Today we speak with Denisa Gibovic, CEO & founder of Blue Room Innovation — a startup driving the circular economy through digital solutions based on blockchain, AI and data traceability.
What problem does your startup address and what solution does it offer?
At Blue Room Innovation, we tackle one of today’s greatest challenges: the transition towards a more circular, digital and sustainable economic model. Our approach is based on developing scalable technological solutions that help companies, governments and organisations move towards more sustainable and traceable models. We use deep tech technologies such as blockchain, artificial intelligence and IoT, applied to sectors like waste management, manufacturing and smart cities.
How and why did you start this entrepreneurial journey? Any advice, based on your experience, you’d like to share with future entrepreneurs?
I founded Blue Room Innovation in 2015 together with two colleagues from the University of Girona, where the three of us were working on European technological innovation projects. From the outset, we shared the drive to take innovation beyond the academic sphere and apply it to real-world challenges. We began by developing open innovation projects for the university itself, and in 2018 we decided to participate on the first call for circular startups launched by TheCircularLab. That’s where Reciclos was born — the app that rewards recycling of plastic bottles and cans. We’ve been “on the radar” for quite some time now (goCircular Radar)!
Since then, the journey has been as intense as it has been rewarding. We’ve grown by working closely with recyclers, manufacturing companies and end users, facing each challenge together. Today, we’re a team of 30 people, and I’m genuinely moved by everything we’ve achieved — and all that we continue to build day by day.
If I had to give one piece of advice to those thinking about starting a business, it would be something simple but essential: take the risk if you see an opportunity. If it doesn’t work out, you can always go back, reinvent yourself or pick up where you left off. But you have to give it a try. And above all, surround yourself with a good team — having people who believe in the project with you makes all the difference and is the foundation for building something truly solid.
How do you expect the sector to evolve? And what are your expectations for your startup?
We anticipate acceleration in the circular economy sector, especially driven by upcoming EU regulations such as the Ecodesign Regulation and related sectoral legislation. We see that companies are increasingly committed to genuine, measurable sustainability — and that’s where our solutions fit perfectly. As for Blue Room, we aim to establish ourselves as a key player in the digitalisation of the circular economy in Europe, working alongside both public and private entities to scale the impact of our solutions.
Any news on the horizon you’d like to share with other startups?
For us, innovation means constant movement. We never stop — and honestly, there’s a lot we could share. At the moment, we have several exciting projects in the pipeline. On the one hand, we’re working on solutions related to data spaces — collaborative data ecosystems — and on creating sub-products derived from the Digital Product Passport.
Among these, we’re developing software that allows companies to ensure the integrity of their data by integrating it easily into the blockchain, as well as new tokenisation applications linked to sustainability — such as allocating kilowatts of renewable energy via digital passports.
What’s interesting is that we don’t innovate in isolation: we work in ecosystems where both our current clients and strategic partners share their needs with us, and we do a lot of co-creation through dynamic brainstorming sessions.
And as major news, we’re delighted to announce that Blue Room Innovation is expanding to the Middle East: this summer, we’re opening a subsidiary in Doha, Qatar, officially launching our presence in the region. We already have a local partner with whom we’ve started initial prospecting, and the response to our solutions has been very positive. We’re thrilled about this new chapter.
What kind of collaborations are you looking for with other startups, companies or organisations?
We’re particularly interested in collaborating on applied innovation projects where we can contribute our expertise in technologies such as blockchain, traceability and circular design. We seek to build synergies with tech startups, recycling and manufacturing companies, as well as universities and research centres. We firmly believe in the power of collaboration to accelerate the transition to more sustainable and resilient models.
At Blue Room Innovation, we don’t rule anything out: what matters most is sharing a common purpose. When organisations align in values and goals, work flows more smoothly, solutions take root, and impact multiplies. In the end, it’s about bringing together talent, vision and capabilities to move forward in the same direction — and that’s why we’re always open to exploring new partnerships that drive purposeful innovation.