In the race to decarbonize the global economy, no company, city, or country can do it alone. The energy transition is a global challenge and one that demands collaboration across geographies, industries, and innovation ecosystems.
That’s why Greentown Labs created the Ecosystem Exchange: a bilateral, in-person engagement model designed to foster meaningful startup-corporate connections and scale climate solutions globally. The Ecosystem Exchange with Equinor last year and the upcoming ones this September with Equinor and Woodside Energy offer case studies in the value of this model.
The importance of cross-border collaboration
Climate innovation thrives when bold ideas meet supportive ecosystems, and when those ecosystems connect globally, they create the full pathway for startups to grow and scale.
For example, while the U.S. offers scale, capital, and a vast commercial market, Norway—where Greentown Terawatt Partner Equinor is headquartered—offers technical expertise, agile public support, and deep decarbonization know-how, especially across heavy industry, energy, and maritime sectors. Both ecosystems bring strengths, and that’s exactly why collaboration is critical.
Norway’s climatetech ecosystem, though smaller, has been steadily growing thanks to strong public sector support, including government subsidies, green procurement policies, and robust public-private partnerships.
Startups from both sides of the Atlantic have much to gain: U.S. companies can tap into Norway’s advanced policy frameworks and sectoral leadership, while Norwegian startups entering the U.S. can find the scale and partnerships needed to grow.
“The Ecosystem Exchange is playing a crucial role in revitalizing the Norway-Houston community, which thrived during the height of the oil & gas industry, and is now focusing on climatetech and the energy-transition space. Equinor recognizes the potential in both regions, but sometimes struggles to realize the scale and transformation required to create a significant impact on our business.
We firmly believe that reopening these channels, sharing lessons, connecting networks, sharing regional customer demands and interests, and highlighting key problems to solve across regions will accelerate the solutions emerging from these brilliant startups. Our ultimate goal is to support and grow these innovative value chains so that they can address our business challenges more efficiently and economically than we could manage on our own.”
From Houston to Stavanger and Back Again
In 2024, with support from Equinor, Greentown brought three U.S.-based Greentown startups (Advanced Ionics, CLS Wind, and CalWave) to Stavanger, Norway for the World Energy Cities Partnership (WECP) annual meeting and the ONS Conference, the world’s largest energy exhibition.
It was an immersive and high-impact experience. The startups:
- Competed in the ONS Scale-Up Pitch Competition and shared a booth at ONS
- Pitched publicly at the Equinor Tent at ONS+
- Met key players across the Norwegian innovation ecosystem through curated roundtables, site visits, and ecosystem tours as part of the WECP programming
- Built relationships not just with Equinor, but with local incubators, government stakeholders, and potential partners
CLS Wind is working hard to solve many pressing problems in today’s wind industry, onshore and offshore, and being headquartered in North America also means to be a bit disconnected from the cradle of the wind industry: Europe.
At WECP, we met the leaders of the wind ports around the world, presenting them with our unique solution to unlock some of their bottlenecks. At ONS, we were invited to showcase our company and technology to a very wide audience of technical and commercial partners, learned more about the European developments and trajectory of the offshore wind industry in the Nordic sector, and even met some of our competitors! All these experiences have enriched our company and showed us how connected we are to the rest of the world, and how cooperation and partnerships are key to success!
A special thanks to Pia Warland, Nils-Henrik Stokke, Claudine Ang, Anne Wole, Anna Kraaijeveld, Even Eide, as well as to our special Manon Chappat-Alarcón, for the wonderful organization, hospitality and work before, during, and after this amazing experience!!
Beyond the business cards and agendas, real human connections were formed: on a fjord cruise, during a rainy hike to Pulpit Rock, and through dozens of spontaneous conversations that only happen when you’re in the same room, city, or boat.
The result? Follow-on collaborations are already underway, and one of the Norwegian startups we met in Stavanger (Renasys) is now preparing to come to Houston for the next chapter of this exchange.
Welcoming Norway and Australia to Houston
This September, we will host seven global startups as part of the Ecosystem Exchange, thanks to the continued partnership of Equinor and Woodside Energy, which joined the project this year.
