Quercus Group
Quercus Group is a Nairobi-based international sustainability consultancy (founded 2012, 7 staff) that designs multi-stakeholder partnerships across 45+ countries and runs the I4WASH WASH marketplace platform, serving governments, NGOs, and private-sector clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersKøbenhoved, Denmark
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Quercus Group does
Quercus Group is an international sustainability consulting company founded in Copenhagen in 2012 by Nicolai Rottbøll and now headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya. The firm designs, facilitates, and manages multi-stakeholder partnerships that accelerate green transition, unlock innovation, engage youth, and advance sustainable development. It serves governments, private sector firms, academia, civil society, and development partners across 45+ countries, with operating presence documented in Kenya, Denmark, Uganda, Ghana, Bangladesh, and the United Kingdom. Its core offerings include Stakeholder Engagement, Cluster Development, Research & Insight, Innovation Services, Business Support, and Ventures, all rooted in a proprietary Danish-origin "Quadruple Helix" methodology that engages decision-makers, businesses, knowledge institutions, and citizens to co-create solutions.
The firm's flagship program is Innovate4WASH (I4WASH), East Africa's premier marketplace platform for the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene sector, launched in 2018 in Kisumu and since expanded across multiple cities and three continents, showcasing over 1,000 WASH innovations. I4WASH operates as an annual forum series with paid sponsorship tiers (Premier KES 10M through Bronze KES 2M), exhibition booths, and participant passes, generating event-driven revenue alongside consulting fees. Notable clients and partners include the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, DANIDA, Nordic Development Fund, Plan International, DanChurchAid, Kenya Association of Manufacturers, county governments of Kisumu, Nairobi, and Nakuru, and EU COSME. The firm also co-leads the Kenya-Nordic Green Hub consortium and runs Climathon Nairobi in partnership with EIT Climate-KIC.
Quercus Group operates as a privately held boutique consultancy with 7 employees, no disclosed outside investors, and no parent company. Revenue is generated primarily through professional services fees and I4WASH event sponsorship and participation revenue. The firm holds no patents and has no software products, APIs, or AI/ML capabilities disclosed; its competitive position rests on facilitation methodology, cross-border institutional relationships, and the convening power of the I4WASH brand.
Quercus Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Quercus Group
- Legal name
- Quercus Group
- Website
- https://quercus-group.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Quercus Group is a Nairobi-based international sustainability consultancy (founded 2012, 7 staff) that designs multi-stakeholder partnerships across 45+ countries and runs the I4WASH WASH marketplace platform, serving governments, NGOs, and private-sector clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Quercus Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sustainability Consulting
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Nature & Biodiversity Reporting (TNFD, natural capital) (EUAHAJAM)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Supply Chain Sustainability & Responsible Sourcing (SMETA, supplier ESG) (EUAHAJAE)
Keywords
Where Quercus Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Københoved
- HQ country
- Denmark
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Quercus Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Consulting Services: Strategic consultancy services providing tailored solutions for sustainability, green transition, multi-stakeholder engagement, and regional economic growth through cross-border collaboration
- Event Sponsorship and Exhibitor Fees: Revenue from I4WASH forum sponsorship packages (Premier KES 10M, Gold KES 6M, Silver KES 4M, Bronze KES 2M) and exhibition booth rentals (KES 75,000 for 3 days)
- Conference Participation Fees: Registration and participation fees for I4WASH forums including early bird participant passes (KES 29,750/€255) and exhibition booth fees (KES 50,000/€450 early bird)
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Premier Sponsor - Full event visibility and speaking opportunities |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Gold Sponsor - Thematic session speaking opportunity |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Silver Sponsor - Panel participation and branding |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Bronze Sponsor - Standard booth and basic benefits |
| Other | One time/ perpetual license | Early Bird Participant Pass |
| Other | One time/ perpetual license | Early Bird Exhibition Booth |
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | Exhibition Booth (standard) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Quercus Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Quercus Group is an international sustainability consulting firm that designs, facilitates, and manages multi-stakeholder partnerships for businesses, government, academia, and civic society. Its core services include Stakeholder Engagement, Cluster Development, Research & Insight, Innovation Services, Business Support, and Ventures. The company also operates I4WASH (Innovate4WASH), East Africa's premier WASH marketplace forum platform that has showcased over 1,000 WASH innovations since 2018.
