Article

22 May

2026

Press Release: The Virtual Forge Partners With Ainir To Drive Innovation In Circular Economy Technology

The Virtual Forge has formed a strategic partnership with Ainir and Solvve to advance the development of Ainir’s Vision AI and EcoHub platform. This collaboration marks an expansion into sustainability technology, leveraging AI and cloud architecture to improve the identification and traceability of high-value plastic recycling in the healthcare and industrial sectors.

Paula Ferreira

min read

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 22, 2026

The Virtual Forge partners with Ainir to drive innovation in circular economy technology.

[Bath, United Kingdom] The Virtual Forge is pleased to announce a strategic partnership with Ainir, marking an exciting step into the circular economy and sustainability technology space. The collaboration sees The Virtual Forge contributing as a technology partner, working alongside Ainir and fellow partner Solvve to advance Ainir's Vision AI and EcoHub platform.

For Ainir, the partnership marks an important milestone in the continued development of its technology platform for identification, traceability, and handling of high-value plastic streams within the healthcare sector and industrial circular value chains.

This partnership represents a deliberate expansion for The Virtual Forge beyond its established enterprise and commercial client base into a sector with real-world environmental impact. The company will bring its expertise in AI-enabled systems, cloud architecture, and user-centred digital solutions to the development of a platform designed to improve identification, traceability, and handling of high-value plastic streams within the healthcare sector and industrial circular value chains.

"We're very excited about the partnership between The Virtual Forge, Ainir, and Solvve. This represents a genuinely exciting new area for The Virtual Forge, where we'll be collaborating across technology innovation and public sector grant opportunities. It's always energising to work on something new, especially alongside ambitious partners focused on building meaningful and forward-looking solutions. Looking forward to seeing where this journey goes," says Garrett Doyle, Co-CEO of The Virtual Forge.

The partnership spans two distinct dimensions: hands-on technology development, and participation in public sector grant opportunities. This multi-faceted involvement reflects the depth of The Virtual Forge's commitment to the platform and its long-term potential.

The Virtual Forge joins Solvve as Ainir's core development partners. The three companies have already been working together on Vision AI, material recognition, and EcoHub platform architecture and development, and this announcement formalises that collaboration.

The Virtual Forge has a strong tradition of backing ambitious businesses alongside its work with global enterprise customers, with previous investments and partnerships spanning sports technology, learning and development, and now sustainability, recycling and circular economy infrastructure.

Paula Ferreira

Marketing Manager

Paula is a digital marketing specialist with over four years of experience spanning social media, branding, website design, and email marketing. Originally from Brazil and educated at the University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business, she blends a multicultural perspective with a strong passion for digital innovation. She focuses on creating engaging, story-driven content that helps brands connect with audiences globally, and outside of work she enjoys hiking, clay sculpting, dancing, and spending time at the beach.

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