The Circular Tech Awards made their debut this year at IFA 2025 in Berlin, becoming the first awards to celebrate circularity and excellence in standards for Europe’s mobile phone industry. Organized by UK-based mobi-hub, the event gathered more than 250 attendees for a ceremony that began with a dinner and culminated in the presentation of 16 awards.
Huge variety in different categories
The awards spotlighted sustainable impact across categories such as diagnostics software, innovation, repair services, trade-in programs, and marketing campaigns. Special honours included Circularity Hero and Circular Lifetime Achievement, recognizing individuals and companies whose work sets new benchmarks for circular practices. Winners represented brands, channel players, service providers, and refurbishers: all united by a mission to accelerate the shift toward a circular economy in mobile technology.
The secondary device and repair services market is projected by the GSMA to reach € 128 billion by 2027, underscoring the industry’s rapid growth and the urgent need for more circular solutions. Yet challenges remain, from rising e-waste volumes to the complexity of scaling sustainable practices.
What is driving the awards
The Circular Tech Awards aim to spotlight those already driving progress, offering recognition, visibility, and inspiration for the industry at large. In doing so, they provide a much-needed platform to share best practices, celebrate innovation, and keep momentum strong in the transition toward a more sustainable mobile ecosystem.
Cyculus taking the stage
Cyculus Services emerged as one of the major winners at this year’s Circular Tech Awards, taking home three of the 16 prizes. The company was represented by its founder and CEO, Fergal Donovan.
Fergal Donovan said that winning the Best Innovation award reaffirms the company’s direction. “Proving we’re on the right track to redefine sustainable mobile solutions,” he commented, emphasizing how closely Cyculus’s business model is aligned with the needs of the circular industry.
Cyculus Services also received recognition for Best Diagnostics Software in partnership with Apkudo, which supplies the hardware and testing software for Cyculus’s automated and robotized processing and grading solution. “Winning against such stiff competition validates our end-to-end cosmetic and functional testing solution—and together, we’re committed to continually enhancing and improving it,” the company stated.
Fergal Donovan named as Circularity hero
The third accolade, the Circularity Hero award, was described as a particularly meaningful moment. Receiving it, Fergal Donovan said, was a profound honour: “especially standing alongside so many inspiring shortlisted colleagues whose work is advancing the circular economy across Europe and the World.”
Market
Trade-in
Repair
Refurbishing
