Climate Tech Connect

Resilience doesn't get built by one breakthrough, one company, or one fund. It gets built by an ecosystem dense enough with real connections that Europe can actually carry its own energy transition, industry transformation, and future. That's what our Climate Tech Summit partners are backing: not just a room, but the right room! Where founders meet the investors and corporates who can actually scale things 🌐 And our partners aren't sponsoring banners — they are leading the sessions, setting the agenda, and bringing the depth that comes from years of building in this space. They're the ones moving climate tech from pilot to scale. On November 10th in Antwerp, we're hosting the people building Europe's resilience. And these are the organizations supporting them to get there, our partners: Business in Antwerp & Port of Antwerp-Bruges Endeit Capital · VP Capital · SFPIM · 4impact capital · Norrsken Evolve · IGMN · Endgame Capital · Arches Capital · Amsterdam Standard · IMPROVED · De Roos · Goeie Grutten Impact Fonds · Rockstart · ABN AMRO Bank N.V. · Colesco Capital 👏 👏 👏 Deborah Kreis Paulina Markowska Leopold van Oosten Gideon van Kleij

Two years ago, we opened our first Climate Tech Summit with a report. We called it “Progress and Roadblocks.”* 🌐 Reading it back in 2026, the roadblocks part aged… interestingly. Let’s look at it for a moment: back then, two fears were felt in the room: 1. That the money was drying up 2. ..and that politics was turning against climate (the rising right, the Green Deal wobbling, the EU policy instability) Here's what actually happened. The politics did turn. In late 2025 the EU rolled back big parts of the Green Deal under the banner of “simplification” — softening the 2040 target, delaying carbon pricing, exempting the large majority of companies from sustainability reporting. The tailwind a lot of founders were quietly counting on got weaker. And it wasn't only here. Two years ago, our report looked enviously across the Atlantic at the US Inflation Reduction Act — the faster, more generous playbook. By 2026 that had reversed too: Washington froze climate funding, paused wind and solar permits, and put its clean-energy tax credits on a countdown. The two biggest policy tailwinds in the Western world weakened at the same time. The roadblock we flagged? It arrived, from both directions. And the money? It came back, but it changed shape. Global climate tech funding climbed back to around $40bn in 2025, up 8% after two years of decline. But the number of deals almost halved. Capital got selective. The question flipped from “is there funding?” to “can you prove you'll scale?” So by every measure in that 2024 report, this should have been the year climate tech stalled. It didn't. And the reason it didn't is the whole reason we do this 👇 Somewhere in the last two years, climate tech stopped being told only as a "green" story. It became a resilience story: Energy we generate ourselves. Industries we keep on this continent. Materials we recover instead of import. The capital that kept moving into grid, storage, nuclear, industrial decarbonisation followed exactly that logic. What we said in our previous posts: turns out the technologies that protect the climate are the same ones that make Europe independent. And that's not just a tagline, it's why the sector held through a political retreat that, on paper, should have sunk it. And here's the last lesson we take from the gap between 2024 and today: when policy stops doing the work for you, and capital gets picky, what actually moves a company forward is traction, proof, and the right people in the right room. No founder does that alone. That's what an ecosystem is for. That's what the Climate Tech Summit is for. We really hope to see you in Antwerp this November! (event link in comments) *produced by a great team of researchers led by Sara Ługowska. Climate Tech Connect Paulina Markowska Deborah Kreis Leopold van Oosten Gideon van Kleij De Roos Endeit Capital SFPIM Amsterdam Standard VP Capital Goeie Grutten Impact Fonds Port of Antwerp-Bruges Business in Antwerp

🎟 Early bird tickets for Climate Tech Summit 2026 are now open! 🎟 10 November · Antwerp ZOO · 500 C-level climate founders, investors, corporates and policymaker · Focus on networking, hands-on workshops & curated matchmaking · Startup exhibition floor & Top100 Awards + a sneak peak of our workshops themes: ⚡ Industrial decarbonisation 🚪 Exit strategies 🚗 Mobility, drones & logistics innovation 📈 Go-to-market for climate startups 🌐 The Antwerp ecosystem: NextGen District, BlueChem & more 🏭 SMEs & the energy transition 🤖 AI products for the transition 🎤 Pitchclub ..and other. All under one theme: Building Resilience; because the technologies that protect our climate are the same ones that secure Europe's energy, industry, and independence. Secure your spot (link in the comments) 👇 Climate Tech Connect Paulina Markowska Deborah Kreis Leopold van Oosten Gideon van Kleij De Roos Endeit Capital SFPIM Amsterdam Standard VP Capital Goeie Grutten Impact Fonds Port of Antwerp-Bruges Business in Antwerp Maarten Van Ostaeyen Roel Bosschaerts Pieter-Jan Blondeel Julie Van Nuwenborg An Damen Stien Horemans IGMN IMPROVED Norrsken Evolve Arches Capital 4impact capital Endgame Capital

