing’s Answer to Textile Waste

Each year, millions of meters of fabric sit idle in warehouses. Some of it gets sold off, some stays put, gathering dust.

By
Phoebe Pincus
Phoebe Pincus
August 28, 2025


The fashion industry is drowning in waste. 


Circular Sourcing
is stepping up to the challenge. 


Each year, millions of meters of fabric sit idle in warehouses. Some of it gets sold off, some stays put, gathering dust. Bit by bit this fabric is sold off or eventually, disposed of despite its potential.


These surplus textiles represent millions of tons of waste across the global fashion and textile industry.


Enter Circular Sourcing: a digital marketplace that connects businesses to buy and sell surplus materials, making it easy for sellers to monetise unused stock while helping buyers access high-quality materials in the right quantities. 


The platform enables businesses to list their surplus textiles - such as full rolls of fabric, trims, and yarn - without the hassle of managing logistics. Sellers enjoy a seamless process, with Circular Sourcing handling everything from photography to SEO.


Founded by a veteran of the fashion industry, Courtney Holm, Circular Sourcing has quickly demonstrated the demand for a smarter way to manage surplus textiles. What began as a small pilot has now evolved into a platform that’s seeing month-on-month growth of 40% (and is already expanding beyond Australia into the broader APAC region).


With more than 600 SKUs in circulation and high-profile partnerships already in place this Startmate Summer’25 Accelerator startup is positioning itself not just as a key player in the move toward circularity in fashion - but the key player.


For Courtney and Circular Sourcing, success = reducing surplus material generation in the first place, while providing a comprehensive solution for recycling and reusing raw materials.


As the fashion industry shifts toward sustainability, Circular Sourcing is setting a new standard for how materials are managed and reused.


The world of Circular Sourcing is here, literally. 


📹 Learn more about Circular Sourcing from founder Courtney:


🧵♻️ “It’s not waste. It’s a resource.”

In fashion, textiles or interiors? Got surplus to sell or want to start sourcing more sustainably?

Connect with Courtney on LinkedIn.

Phoebe Pincus
COO @ Startmate
Meet the author

More articles like this

Accelerator
The AI startups someone should build

Michael Batko

August 20, 2026

Ex-Startmate CEO (Batko) shares a request for AI startups (as someone who builds with AI everyday).
Accelerator
Distribution is the moat

Michael Batko

August 20, 2026

Ex-Startmate CEO (Batko) shares his #1 lesson from a decade of investing in founders.
Accelerator
Meet our Winter ’26 Accelerator Cohort

Emma Grife

July 30, 2026

Meet the 16 companies joining Startmate’s Winter ’26 Accelerator cohort.