Perspectives

As the global push for sustainability intensifies, the green technology (Greentech) sector is at the forefront of driving impactful solutions. While Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) has emerged as a promising hub of innovation, many Greentech companies must look beyond their home markets to scale and sustain growth – an exciting but intimidating next step.

In this blog, we’ll explore the dynamic landscape of the CEE Greentech sector, highlighting the region’s most innovative startups poised to make a global impact. We’ll then shift focus to the critical aspects of market expansion—crafting effective communication strategies that resonate across borders and make it possible to build a strong network in new markets and secure further investment. By drawing on our real-world experience, we end by offering actionable recommendations for companies aiming to successfully enter and thrive in new markets.

A very short selection of CEE Greentech startups on our radar

Choosing from the many impressive startups across the region was no easy task, but we gave it our best shot. While our selection is by no means exhaustive, it includes examples from the solar, agritech, and batteries sectors. Geographically, we picked a standout startup from each of our home countries* that has featured in our recent discussions, and to complete our mini-selection, we included an example from Germany as the EU’s leading Greentech market.

Poland

Saule Technologies is known for developing innovative solar technology, specifically organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells. These cells are designed to be flexible and lightweight, which enables new possibilities for integrating solar power into various applications. Saule Technologies aims to revolutionize the solar energy sector with its cutting-edge technology and sustainable solutions.

HQ city: Wroclaw, Poland

Founded: 2014

Bulgaria

Nasekomo is working to revolutionize the feed and agricultural industry. By harnessing black soldier fly larvae, the company converts organic waste into high-quality protein with minimal environmental impact. Nasekomo secured €8m in Series A funding in early 2024 led by Invenio Partners, with an eye on further expansion across Europe.

HQ city: Sofia, Bulgaria

Founded: 2017

Germany

German startup Cylib recycles lithium-ion batteries: an increasingly important opportunity as more batteries found in products like electric cars reach the end of their life, and the need for components ramps up. Cylib in May this year, led by World Fund and Porsche Ventures.

HQ city: Aachen, Germany

Founded: 2022

How communications and expansion work together

The CEE Greentech space is vibrant, with strong engineering talent, innovative solutions, and a growing VC landscape. At the same time, every startup founder at some point asks themselves what’s next, and that usually means market expansion, especially to markets with a strong demand for sustainable technologies like the UK and U.S.

The challenge is that these markets are often more competitive and saturated than startups’ home country. Especially difficult is the reality that while a startup may be well known and well connected across CEE, for example, they will have to start from scratch when expanding. Strategic communications can be critically important in driving successful expansion by showcasing what makes a given technology different from the hundreds of sustainable startups already present in the new market.

By crafting clear messages, developing comprehensive media strategies, and executing well-planned launch communications, startup teams can build excitement in their new market while also growing a sustainable customer base.

Our building blocks for market expansion success are:

• Do your research: Deep dive into who your customer, industry, and investor audiences are in your new market and how they differ from your previous environment. You likely already know who your direct competitors in the new market are, but consider doing an in-depth analysis on their positioning on social media and in the press. This can help inform a go / no-go decision, as well as your subsequent go-to-market and comms strategy – both of which we can help with.
• Localize everything: Revisit existing messaging and materials with fresh eyes, and don’t assume it will fit perfectly in your new market, which will come with its own contexts, red flags, and white spaces. Ideally, you’d do this with the external PR support you’ve (hopefully!) already been working with, in the event they have experience in your target market – that way they can help you read between the lines while maintaining comms continuity.
• Show your face and show off your expertise: Figure out what content your new audiences consume, what industry voices they listen to, what thought leadership topics that you can authentically speak to they’re interested in, and what events they go to (both big conferences and small networking events). This will be the foundation of your long-term communications plan to guide your brand and reputation’s local growth.

Want to take your startup’s expansion to the next level? Let’s discuss how our expert team can help you develop a tailored communications strategy. Drop us a line at contactus@trilligent.com

*The authors are Associate Directors in Trilligent’s Brussels and Berlin offices, from Poland and Bulgaria respectively. While there are countless Greentech startups to choose from across the region, we let our market expertise make the choice a bit easier for us.