Networking-first 🗣️ We build Climate Tech Summit a bit differently than a usual conference - we skip keynotes and design every part of the day around a question: who do you need to meet, and how do we get you in front of them? We’re building a “Climate Tech Connector” matchmaking app. Before you even arrive, you know which investors, founders, and corporates are worth your time. It means structured speed-dating, pre-booked 1-on-1s, so the right conversations can actually happen! For the content part, we’re preparing hands-on workshops, interactive and led by great organizations that  know their topics inside and out. Stay tuned for more info on that. The magic of any event is not the stage, is the people in the room 🙂↕️ 🎟️ One week until Early Bird tickets go live! Link in the comments. Climate Tech Connect Paulina Markowska Deborah Kreis Leopold van Oosten Gideon van Kleij De Roos Endeit Capital SFPIM Amsterdam Standard VP Capital Goeie Grutten Impact Fonds Port of Antwerp-Bruges Business in Antwerp Maarten Van Ostaeyen Roel Bosschaerts Pieter-Jan Blondeel Julie Van Nuwenborg An Damen Stien Horemans 

✋✋ Climate technologies are Europe's greatest resilience opportunity ✋✋ For decades, Europe's strength has depended on things it doesn't control. Energy imported from elsewhere, supply chains stretched across unstable geographies.. Prices set by markets and conflicts far beyond our influence. The last few years have shown us, painfully, what that dependence costs! Hot take: the technologies that protect the climate are the same ones that make Europe resilient and independent: 🔋Clean energy we generate ourselves 🏗️ Industries we decarbonise and keep on this continent ♻️ Materials we recover and reuse instead of importing Resilience and sustainability are not competing goals, they're the same goal, seen from two angles. This is what we mean by Building Resilience 🌐 ..and building it not at the expense of the planet; that's the old model, exactly what got us here.. To reshape the old models asap we need better connections, faster deals, and the right people in the right room. And more of this topic in mainstream media! Join CTS on 10 November (link in the comments) Climate Tech Connect Paulina Markowska Deborah Kreis Leopold van Oosten Gideon van Kleij De Roos Endeit Capital SFPIM Amsterdam Standard VP Capital Goeie Grutten Impact Fonds Port of Antwerp-Bruges Business in Antwerp Maarten Van Ostaeyen Roel Bosschaerts Pieter-Jan Blondeel Julie Van Nuwenborg An Damen Stien Horemans Annick Dekeyser

We're hosting Climate Tech Summit 2026 at a ZOO 🦋 Not literally - but at the beautiful marble halls and atrium of “A Room with a View”, a historical wing attached to the ZOO Antwerp. “Startup jungle” 🐒 We think it's the most fitting backdrop! Climate tech is often spoken about in the language of markets, megawatts, and carbon credits, but underneath all of it is something simple (yet big): keeping our planet and all its inhabitants thriving. The technologies we build, the deals we make, the industries we transform,  they all should serve this purpose. Time to question and reinvent the old, exploitative systems is NOW! Antwerp ZOO is one of the oldest and most beautiful zoos in the world, right in the heart of the city, steps from Antwerp Central Station. The historic Queen Elisabeth Hall has hosted gatherings for over a century. People and nature, in the same room 🕺🌴 It's not a contradiction, it's the whole point! Sign up in the comments and we'll see you in November. Climate Tech Connect Paulina Markowska Deborah Kreis Leopold van Oosten Gideon van Kleij De Roos Endeit Capital SFPIM Amsterdam Standard VP Capital Goeie Grutten Impact Fonds Port of Antwerp-Bruges Business in Antwerp Maarten Van Ostaeyen Roel Bosschaerts Pieter-Jan Blondeel Julie Van Nuwenborg An Damen Stien Horemans Annick Dekeyser

