Impact challenge

>90% of the raw materials used in the chemical industry are fossil fuels and the industry’s emissions trajectory is equivalent to 4°C global warming. In addition, Europe only recycles about 35% of its plastic waste. Most of the non-recyclable waste ends up in incineration plants or landfills with negative environmental impacts.

Ideal state

The chemical industry needs to replace fossil sources of carbon with carbon from biomass, waste, point-source capture (e.g., gas power plants), or direct air capture. Besides high amounts of renewable electricity, this requires substantial investments into new technologies and infrastructure to use, source, and refine enough sustainable feedstock.

Unique approach

Cyclize’s approach addresses both fossil fuel dependency and waste management needs by replacing fossil fuel-based syngas with sustainable syngas from non-recyclable plastics. Cyclize’s syngas can directly be integrated into the existing value chain of the chemical industry.

Impact challenge

Energy production based on fossil fuels and waste from discarded electric car batteries.

Ideal state

A range of flexibility tools (incl. batteries) enable the integration of all intermittent renewable energy sources without losses. The lifetime of batteries is maximized to minimize resource waste.

Unique approach

Voltfang utilizes end-of-life batteries in their storage units, effectively extending the useful lifespan of these batteries.

Impact challenge

The cement industry is responsible for approximately 7% of global GHG emissions and is particularly difficult to decarbonize, as two-thirds of its emissions come from chemical processes rather than energy consumption.

Ideal state

As clinker production accounts for a significant share of concrete's emissions, clinker content is minimized by incorporating alternatives such as SCMs.

Unique approach

The team has developed a mineralization technology that expedites the natural process of mineral formation from years to minutes, while sequestering CO2. The resulting silica-enriched magnesium carbonate that can be used as clinker alternative in cement.

Impact challenge

The loss of natural landscapes through land system change diminishes ecological functions like carbon sequestration, moisture recycling, and habitats for wildlife. In addition, the decline in the diversity, extent, and health of living organisms threatens the biosphere’s ability to co-regulate the state of the planet.

Ideal state

Humanity must preserve most of the remaining intact ecosystems and extend protected natural areas for biodiversity conservation, soil conservation, carbon storage, and freshwater regulation.

Unique approach

The Landbanking Group exists to stop and reverse nature loss. Through its platform Landler, The Landbanking Group offers a new toolset for land stewards and businesses to manage natural capital.

Impact challenge

Humanity has emitted so many greenhouse gases that limiting global warming to 1.5°C without removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is impossible. Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is part of all modeled scenarios that limit global warming to 2.0°C or lower by 2100.

Ideal state

CDR needs to reach 7 to 9 Gt CO2 annually by 2050. This is equivalent to 12% to 16% of emissions in 2022. It is necessary to 1) counterbalance residual emissions for net-zero by 2050 and 2) achieve net-negative emissions after 2050.

Unique approach

Enhanced rock weathering has a mitigation potential of 2 to 4 Gt CO2 per year and a reasonable cost at scale ranging from USD 50 to 200 per ton of CO2. UNDO is a frontrunner in the sector with strong scientific expertise.

Impact challenge

Mismanaged non-recyclable coastal plastic waste

Ideal state

Countries have effective waste management, high recycling rates, and bans on single-use plastics. However, the high cost – 20-50% of municipal budgets in developing countries – makes that unfeasible and necessitates alternative solutions for plastic collection.

Unique approach

The company manages local waste collection partners, who collect, separate and deliver the waste to cement factories to substitute coal in energy input, and selling verified plastic credits to FMCG brands.

Impact challenge

Capital is the key bottleneck for achieving the SDGs and the UNDP estimates that the global financing gap is over 4 trillion dollars.

Ideal state

There is sufficient capital to close the financing gap and achieve the SDGs. Philanthropic funding plays a key role in unlocking and de-risking private investments.

Unique approach

The bcause platform offers foundation-as-a-service for its users.

Impact challenge

A lack of energy storage to accommodate the volatility created by Europe’s growing share of renewable electricity and to displace residual fossil-based firm energy (e.g., gas power plants). Additionally, comparatively high electricity prices threaten European competitiveness.

Ideal state

The ideal state is a stable, renewable electricity system with low, internationally competitive prices.

Unique approach

BEO cuts energy costs by up to 50% for industrial clients by installing and operating on-site battery storage and solar PV systems – with no upfront investment or running cost. BEO optimizes self-consumption, reduces grid fees, and enables smart energy trading – all under a hassle-free ‘as-a-service’ model.

Impact challenge

Industrial heat represents around 25% of global CO2 emissions and remains one of the hardest sectors to decarbonize, with 80% still reliant on fossil fuels.

Ideal state

Fully decarbonized industrial heat at no green premium to fossil fuels, enabled by thermal energy storage (TES) systems that leverage energy flexibility.

Unique approach

EPYR combines innovation and practicality in a one-stop shop offering to facilitate TES adoption through reliability and price competitiveness.

Impact challenge

A significant global net-zero finance gap of ~USD 6tn annually between 2024 and 2030, as stated by the Climate Policy Initiative.

Ideal state

Unlocking significantly more private capital to support the most innovative companies and reduce the net-zero finance gap

Unique approach

The only investment platform for private markets built around climate investing

Impact challenge

Chronic diseases are the leading cause of death in Europe and the US. Yet, care delivery for chronic diseases and in particular multimorbidity is often inefficient as it is reactive and treats individual conditions in isolation.

Ideal state

Proactive, coordinated care that treats multimorbidity holistically rather than as separate conditions. Continuous, personalized support that improves outcomes while reducing inefficiencies.

Unique approach

Oska combines smart patient identification with an app and AI-supported human coaching to deliver between-visit care for multimorbid patients.

Impact challenge

Europe's buildings account for ~40 % of final energy use and ~36 % of energy-related emissions, yet renovation rates sit at <1 %, a third of what's needed for net-zero. Labor shortages and fragmented, slow execution are the core bottleneck.

Ideal state

Insulation retrofits shift from slow craftsmanship to a standardized, data-driven service, lowering heat demand first so that downstream technologies like heat pumps can operate efficiently at scale.

Unique approach

VARM combines its proprietary software, which digitally orchestrates every project step, with an in-house Insulation Academy that trains installers, turning insulation into a fast, standardized, and scalable service.

Impact challenge

TBA

Ideal state

TBA

Unique approach

TBA

Impact challenge

TBA

Ideal state

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Unique approach

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