Sustainable development, as defined by the UN World Commission on Environment and Development, involves meeting current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own. Building a sustainable Europe won’t be easy, as emphasized by the European Environment Agency: Europe needs to find ways to change the key systems of food, energy, mobility, and buildings, rethinking technologies, production processes, consumption patterns, and our way of life.
As the global pursuit of sustainability intensifies, a new wave of innovative startups is leading the charge towards a more eco-conscious future. From Barcelona to Berlin, Copenhagen to Oslo, startups are addressing this pressing matter and championing sustainability in diverse ways. In this article, we delve into the realm of sustainability and spotlight 20 of the most promising European startups founded between 2018 and today that are at the forefront of this transformative movement.
These startups are not only driving change but also attracting substantial investments to fuel their missions. Join us as we explore their innovative initiatives and the profound impact they are making on the path towards a greener and more sustainable world.
011h: Based in Barcelona, 011h is transforming the construction industry with technology-driven, sustainable building solutions. By integrating advanced design, technology, and industrialization with a commitment to sustainability, they deliver faster, cost-effective, and reliable buildings that prioritise environmental and social responsibility. Founded in 2020, the company has secured €35 million in funding.
Agreena: Copenhagen-based Agreena, offers a soil carbon certification program, aiding farmers in transitioning to regenerative agriculture. Their platform issues third-party verified carbon certificates annually, based on the ISO 14064-2 standard. These certificates can be retained by farmers or sold in the voluntary carbon market for offset purposes. Founded in 2018, they have raised over €88.6 million.
AgroSustain: Based in Nyon, Switzerland, AgroSustain offers a one-stop-shop solution for biological plant protection, aiming to reduce food waste and support organic food production. Their solutions replace chemical pesticides with natural alternatives such as biological fungicides and coatings. Founded in 2018, AgroSustain has secured over €11.6 million in funding.
Bower: Stockholm-based Bower transforms recycling into a rewarding, effortless process with its position-based scanning technology. This technology enables consumers to deposit all types of packages or products at regular recycling bins and receive rewards, such as points, money to withdraw or donate to charity, and discounts on future purchases. Founded in 2019, Bower has raised over €6.7 million.
CleanHub: Berlin-based CleanHub is dedicated to keeping plastic out of the sea. They empower proactive brands to not only reduce their plastic usage but also collect more than they produce. This is achieved by funding and advancing plastic recovery in coastal communities at high risk of plastic entering the ocean. Founded in 2020, they have secured €10.88 million in funding.
DePoly: Based in Sion, Switzerland, DePoly is focused on transforming the plastic waste treatment industry with its advanced recycling technology. The company has developed a process that converts various types of plastics, including streams of PET plastic and textiles, into high-quality raw materials without degrading their quality. Founded in 2020, DePoly has raised €16.87 million.
Ecobean: Headquartered in Warsaw, Ecobean is dedicated to enhancing the sustainability of the coffee value chain. They have developed proprietary technology that processes waste coffee grounds into sustainable materials and specialty chemicals, thus addressing a global issue while reducing their carbon footprint. Since 2018, Ecobean has secured over €8.9 million in funding.
FAIRMAT: Paris-based FAIRMAT offers a new, sustainable, and innovative way to recycle carbon fibre composite. Leveraging its proprietary technology, Fairmat can produce recycled materials that not only reduce the carbon footprint but also retain high-quality characteristics. Founded in 2020, they have raised over €51 million.
Healix Clean Tech: Based in Maastricht, Healix Clean Tech is a clean-tech start-up dedicated to creating sustainable solutions for plastic fibre waste. They collect, sort, shred, wash, and reprocess used twines, ropes, nets, and other plastic fibre wastes, transforming them into high-quality infinity polymers. Founded in 2021, the company has secured a total of €10 million in funding.
Heimdal: Oxford-based Heimdal specialises in Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology, permanently capturing and storing atmospheric CO2. Their process involves transforming mineral sorbents to absorb atmospheric CO2, then sequestering it safely underground. Since its foundation in 2020, Heimdal has raised over €9.7 million.
Klima: Headquartered in Berlin, Klima is a personal climate action app designed to empower individuals in the fight against climate change. It helps users calculate and offset their carbon footprint, funds projects to offset unavoidable emissions, and guides them in reducing their carbon impact, all within a user-friendly, socially responsible platform. Founded in 2019, Klima has raised €15.8 million.
Modern Milkman: Based in Manchester, Modern Milkman is a network of milk delivery services focused on reducing plastic waste, using mobile technology to facilitate online ordering and doorstep deliveries. They also deliver groceries and household products in returnable or recyclable packaging, aiming to shape consumer habits and shopping practices. Since 2018, they have secured over €78 million.
OCEANIUM: Operating from Oban, UK, Oceanium develops and manufactures innovative, functional seaweed-based ingredients for food, wellness, and materials sectors, benefiting both people and ocean health. They provide their commercial partners with sustainable ingredients to meet consumer demand and sustainability targets. Founded in 2018, they have raised €9.7 million.
Planet A Foods: Munich-based Planet A Foods is focused on creating a sustainable alternative to traditional chocolate, addressing the environmental challenges associated with cocoa production. Their process not only replicates the distinctive flavours of chocolate but also aims to replace cocoa butter to achieve the same tender, smooth melting quality. Founded in 2021, they have raised over €25.55 million.
PulPac: Based in Gothenburg, PulPac provides manufacturing technology for fiber-based packaging, offering a sustainable and cost-competitive alternative to plastics. This solution is efficient and viable for various applications. Founded in 2018, PulPac has raised €47 million and is expanding its business through a commercial licensing model, enabling brands to produce these eco-friendly products.
Single.Earth: Based in Tallinn, they employ natural sciences and blockchain technology to tokenize nature’s ecological value, capturing it in their nature-backed currency, and assess ecological features using satellite data and machine learning, enabling landowners to evaluate and monetize the ecological value of their land, fostering a sustainable economy. Founded in 2019, they raised over €7 million.
Standing Ovation: Based in Paris, Standing Ovation produces sustainable, vegan cheese using advanced biotechnology. They create real cheese, manufacturing caseins, which are essential for the cheese’s taste, texture, and aroma, through fermentation. Founded in 2021, the company has raised €12 million, leading to the production of delicious dairy cheese that is both animal-free and lactose-free.
TIER Mobility: Berlin-based TIER Mobility, founded in 2018, offers shared micro-mobility solutions to reduce car usage in cities. Their services include a variety of electric transport options such as scooters, bicycles, and mopeds, available across multiple countries. Having secured over €739 million in funding, TIER contributes to the development of cleaner, more accessible urban spaces.
TreeCard: Headquartered in London, Treecard is an organization that encourages eco-friendly behaviour by planting a tree for every 10,000 steps users walk and other rewards for walking milestones. They are also a finance platform offering a wooden payment card that supports tree planting with every transaction. Founded in 2020, they have raised over €33 million.
Wastefront: Based in Oslo, Wastefront specializes in recycling end-of-life tyres into valuable commodities such as liquid hydrocarbons and carbon black, utilizing pyrolysis technology. Their process reduces the environmental impact and adheres to European standards, contributing to a more sustainable solution for tyre waste management. Founded in 2019, the company has raised €38.49 million.
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