PARTNER CONTENT
Celebrating its landmark tenth edition this October at Dubai Harbour, Expand North Star 2025 is hosting North Star Green Impact, underscoring sustainability’s central role in shaping the next decade of global innovation. We explore what makes North Star Green Impact unique—and how it is accelerating climate-tech innovation worldwide.
What sets North Star Green Impact apart in the sustainability and climate-tech space?
North Star Green Impact stands out because it doesn’t relegate sustainability to a side-stage. Instead, it places climate-tech ventures at the heart of the world’s most influential startup event—where they connect directly with fintech disruptors, AI pioneers, blockchain innovators, and global investors.
This seamless integration ensures climate-tech is not siloed but fully embedded within the broader innovation ecosystem. A clean-energy startup, for instance, can collaborate with AI firms building smart grids, while a circular economy venture might partner with supply chain disruptors to scale impact.
By bridging sustainability with mainstream technology innovation, North Star Green Impact generates cross-sector momentum that traditional climate conferences often miss—making it a true gateway to global impact.
What criteria are used to select startups for North Star Green Impact programme —and how do they align with sustainability goals?
The selection process focuses on both innovation potential and climate impact. To qualify, startups must deliver solutions that directly address pressing sustainability challenges while demonstrating scalability, measurable outcomes, and global relevance.
Key focus verticals include:
Clean energy & mobility: Renewable generation, energy storage, EV infrastructure, and smart transport systems.
Green AI & digital sustainability: AI-driven and digital solutions that optimise energy use, resource efficiency, and emissions reduction.
Agri-tech & food security: Breakthroughs enabling resilient, sustainable food production and distribution.
Circular economy: Waste-to-value innovation, advanced recycling, and sustainable supply chain technologies.
By selecting ventures that combine technological ingenuity with measurable climate action, North Star Green Impact ensures that every participant contributes to advancing sustainability goals on a global scale.
What successes or milestones has North Star achieved in advancing climate-tech and sustainability innovations?
For over a decade, Expand North Star has been a launchpad for thousands of startups that went on to scale globally, secure major funding, and disrupt industries. With the addition of Green Impact, these achievements are being amplified in the climate-tech arena.
Key milestones include:
Global reach: Startups showcased at Expand North Star have expanded operations across multiple continents.
Capital raised: Many alumni have secured follow-on funding from investors they first connected with at the event.
Policy breakthroughs: Direct engagement with government bodies has led to meaningful collaborations around sustainability frameworks.
Cross-sector collaboration: Partnerships between climate-tech innovators and corporates in energy, transport, and agriculture have accelerated pilots and real-world deployments.
Beyond individual wins, the real milestone is that North Star Green Impact is embedding sustainability into the DNA of the world’s largest startup platform—ensuring climate-tech is not only showcased but scaled.
What strategies and resources are most critical to help startups overcome challenges and scale their sustainability solutions?
Climate-tech founders face unique hurdles compared to traditional tech ventures: higher capital intensity, complex regulatory landscapes, and longer go-to-market timelines.
To overcome these, North Star Green Impact provides:
Capital with impact: Access to ESG-driven investors who recognise that climate-tech requires patient capital but offers transformative returns in both impact and profit.
Global connections: Corporate partnerships, policy networks, and international collaborations that help reduce barriers to scaling across markets.
Clarity & credibility: Frameworks, mentorship, and exposure that enable startups to demonstrate their climate metrics and ESG performance with confidence.
By combining these resources, North Star Green Impact helps founders turn challenges into opportunities—moving from vision to implementation with real momentum.