Product overview
Quercus Group is an international sustainability consulting company that offers a portfolio of professional services including Stakeholder Engagement, Cluster Development, Research & Insight, Innovation Services, Business Support, and Ventures. Their flagship program is I4WASH (Innovate4WASH), East Africa's premier WASH marketplace platform that facilitates innovation, collaboration, and investment in the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene sector. The company operates as a consultancy firm rather than a software product company, providing hands-on advisory services across 45+ countries worldwide since 2012.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Innovate4WASH (I4WASH): East Africa's premier marketplace platform for innovation, collaboration, and impact in the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) sector. The platform connects innovators, policymakers, investors, and enablers to accelerate WASH solutions.
Products and services
- I4WASH (Innovate4WASH) East Africa's premier marketplace platform for Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) innovation, collaboration, and impact. The forum convenes governments, private sector, researchers, civil society, and communities to spark and scale transformative WASH solutions, and has showcased over 1,000 WASH innovations since 2018 across three continents.
- Stakeholder Engagement Services Consulting services that help organizations design, navigate, and lead multi-stakeholder projects, bringing together government, private sector, academia, and civil society to address sustainability challenges.
- Cluster Development Building cluster organizations as thriving innovation communities through an eight-step cluster development process, drawing on the firm's heritage in creating Europe's largest cleantech cluster.
- Research & Insight Research services that make sense of an increasingly interconnected world to support evidence-based decision-making for sustainability and development clients.
- Innovation Services Supporting the innovation process from ideation to scaling for sustainable development solutions, helping clients move from concept to impact.
- Business Support Helping international businesses to access international markets through strategic partnerships, market entry support, and local network access.
- Ventures Building new impact organizations, projects, and alliances from scratch to advance sustainable development.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 1,000 WASH innovations showcased since 2018 across three continents
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Quercus Group
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Quercus Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Quercus Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.
- Plan International (Plan Denmark)coreProject owner for Kisumu Platform for Sustainable Livable Settlements initiative targeting informal settlements in Kisumu, Kenya
- DanChurchAid (DCA)corePartner on Ajira Poa! youth employment initiative and Pyrethrum commercialization project, bringing humanitarian and development expertise
- Kenya Alliance of Resident Associations (KARA)secondaryLocal partner for youth employment and skills development project connecting job seekers with employers in Nairobi and Nakuru counties
- Sanitation Research and Development for Africa (SARDA)coreCo-organizer of I4WASH 2026, specializes in localizing SDG 6 in Africa through training, coaching, and multi-stakeholder platforms
- Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM)coreLocal partner and head of interim Kenya-Nordic Green Hub secretariat, representing 700 member companies in circular economy and green growth initiatives
- Confederation of Danish IndustrycoreLead of Kenya-Nordic Green Hub consortium, facilitating Danish private sector engagement and technology transfer
- Aalto UniversitysecondaryFinnish university partner in Kenya-Nordic Green Hub consortium contributing academic expertise
- Inclusive Business SwedensecondaryPartner facilitating Swedish private sector engagement and inclusive business models
- Innovation NorwaysecondaryPartner facilitating Norwegian private sector engagement and technology transfer
- Business SwedensecondaryPartner facilitating Swedish business engagement and market access
- State of GreensecondaryCommercial management partner for Nordic climate solutions platform
- EIT Climate-KICcoreGlobal partner for Climathon Nairobi hackathon program, part of worldwide climate innovation network spanning 100+ cities
- County Government of NairobicoreGovernment partner for Climathon Nairobi, collaborating on climate challenge definition and urban planning policy
- Kenya Climate Innovation Center (KCIC)coreLocal innovation ecosystem partner providing incubation support and climate expertise for Nairobi hackathon
- UN-HabitatcoreUN agency partner providing expertise on urban development and environmental sustainability for Climathon Nairobi
- RicoLabsecondaryTechnology partner for Climathon Nairobi hackathon providing innovation facilitation expertise
- Kenya Government Ministries and CountiescoreGovernment partners for Green Growth capacity building, engaging with Kenya's 47 counties on green growth training and platform development
- Water and Sanitation Entrepreneurs Association Uganda (WASEU)secondaryUgandan partner for I4WASH Kampala 2023 forum on WASH financing and climate-smart solutions
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Quercus Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- SNV Netherlands Development Organisation: Dutch development organisation implementing WASH, agriculture, and renewable energy programmes across Africa and Asia, often in partnership with national governments and donors. Comparable to Quercus in WASH and multi-stakeholder development delivery, with larger institutional footprint.
