This impact niche is ‘seriously underhyped’ – Norrsken VC’s Beata Enwall has these 3 startups in her sights

When most investors talk about climate tech, the conversation tends to orbit around energy, mobility, or carbon capture.

But Beata Enwall, investment manager at Swedish investment firm Norrsken VC, thinks there’s a glaring blind spot: heavy industry.

“Heavy industry is seriously underhyped,” Enwall tells Impact Loop. “It’s one of the biggest levers we have for impact, and we’re finally seeing the technology emerge to make it radically more resource-efficient.”

From steel and cement to chemicals and manufacturing, industry account for roughly 25% of global CO2 emissions – and is notoriously hard to decarbonise.

Yet, as Enwall points out, new innovations are starting to crack open possibilities that didn’t exist a decade ago. She's also excited about the potential of frontier technologies.

"Photonics, robotics, and biotech – these are technologies with the potential to reshape how we build, move, grow, and heal," she says. "It’s still early, but the impact potential is massive.”

Three startups on her radar

Enwall points to three startups that she's excited about right now. None of them are in Norrsken VC's portfolio (yet).

SirenOpt (US) – "Uses cold plasma to analyse materials in real-time – a game-changer for cutting waste and improving quality in manufacturing," says Enwall.

SporeBio (France) – "Tackles bacterial contamination in food and pharma through on-site detection tech. By identifying contamination early, it could drastically reduce costly recalls and waste."

Entalpic (France) – "Builds a foundational [AI] model for chemistry, aiming to revolutionise how we design new materials, from sustainable plastics to advanced batteries."

Advice to founders

Asked what advice she’d give impact founders today, Enwall doesn’t hesitate.

“Anchor your product in a big, lasting macro trend,” she says. “Something the world can’t afford to ignore. And make sure you’re building for both impact and commercial returns. That’s where real scale comes from.”