Four Norwegian Startups:
- Renasys – Specializes in fine-particle water filtration, enabling treatment plants to remove contaminants as small as five microns from wastewater—about 15 times smaller than a human hair.
- Hive Autonomy – Focuses on autonomous logistics operations and has collaborated with industrial partners to develop remote and autonomous wheel-loader systems, enhancing efficiency in industrial processes.
- Glint Solar – Offers a platform that supports solar developers by evaluating inbound leads, prospecting across multiple markets, analyzing buildable areas, and conducting preliminary project designs.
- Installer – Has developed a platform to streamline the installation and maintenance of renewable energy technologies like EV chargers, solar panels, and heat pumps. Accelerating climatetech adoption by simplifying the connection between businesses and skilled installers.
Three Australian Startups:
- PHNXX – Delivers rapidly deployable, modular microgrid systems that replace diesel generators in remote and edge-of-grid operations. Its intelligent energy platform integrates solar, batteries, and advanced controls to cut emissions, reduce costs, and enable clean, reliable power anywhere.
- SpiroPak – Has developed unique technology that significantly reduces the cost of carbon capture.
- SeaStock – Creates marine-science solutions to produce and extract compounds derived from seaweed and algae. Its products benefit industries that require sustainably sourced and naturally derived raw materials, including: agriculture, food and beverage, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.
These startups will immerse themselves in Houston’s climate-innovation ecosystem during the 2025 Houston Energy and Climate Startup Week, a fast-growing convening moment that brought together 2,000+ attendees and 125+ startups last year. With a dynamic week of pitches, curated meetings, panels, and networking, the visiting startups will gain exposure and the opportunity to form and nurture key relationships in the U.S. market.
The Value of In-Person Ecosystem Building
The Ecosystem Exchange is more than a business trip. It is a curated experience that equips international startups with the tools, context, and connections they need to enter a new market with confidence. Grounded in the networks that are nurtured by local players such as Greentown, Innovation Dock, or StartupLab (whom we collaborate with on the Norwegian exchanges), we’re not just opening doors—we’re preparing startups to walk through them successfully.
Startups need more than client leads. They need localized insight, investor access, and cultural fluency to navigate unfamiliar markets. That’s why we’ve gone beyond logistics to provide real preparation:
- A tailored “How to Houston” guide with practical and business advice
- Direct connections with the Greater Houston Partnership to understand the opportunities Houston has to offer
- Pitch coaching with Greentown Expert-in-Residence Nupur Amin
Once here, they can tap into Greentown’s extensive network of 70+ corporate partners and 700+ investors to build meaningful relationships.
In a world of constant video calls, face-to-face moments still move the needle. A handshake or shared meal creates trust, the kind that fuels long-term collaboration and real climate impact.
In-person networking is a powerful way to build genuine connections which are not easy to cultivate from purely digital interactions.
These personal interactions build trust, which can unlock sales opportunities and lay a strong foundation for long-term investment relationships. Beyond business, they drive faster climate innovation globally by enabling knowledge transfer between ecosystems, with those benefits extending well beyond the startups into wider communities and economies.
We’re incredibly excited to see what comes from our upcoming trip to Houston.
Global Collaboration, Local Action
Greentown is proud to convene these international exchanges as part of our broader mission to scale climatetech solutions. As the energy capital of the world, Houston is uniquely positioned to serve as a launchpad for global startups entering the U.S. market, and Greentown is honored to be the bridge that makes that possible.
This September, we invite you to follow the journey as we welcome startups from Norway and Australia to Houston for a week of innovation, collaboration, and connection during Houston Energy and Climate Startup Week.
- Interested in meeting the visiting startups or shaping future exchanges?
Meet the participating startups and listen to them pitch at “From Local to Global: Helping Startups Succeed Internationally,” our panel and pitch event on Sept. 17. Learn more and register here! - Whether you want to explore international technologies, host visiting innovators, or play a leading role in building transnational bridges for climate impact, we want to hear from you.
Manon Chappat-Alarcón is Greentown’s Director of Partnerships. Learn about Greentown’s partnerships program and opportunities here.