- Palladium: International development consulting firm implementing donor-funded programmes across WASH, climate, agriculture, and inclusive economic growth. Comparable to Quercus in mission and donor-funded delivery, but at significantly larger scale with global operations.
- Tetra Tech: Large international consulting and engineering firm with a dedicated Water, Environment, and Infrastructure practice serving donor-funded WASH and climate programmes globally. Comparable to Quercus in WASH and donor-funded consulting, but with vastly greater scale and broader service offerings.
- ERM (Environmental Resources Management): Global sustainability and environmental consulting firm advising corporates, financiers, and governments on ESG, climate, and nature-related strategy. Comparable to Quercus in sustainability and stakeholder-engagement consulting, but as a much larger incumbent with broader portfolio services.
Direct peers
- Dalberg Advisors: Global development and sustainability consultancy with deep presence in East Africa, advising governments, multilaterals, and foundations on strategy and multi-stakeholder initiatives. Highly comparable to Quercus in serving WASH-adjacent development mandates through relationship-led consulting.
- South Pole Group: Climate and sustainability consultancy advising corporates, governments, and investors on decarbonisation, green finance, and nature-based solutions. Comparable to Quercus in sustainability and green-finance advisory, with overlapping Nordic-African engagement patterns.
- FSG: Social-impact consulting firm advising foundations, NGOs, and companies on strategy, evaluation, and cross-sector collaboration. Comparable to Quercus in mission-driven multi-stakeholder facilitation, with a deeper specialisation in philanthropy and impact strategy.
Emerging players
- BOP Innovation: Netherlands-based consulting firm designing inclusive business and base-of-the-pyramid strategies for corporates, donors, and SMEs in emerging markets. Comparable to Quercus in facilitating Nordic–African inclusive business partnerships and innovation support.
- EIT Climate-KIC: European climate innovation community and accelerator running hackathons, accelerator programmes, and investment readiness support across 100+ cities including Nairobi. Comparable to Quercus in climate innovation facilitation and as an existing Climathon Nairobi partner, but with a pan-European institutional mandate.
Others
- Inclusive Business Sweden: Swedish platform facilitating inclusive business partnerships between Swedish companies and emerging-market enterprises. Already a Quercus partner within the Kenya-Nordic Green Hub consortium, with overlapping Nordic-African facilitation role and adjacent donor linkages.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Quercus Group social profiles
Digital presenceQuercus Group compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Quercus Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Quercus Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Quercus Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Quercus Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Quercus Group
What does Quercus Group do?
Quercus Group is an international sustainability consulting firm that designs, facilitates, and manages multi-stakeholder partnerships for businesses, government, academia, and civic society. Its core services include Stakeholder Engagement, Cluster Development, Research & Insight, Innovation Services, Business Support, and Ventures. The company also operates I4WASH (Innovate4WASH), East Africa's premier WASH marketplace forum platform that has showcased over 1,000 WASH innovations since 2018.
Is Quercus Group a public or private company?
Quercus Group is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Quercus Group founded?
Quercus Group was founded in 2012. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Quercus Group based?
Quercus Group is headquartered in Københoved, Denmark, in the Europe region.
How does Quercus Group make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Consulting Services are the primary driver. The others are event Sponsorship and Exhibitor Fees and conference Participation Fees.
Who are Quercus Group's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are SNV Netherlands Development Organisation, Palladium, Tetra Tech and ERM (Environmental Resources Management). Direct peers are Dalberg Advisors, South Pole Group and FSG. Emerging players are BOP Innovation and EIT Climate-KIC. Inclusive Business Sweden is listed as an others.
Does Quercus Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for Quercus Group.
What industry is Quercus Group in?
Quercus Group's product category is Sustainability Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAHAJAM, Nature & Biodiversity Reporting (TNFD, natural capital), with a secondary code of EUAHAJAE, Supply Chain Sustainability & Responsible Sourcing (SMETA, supplier ESG). Its SIC code is 8742.