Hi Recycllux, and thanks for taking the time to share more about your startup. To kick things off, could you give our readers a bit of background on what you’re currently working on?
At Recycllux, we're building a deep-tech platform to fight marine plastic pollution in a way that’s transparent, data-driven, and scalable. Our mission is to turn marine plastic from a burden into an opportunity –⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ empowering companies to fund verified cleanups and showcase climate-smart, regulation-aligned impact. We’re currently finalizing the commercial version of our platform and preparing to launch our first pilot interventions along Romania’s Black Sea coast this September. With signed pilot customers and early financing secured, we’re laying the groundwork to scale our solution to other coastal regions in Europe and beyond.

Can you tell us how your team first came together? Who originally came up with the idea for Recycllux, and what brought the rest of the team on board?
Sorina Uleia: The idea for Recycllux was sparked by my personal frustration with the lack of visible action against marine pollution, especially in regions like the Black Sea. As someone deeply connected to the sea, I wanted to find a solution that was both systemic and scalable. I reached out to two longtime friends –⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Alexandra Cernian, an AI professor whose research became the foundation for our plastic detection algorithm, and Bogdan Iuga, a seasoned solutions architect. We've been friends for over 20 years, and our deep trust and complementary expertise laid the groundwork for building the company.

What inspired you and your team to start Recycllux? Was there a personal moment or experience that made you focus specifically on marine plastic pollution?
Sorina Uleia: Yes, this is very personal. Every time I returned to the Black Sea, I saw more plastic, fewer fish, and a coastline under stress. It wasn’t just unpleasant to look at; it was a wake-up call that we were collectively failing to protect our seas. I realized I couldn’t wait for someone else to act. With over 20 years of experience in tech and sustainability, I recognized a clear gap: fragmented efforts, no real-time data, and a lack of transparency. That’s why we started Recycllux – to turn this global challenge into a scalable solution that not only protects marine ecosystems but also empowers the communities most affected by plastic pollution. By connecting companies that fund cleanups with the communities that carry them out, we foster shared responsibility, fair compensation, and measurable environmental and social impact.

You’ve described your target customers as companies subject to environmental regulations, those committed to sustainability, and environmental authorities. What’s your strategy for scaling globally, and which region or market – such as the EU or a specific country – are you planning to focus on first?
The EU is our initial focus, driven by strong regulatory momentum around plastic accountability and corporate sustainability. We’re starting with the Black Sea region, where we’ve already established strategic partnerships to deploy interventions and signed our first pilot customers. Our CapEx-light, digital model requires no physical infrastructure, which allows us to rapidly replicate and scale across other coastal regions. By integrating local partners (fishing vessels, NGOs, recyclers, and repurposing actors) into our data-driven platform, Recycllux adapts seamlessly to regional contexts. Beginning in 2026, we plan to expand into the Mediterranean, continuing our mission to restore marine ecosystems. By 2030, our goal is to collect 5,000 tons of marine plastic, significantly reduce pollution in Europe’s seas, prevent over 3 million tons of CO₂ emissions, and create more than 5,000 direct jobs in coastal economies. Our long-term vision is to position Recycllux as the global marketplace for marine plastic offsetting –⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ bridging corporate environmental responsibility with localized, community-driven action wherever plastic threatens our seas.

When it comes to tackling marine pollution and growing waste levels, what do you see as the biggest challenges – insufficient environmental policies, lack of reliable data, or ineffective cleanup efforts?
It’s a combination of all three, but the most fundamental gap is traceability and accountability. Even where cleanups happen, there’s often no data, no verification, and no way to tie efforts to actual plastic sources or outcomes. This lack of transparency makes it difficult for companies to fund cleanups and for policymakers to act with confidence. That’s exactly where Recycllux comes in: we make marine cleanup measurable, verifiable, and fundable.

Which of these do you see as the most urgent, and which area does Recycllux aim to focus on most directly?
The urgency lies in building a system of trust. If we don’t establish transparent, accountable mechanisms now, we risk losing the momentum created by the regulations and growing public pressure.

Does Recycllux have plans to engage with the public through educational initiatives or awareness campaigns to drive greater action on marine plastic pollution?
Yes, absolutely. One initiative we’re especially proud of is our waste-to-art program, created in partnership with arts high schools. We repurpose non-recyclable marine plastics into creative work, giving students the chance to reimagine waste as something meaningful. It’s a hands-on, emotional way to connect young people with environmental action and create ripple effects in their communities. Our goal is to engage 1,000 students by 2030 and foster a generation of sustainability-driven creatives.

What were your expectations going into the DDAccelerator? Which areas of your startup were you most eager to develop or strengthen during the program?
We entered the DDAccelerator with the goal of sharpening our business model, investment readiness, and scaling strategy. Specifically, we wanted to improve how we communicate our value to investors and enterprise partners, and grow as a mission-driven tech company.

‍What benefits has the DDAccelerator brought to your startup so far? Have any major shifts or improvements come about as a result of expert consultations or refining your idea during the program?
Sorina Uleia: I believe DDAccelerator has been a real turning point for us, especially thanks to the mentoring sessions with Louis Warner, who helped us clarify and reposition Recycllux not just as a cleanup tool, but as a climate-impact infrastructure. He challenged us to frame our platform as what it truly is: a digital marketplace that connects companies’ plastic offset needs with detected marine plastic accumulations and local cleanup capacity. This reframing allowed us to sharpen our messaging and clearly show how our platform can scale globally. It also strengthened our investor pitch by moving the conversation from operational details to platform economics and system-wide impact.

What are your plans for the future, and what can we look forward to from Recycllux?
This year is a big one for us. We’re launching our first pilot interventions, validating our commercial platform, and planting the seeds for our upcoming expansion into the Mediterranean. In parallel, we’re preparing to launch a €1M seed round in Q4 to scale our operations. We’ve already started gaining international recognition. Our action was officially included in the EU Mission “Restore Our Ocean and Waters” Charter at the beginning of the year, and most recently, we were selected among the Change100 top sustainability startups worldwide –⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ the only company from Romania to receive this honor. The momentum is building, and we’re just getting started.

A big thank you to the Recycllux team for sharing their inspiring journey with us –⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ we’re proud to have such passionate changemakers in our community and wish them continued success in their mission to protect our oceans.

If you’re working on a bold idea that tackles global challenges, don’t miss your chance to apply to the DDAccelerator –⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ applications are open until the end of May 2025!