From Academic Research to a Start-up
The technology developed by TSR Innovations is closely linked to the scientific background of its founder, Dr. Tomislav Stolar. His research on mechanochemistry began in 2013 and has continued throughout his academic career, from his studies to postdoctoral research. Over the years, he has published numerous scientific papers, presented his work internationally and received several awards for both scientific excellence and innovation.
Alongside his academic achievements, Dr. Stolar gained experience in industrial research and entrepreneurship before founding TSR Innovations in October 2025. The company was established as a solo venture but is supported by a multidisciplinary network of experts covering strategy, operations and sustainability.
The current team and expert network include Dr. Tomislav Stolar (CEO and Project Lead), Maria Ksenia Witte (Strategy, Venture Building and Commercialisation) and Dr. Orla Williams (Sustainability and LCA/TEA Expert).
Like many science-based start-ups, TSR Innovations has encountered challenges in accessing grant funding opportunities. According to Dr. Stolar, several funding programmes in Germany require a co-founding team as an eligibility criterion, making support less accessible for solo founders. Despite these hurdles, TSR Innovations has continued to make progress by pursuing alternative funding opportunities, particularly equity investment and remains focused on bringing its innovative recycling technology to market.
The Innovation: Closing the Loop for Rare-Earth Magnets
TSR Innovations was founded in response to a growing challenge in Europe's rare-earth supply chain. Rare-earth elements are essential for technologies such as electric vehicles, wind turbines and advanced electronics, yet Europe remains heavily dependent on imports while recycling rates for these critical materials remain low. Founder Dr. Tomislav Stolar identified a particular gap in the lack of effective recycling solutions for rare-earth magnets that have reached the end of their service life. These magnets, found for example in electric vehicle motors, wind turbines and electronic devices, still contain valuable rare-earth elements that can be recovered and reused. As Dr. Stolar states,
"If European citizens want to keep living the same lifestyle, something in the European rare earth supply chain needs to be radically transformed."
To address this challenge, TSR Innovations has developed a mechanochemical recycling process that contributes to the circular use of rare-earth elements from complex magnet waste streams and transforms them into reusable rare-earth compounds that can be used to manufacture new magnets. In the rare-earth industry, this approach is referred to as long-loop recycling, a form of chemical recycling that produces recovered materials that are, in principle, indistinguishable from primary raw materials in terms of quality and performance. Unlike many conventional recycling methods, which often require high temperatures and large amounts of chemicals, TSR Innovations uses a process called mechanochemistry. In this approach, mechanical energy generated during milling is used to trigger chemical reactions.
The technology offers significant sustainability advantages. According to TSR Innovations, the process requires relatively little energy and only small amounts of additional chemicals, without external heating or pressurisation. This reduces both environmental impacts and potential safety risks compared with conventional recycling processes. In addition, the technology can be deployed in modular units located close to collection points or manufacturing sites, helping to reduce transport-related emissions and support local circular-economy systems.
By recovering valuable rare-earth materials from waste that is often difficult to recycle, TSR Innovations helps prevent the loss of critical resources and creates a secondary source of raw materials that can replace newly mined rare earths. As Europe currently has no active rare-earth mines and therefore depends heavily on imported raw materials, recycling provides a valuable opportunity to reduce this dependency while avoiding the environmental impacts associated with opening new mines. Through this approach, the company contributes to a more resilient and circular European supply chain while supporting the transition towards cleaner technologies and a more resource-efficient economy.
Potential customers and partners include electric vehicle manufacturers, magnet producers, recycling companies, waste-management operators and industrial businesses seeking sustainable and locally sourced rare-earth materials. By combining innovative chemistry with the principles of Green and Sustainable Chemistry, TSR Innovations offers a practical solution to one of Europe's emerging resource challenges.
Next up at TSR Innovations
TSR Innovations is currently focused on expanding its core team and advancing its technology from laboratory validation to pilot-scale operation.This represents an important step in the commercialisation process. Pilot-scale testing will provide critical technical, environmental and economic data needed to evaluate the technology under more realistic operating conditions and prepare it for industrial deployment.
Looking ahead, TSR Innovations aims to establish Europe's first small-scale, modular mechanochemical long-loop recycling plant for rare-earth magnets. This innovation complements existing recyclers by cost-effectively processing rare-earth magnet waste streams that are often difficult to recycle. Beyond building a successful company, the broader vision is to contribute to a more resilient, circular and independent European rare-earth supply chain.As Dr. Stolar summarises:
"By turning German and European rare earth magnet waste into high-value, magnet-ready rare earth intermediates, we deliver tangible progress on strategic autonomy, industrial competitiveness, green employment and circular-economy leadership, all aligned with ISC3's mission and Germany's National Circular Economy Strategy."
By combining cutting-edge mechanochemistry with circular-economy principles, TSR Innovations demonstrates how scientific innovation can help address critical resource challenges while supporting Europe's transition towards a more sustainable, competitive and climate-neutral future.
With their innovative approach, TSR Innovations, who joined the ISC3 Global Start-up Service as one of the Innovation Challenge finalists in June 2026, actively contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and SDG 13 (Climate Action).
