“Building on the important work already done by #SustainableHub, we want this house to bring together Europe’s leading voices in sustainability, entrepreneurship, clean technology, and innovation,” says Niklas Adalberth, Founder of Norrsken Foundation.

Norrsken Foundation is on a mission to help entrepreneurs solve the world’s greatest challenges. With Houses in Stockholm, Sweden, Barcelona, Spain, and Kigali, Rwanda, its ecosystem connects over 50 000 impact-driven entrepreneurs, investors, and changemakers worldwide with the knowledge, capital, and network they need to scale solutions that make a difference. The Brussels-based house will build on this momentum, amplifying Europe’s leadership in the impact economy.

“I believe Europe has an enormous advantage – perhaps much bigger than we realize. Europe has all the ingredients it needs to be a leader in the next economy: world-class talent, top-tier R&D, a thriving cleantech ecosystem, and a forward-thinking regulatory environment," says Niklas Adalberth.

Located in an architectural landmark building in the European quarter of Brussels, only a few minutes’ walk from the European Commission, Parliament, Council and other key EU institutions, Norrsken House Brussels will provide seven floors of co-working for impact-driven entrepreneurs, investors, and sustainability advocates.

More than just a workspace, the House will host curated events, high-level discussions, and networking opportunities by and for its members – designed to power action and forge meaningful connections between changemakers and decision-makers in the EU capital.

The programming will be designed in collaboration with cleantech for Europe, the coalition of top cleantech scaleups and investors in Europe, and #SustainablePublicAffairs, a public affairs agency dedicated to sustainability.

“We think this is much bigger than any specific policy issue. It’s about creating a broad platform to spotlight a diverse set of voices within European entrepreneurship and sustainability,” says Niklas Adalberth.

Members will also gain direct access to Norrsken’s global ecosystem, including preferred access to Norrsken Houses worldwide, events like Impact/Week and a worldwide network of fellow sustainability and innovation leaders.

"If sustainability cannot be sustained, it is not sustainable – so sustainability must by definition be a business case, backed by regulators that keep green premiums down, and help make impact entrepreneurship the norm. Over the past few weeks we have seen a surge of optimism around Europe. Norrsken House is an embodiment of that hope. I hope other European role models will join us and play a similar part in building Europe’s future," says Willem Vriesendorp, Co-Founder of Norrsken House Brussels.

"On this square kilometer – the European quarter of Brussels – the future of Europe is given shape. By bringing impact entrepreneurship into the policy conversation, we can make sure that the EU remains a leader in sustainable innovation – not just in ambition, but in execution."

The launch of Norrsken House Brussels comes at a critical time. Europe has nearly twice as many climate and cleantech startups as the US, and climatetech accounted for almost 30% of all European VC funding in 2023. That same year, European purpose-driven tech investments accounted for more than 40% of the global total.

As Europe accelerates its push toward economic and environmental resilience, Norrsken House Brussels will be a powerhouse to ensure the continent’s sustainability agenda translates into real-world impact.

“I read the invitation in the Clean Industrial Deal, for industry leaders to step up and deliver solutions that can scale at the European level. Madame President – we are here, now. Let’s do this, together,” said Niklas Adalberth.

For more startup news, check out the other articles on the website, and subscribe to the magazine for free. Listen to The Cereal Entrepreneur podcast for more interviews with entrepreneurs and big-hitters in the startup ecosystem.