Francesco Castellano is a seasoned business leader and strategist with over 20 years of experience spanning research, finance, consulting, and entrepreneurship. He has held impactful roles, including serving as a consultant at Bain & Company, launching Uber operations in Turin, and working as Managing Director of a Swiss start-up.
In recent years, Francesco Castellano founded Tondo, a hub of organizations dedicated to promoting Circular Economy approaches and supporting companies in transitioning to sustainable and circular practices. He is also the ideator and coordinator of the Re-think Circular Economy Forum, a high-profile event held across Italy to showcase innovative Circular Economy solutions.
Francesco Castellano collaborates with European institutions, serving as an expert for the European Commission’s Circular Cities and Regions Initiative and mentoring startups in the European Institute of Innovation and Technology’s (EIT) New European Bauhaus Booster Program. Through these roles, he actively supports the development and scaling of circular economy ventures across Europe.
He is also a sought-after speaker and lecturer, sharing his expertise on Circular Economy, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship at universities and international events. Francesco holds executive education certificates from prestigious institutions such as MIT, Harvard, and the University of Virginia, further solidifying his credentials in strategy, sustainability, and innovation.
Fluent in Italian, English, and Spanish, Francesco Castellano combines his diverse skill set with a passion for Circular Economy, Cleantech Innovations, and Entrepreneurship. His strong background in Corporate Strategy, Sustainability, Innovation Development, and Finance enables him to drive impactful change in every initiative he undertakes.
Tondo received the 2025 ICESP Best Practice Award for Taranto Circolare – Taranto CirTech: a recognition of a model that combines territorial analysis, innovation, and local ecosystem activation to generate concrete impact.
In recent years, the circular economy has become a cornerstone of the debate on sustainability, innovation, and competitiveness. Companies, institutions, and investors increasingly recognize the need to reduce dependence on virgin resources, rethink production models, and design systems capable of regenerating value over time.
The Global Circularity Protocol introduces an international standard for measuring, managing, and communicating corporate circularity. The article explains how the framework works, why it is important for businesses, and how it can guide more effective circular economy strategies.
A 2–3 month journey to develop, test, and validate new circular products with advanced AI support. The program guides you from research to prototyping, helping reduce risks, time, and development costs. It is designed for companies that want to innovate rapidly within the CE.
We measure your circularity in detail and turn the results into practical actions using Tondo’s AI-enhanced tools. The pilot enables you to understand areas for improvement, monitor impacts, and implement concrete circular strategies within your organization.
The study by Vlerick Business School shows how different sectors are turning circularity into tangible value. The report reveals how specific business models can make circularity a strategic lever for companies.
Decarbonizing energy-intensive industries is one of the toughest challenges of the green transition. According to a new study by the European Commission’s JRC, the key is not only changing energy sources but rethinking materials.
Biodegradable materials have become one of the symbols of the fight against plastic pollution. They are presented as a concrete solution, capable of reducing the impact of persistent waste in the environment. But the question remains: do they really work?
In September 2025, the European Parliament approved the new Waste Directive, amending Directive 2008/98/EC and introducing binding targets to reduce food waste and ensure the sustainable management of textile waste.
The Taranto CirTech Demo Day, the final event of Tondo’s acceleration program, concluded yesterday in Taranto: eleven circular innovation startups took center stage.
Italy leads the circular economy in Europe, with a material reuse rate twice the EU average, €3.5 billion in GDP, and over 800 active startups.
Tondo releases in-depth analysis on the level of circularity in the city of Taranto: 16.9 million tonnes of material analyzed and 21.2 % of energy produced