'Madame President, we are here' – Norrsken launches Brussels impact hub

The aim of the new hub is to connect impact entrepreneurs to the EU.

"Europe has all the ingredients it needs to be a leader in the next economy. What’s missing is stronger collaboration between those shaping policy and those building the future," says Niklas Adalberth.

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Located in Brussels' European quarter, the new seven-floor hub sits minutes from the European Commission, Parliament and Council.

"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 Adalberth, who previously co-founded payment unicorn Klarna.

Sara Kappelmark, co-CEO of Norrsken Foundation, tells Impact Loop that Norrsken believes this can be something of a "European hub with a great mix of people".

"Both those who are based there full-time, but also other startups across Europe who want to drive these issues," she says.

"Enormous advantage"

The timing is significant. Europe now has nearly twice as many climate and cleantech startups as the US, with climatetech accounting for almost 30 percent of all European VC funding in 2023. That same year, European purpose-driven tech investments represented more than 40 percent of the global total.

"I believe Europe has an enormous advantage – perhaps much bigger than we realize," says Adalberth. "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."

Beyond workspace, Norrsken House Brussels will host curated events and high-level discussions designed to forge connections between changemakers and decision-makers.

Willem Vriesendorp, co-founder of Norrsken House Brussels and founder of #SustainableHub, sees the location as strategic: "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."

In a direct message to Ursula von der Leyen, Adalberth references the Clean Industrial Deal, where the President of the European Commission invited 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."

More hubs to come

This is Norrsken's fourth location globally, adding to existing hubs in Stockholm, Barcelona and Kigali. And according to Kappelmark, there will be more to come:

"We are absolutely thrilled that Norrsken today has over 50,000 people who are part of our community. But on a global scale, considering the magnitude of the challenges we need to solve, it's merely a drop in the ocean – we need to grow our numbers even further," she says.