Climate-KIC Holding B.V. is a Dutch private limited company and the operational arm of the Climate-KIC Group, which is the EU’s largest public-private partnership dedicated to climate change innovation toward a zero-carbon economy. Founded in 2016 and registered in the Netherlands, it operates under the governance of the Stichting Climate-KIC International Foundation which owns 90% shares; the remaining 10% belongs to Association Climate-KIC consisting of leading European universities, businesses, and cities. The organization’s core mission is fostering systemic innovation across climate mitigation and adaptation challenges by leveraging a broad partnership network of over 200 institutions, including corporations, research institutes, SMEs, and public sector actors. Since inception, Climate-KIC has supported over 2,100 climate-positive startups, facilitated €2 billion in investments, and created 15,000 jobs, while pioneering major climate-tech accelerators and global innovation competitions such as Climate Launchpad and Climathon.
Its lobbying focus aligns closely with major EU policies including the European Green Deal, Horizon Europe, Sustainable Finance Taxonomy, Circular Economy, Energy Union, Industrial Strategy, and EU Missions. Climate-KIC engages with the European Commission, European Parliament, and other EU bodies to promote innovation-friendly frameworks, clean technology development, climate-related financing instruments, and the integration of climate action into regional and industry policies. Its thematic work covers urban transitions, sustainable land use, circular production systems, decision metrics and climate finance, alongside climate education as its foundational pillar. As an autonomous legal entity funded by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), it pursues multi-sector collaboration to overcome barriers to systemic climate innovation in Europe and beyond, aspiring to embed climate objectives in markets, policies, and social practices
