She angel invested in a circular startup. Now she's the CEO
14 Jul 2026
06:00
Urte Zahn spent years as an angel investor before one of her own portfolio companies asked her to take the top job.
She recently became CEO of Re-Fresh Global, a Berlin startup turning hard-to-recycle textile waste into new raw materials, just as an EU ban on destroying unsold clothing takes effect.
We spoke with Zahn about:
→ Why she swapped angel investing for an operating seat
→ Raising a €5m seed in a tight funding environment
→ What carmakers will and won't pay for greener materials
She recently became CEO of Re-Fresh Global, a Berlin startup turning hard-to-recycle textile waste into new raw materials, just as an EU ban on destroying unsold clothing takes effect.
We spoke with Zahn about:
→ Why she swapped angel investing for an operating seat
→ Raising a €5m seed in a tight funding environment
→ What carmakers will and won't pay for greener materials