One of the biggest challenges material innovation startups face is moving their technology from pilot phase to commercial reality. It’s a chicken and egg situation – startups need suppliers to produce their materials at scale for brands to be able to use them, but brands are reluctant to commit to using them before they are available at scale. U.S. textile recycling startup Circ is launching a supplier partnership that could help it break through the impasse. The company has signed a deal with Indian conglomerate Aditya Birla Group’s pulp and fiber production arm, Birla Cellulose, which will purchase a minimum of 5,000 metric tons of pulp per year from Circ’s first-ever commercial-scale facility for five years.