French sustainable athletic brand Circle Sportwear has secured € 4 million in a series A funding round led by Alter Equity. This funding round aimed to facilitate research and development on bio-sourced textiles and enhance the brand’s distribution network.
Founded by former L’Oréal executive Romain Trébuil in 2020, the circular sportswear brand plans to use this investment to open its first proprietary retail store in Marais. The store’s debut in February aligns strategically with the release of the highly anticipated SuperNatural Runner shoe in April, followed by the launch of the Legend marathon line slated for the summer, guaranteeing the brand’s presence during the Paris Olympics in July.
The retail store will double as a community hub for running groups and house a dedicated podcast studio with sports, design and sustainability guests.
“This is very strategic, and we wanted to do it before the delivery of the running shoe because this is our star product. We have invested a lot [in developing the shoe], so it is important to communicate and raise brand awareness now that we are ready and have all the key elements. It’s time to move forward and accelerate”, stated Trébuil.
Trébuil added, “There is a huge gap on the market for real sustainable and circular running products. Bear in mind that we only launched these on pre-order, which people could not try on the product and have to wait for a year. I think the willingness of customers is pretty high.”
Marion Chanéac, a partner at Alter Equity, stated, “Alter Equity has chosen to invest in Circle in order to support its successful eco-responsible approach on the sportswear market, itself profound and driven by the prospect of the Olympics in 2024”.
Launched via crowdfunding, Circle is now available in more than 50 stores in more than 25 countries and is eyeing an expansion to a 200-250 retail mix of running specialists and upscale department stores.
Bharat Tex Special Report 2026 
