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