Furnitly is a circular design platform giving overstock and showroom furniture from leading European brands a second life. Instead of being discarded, high-quality pieces from previous collections are carefully selected, quality-checked, and offered directly to consumers in the Netherlands and Belgium. By sourcing straight from trusted manufacturers, Furnitly eliminates unnecessary middlemen, reducing waste and emissions while keeping design accessible and affordable. Combini

Aestuarium is a biotech startup developing a bacteria-based, low-energy desalination system that transforms seawater into freshwater through biological processes. The technology aims to make desalination significantly more sustainable and cost-efficient compared to conventional methods. Founded in 2023 and based at in CHILL labs at the Brightlands Chemelot Campus, the team combines expertise in synthetic biology and biotech. Aestuarium has taken part in the Rockstart Accelera

Aetheria is a Dutch climate-tech startup tackling one of the most overlooked climate threats, the release of highly potent F-gases trapped inside insulation foams at end-of-life. These gases, thousands of times stronger than CO2, are currently released during incineration or landfilling, driving ozone depletion and climate change. MonoFoam ™ is a compact, mobile, on-site system that offers a practical, circular solution for recycling insulation foam while preventing the rele

Last week, our colleague Rim H.M. Stroeks took part in the 8th edition of the Academie voor Sociale Stedelijke Ontwikkeling in Heerlen. The central theme of this edition, “Industry Policy,” carries significant weight in a city where the legacy of the mine closures is still felt more than five decades later. Under the moderation of Lodewijk Asscher, a diverse panel of experts explored and reflected on what industry policy means for the region today. A new “canary in the coal

The Brightlands Startup Challenge has officially kicked off! This challenge, part of the Brightlands innovation ecosystem, offers students a unique opportunity to turn their innovative ideas into real startup concepts. Throughout the program, participants work on shaping a strong business model, validating their ideas, and receiving guidance from experienced entrepreneurs, mentors, and industry experts. Why is this valuable for students? The Brightlands Startup Challenge is m

Who? Bart Van Eekelen is the founder and manager at E-Pickr. He founded the company back in July 2021 while he was doing his Bachelor at Maastricht University. International Business at Maastricht University formed Bart van Eekelen's academic foundation. With multiple A's and a research thesis, he bid farewell to the Netherlands in 2022 to further pursue his "professional drift" at Harvard University. He is using his expertise to help e-commerce companies with product researc

Who? SaveStrike consists of 3 German co-founders. Jan Wedemeyer, Konrad Krappen and Anton Engelhardt. Jan is Managing Director; he handles everything to do with banking and compliance at SaveStrike and ensures with a lot of energy that your finances do not remain a boring triviality but are fun! Effectiveness and individuality are his top priorities. Konrad focuses on Product Development & Sales. Today online shopping should offer sustainable added value for end custo

Who? Sebastian Thinghøj Nyrup created Unshackled during his bachelor studies as an international business student at Maastricht...

Who? HomeHaven was created by the following three data science students from Maastricht University: Fabio Barbero, Moritz Gehlhaar and Simone Schouten. Fabio is fascinated by sustainability and technology. His expertise is maritime environment. Moritz is living on a sailboat himself. His energy and passion gave this project no limits. Simone has a lot of nautical experience and a strong background in project planning. What? Retired life boats from decommissioned cruise ships

Who? The team behind MethaGone consists of 12 bright undergraduate students from the faculty of Science & Engineering, supported by two student advisors from the MSP 2020 iGEM team. The supervisor for the team is Erik Steen Redeker, Assistant Professor at the Maastricht Science Programme, Faculty of Science and Engineering. They have won the KIVI Engineering Student Team award.“Methagone has the potential to achieve a major global impact," the expert jury praised the project.

Who? Renato Rogosic is the Founder of Flui.Go and is a science PhD researcher. He puts his becoming a scientist partially down to a good start in life. “My family has always been encouraging me and I’ve always had good professors in the STEM subjects, so I could follow my curiosity and discover. But often children can get a bit intimidated by chemistry, biology, maths, and physics… We wanted to enable them to develop a passion for science in a playful way.” Benjamin Heidt is

Who? Comfyhand was founded by Denise Nijhuis and Lorna James. Denise studies Health Sciences at Maastricht University and came up with the idea of Comfyhand during the Maastricht University Challenge where she met Co-founder Lorna. Denise combines her interest in health with her interest in business, bringing an analytical mind and knowledge about health and research to the team. Lorna, having stepped from teaching math’s in Oxfordshire secondary school into studying sustaina