In 2024, we started by gathering Europe's climate tech community in Amsterdam, and in 2026, we're crossing the border 🇧🇪 Why? The Netherlands and Belgium have always been stronger together! Deeply connected economies, shared coastline, infrastructure, and shared stake in the energy transition. What happens in Rotterdam affects Antwerp, what happens in Antwerp affects the whole of Northwest Europe.. climate challenges don't stop at borders! However, this isn't just about Benelux. Belgium sits at the heart of Europe, with EU institutions in Brussels; Antwerp is one of the continent's great industrial and logistical crossroads. If we want climate tech collaboration that reaches across Europe, there are few better places to build it. So we're bringing Climate Tech Summit to Antwerp on 10 November. Belgian soil, European ambition ✌️ Join us in Antwerp, spots are limited. Sign up for the waitlist in comments ☺️ Climate Tech Connect Paulina Markowska Deborah Kreis Leopold van Oosten Gideon van Kleij De Roos Endeit Capital SFPIM Amsterdam Standard VP Capital Goeie Grutten Impact Fonds Port of Antwerp-Bruges Business in Antwerp Maarten Van Ostaeyen Roel Bosschaerts Pieter-Jan Blondeel Julie Van Nuwenborg An Damen Stien Horemans Annick Dekeyser

📣 Announcing: City of Antwerp and Port of Antwerp-Bruges are joining us as platinum partners for Climate Tech Summit 2026 🎉 10 November · Antwerp ZOO We couldn't be more proud to bring CTS to Antwerp with two of the city's most ambitious institutions by our side. Antwerp is one of Europe's strongest innovation ecosystems, a home to 762 startups, with an ecosystem valued at €3.4 billion and growing 77% in the last five years. A world-class sustainable chemistry cluster, strong university-industry ties, and a legally binding target of 50–55% CO₂ reduction by 2030. Antwerp is a city structurally built for the transition! Port of Antwerp-Bruges brings another dimension; one of Europe's largest ports and a global hub for shipping, logistics, and industrial innovation, it is now actively leading that transition through NextGen Demo, a dedicated testing ground where innovators can tackle the decarbonisation of traditional industries at real industrial scale. This is exactly the kind of ecosystem CTS was built for 🙌 Join us in Antwerp! The registration is curated. SIGN UP via Luma, link in the comments! Port of Antwerp-Bruges Business in Antwerp Climate Tech Connect Paulina Markowska Deborah Kreis Leopold van Oosten Gideon van Kleij De Roos Endeit Capital SFPIM Amsterdam Standard VP Capital Goeie Grutten Impact Fonds Maarten Van Ostaeyen Roel Bosschaerts Pieter-Jan Blondeel Julie Van Nuwenborg An Damen Stien Horemans Annick Dekeyser

Last week together with Endeit Capital we hosted a perfect networking evening event, combining canal boat trip & rooftop drinks 🍸 Biggest kudos to Amsterdam’s weather for cooperating 🌞 and allowing everything to go as planned! Many, many thanks to Emmelie Meurs & Sara Resvik for supporting CTC and hosting alongside us, to Bert Claessens for joining and sharing his experience and insights, and to everyone who came and made it such a rich evening of ideas exchange. We’ll see you at the next one! 🤓 Paulina Markowska Deborah Kreis Gideon van Kleij Leopold van Oosten Amsterdam Standard De Roos SFPIM Goeie Grutten Impact Fonds VP Capital

SAVE THE DATE! 🌐 Climate Tech Summit is back 🌐 📍 Antwerp, 10th November 2026 Climate technologies are Europe’s greatest resilience opportunity. Not just for the planet, but for our energy security, our industrial future, and our economic sovereignty. The solutions are here. The builders are here. What the ecosystem needs now is better connections, faster deals, and the right people in the right room. 👉 One day, 500 C-level climate tech founders, investors, and corporates. It will not be  your usual conference; we're ditching panels & keynotes, expect: — hands-on workshops — curated matchmaking & speed-dating — exhibition floor of the best climate startups of Benelux and beyond 💫 More info soon, stay tuned  💌 Find our Luma link below and sign up now! 👇 Climate Tech Connect Paulina Markowska Deborah Kreis Leopold van Oosten Gideon van Kleij De Roos Endeit Capital SFPIM Amsterdam Standard VP Capital Goeie Grutten Impact Fonds Port of Antwerp-Bruges Business in Antwerp Maarten Van Ostaeyen Roel Bosschaerts Pieter-Jan Blondeel Julie Van Nuwenborg An Damen Stien Horemans