Except
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersUtrecht, Netherlands
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
Except firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Except
- Legal name
- Except Integrated Sustainability B.V.
- Website
- https://except.nl
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Except industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sustainability Consulting
- NAICS
- Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (92411), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Supply Chain Sustainability & Responsible Sourcing (SMETA, supplier ESG) (EUAHAJAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Climate Adaptation & Resilience Programs (BPADALAD), Corrective/Preventive Actions (CAPA) & Continual Improvement Programs (EUAHAIAG)
Keywords
Where Except is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Utrecht
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Except business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Consultancy Services: The primary revenue stream consists of strategy and sustainability consulting engagements delivered to large organizations, municipalities, and government bodies. Engagements are project-based and typically involve multi-month consultancy assignments.
- Design & Engineering Services: Design and engineering services for regenerative urban landscapes, climate-adaptive infrastructure, and sustainable built environments. Revenue is generated through design and project development engagements.
- Training & Knowledge (Except Academy): The Except Academy provides online sustainability video training and workshops, generating revenue through course and training program fees.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
Except product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Except is an integrated sustainability consultancy, research, and design agency that delivers strategy, design, and project development services for systemic impact. They help enterprises, municipalities, and governments transform toward regenerative, circular, and resilient outcomes using their proprietary Symbiosis in Development (SiD) framework. Engagements span research and analysis, vision and strategy, design and engineering, and end-to-end project management.
Product overview
Except Integrated Sustainability B.V. is a sustainability consultancy offering strategy and concepts for systemic impact, not a software product company. The portfolio consists of professional services organized around core consulting disciplines: Research & Analysis, Vision & Strategy, Design & Engineering, and Project Management. These services are delivered across three practice areas—Built & Natural Environment, Organizations & Industry, and Training & Knowledge (Except Academy). The company also offers an Online Sustainability Video Training platform for remote learning. The SiD (Symbiosis in Development) Framework serves as the company's proprietary methodology underlying all engagements. All offerings are service-based consultancy and training products, with no software, SaaS, or API products.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Research & Analysis
Quantifiable outcome
- Transformed a 1970s social housing neighborhood (Edelstenenbuurt, Middelburg) from 76% hardscape to climate-adaptive landscape, involving 1,425 residents.
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Except
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Except technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Except partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- IUCN Leaders for NaturecoreExcept collaborates with IUCN Leaders for Nature through Miriam van Gool, IUCN manager, who provided a testimonial praising Except's energy, expertise, and commitment to transformation toward a sustainable society. The relationship reflects a shared commitment to nature conservation and systemic sustainability leadership.
- Inter-IKEAflagshipExcept partnered with Inter-IKEA to boost the sustainability of the world's entire paper supply chain using an innovative big data tool with data dashboards for IKEA catalog procurement. This was a major flagship engagement spanning the global paper supply chain.
- HeinekenflagshipExcept co-developed Heineken's vision, strategy, and roadmap toward fully circular and energy-neutral operations. This was a comprehensive corporate sustainability transformation engagement for Heineken's global brewing operations.
- Starprint VietnamcoreExcept partnered with Starprint Vietnam to spearhead a sustainability revolution in Vietnam's packaging industry, utilizing Except's innovative tools and methodologies to guide Starprint's sustainability transformation journey.
- Pizza 4P'scoreExcept crafted a deepening sustainability strategy for Pizza 4P's, helping the restaurant chain operating in Southeast Asia to deepen its sustainability efforts and industry leadership in the food and beverage sector.
- Salesforce / San Francisco Transit CenterflagshipExcept contributed to the design of Salesforce Park and Transit Center in San Francisco, home to the world's largest ecological rooftop park. This is a landmark sustainable urban infrastructure project.
- Utrecht Municipality / Utrecht CommunitycoreExcept designed and developed the Utrecht Community (UCo), serving as the national center for sustainable entrepreneurship in Utrecht, the Netherlands. The project fosters a community of over 180 pioneering sustainable businesses.
- Serenity FarmscoreExcept designed the world's largest and fully self-sufficient greenhouse facility for Serenity Farms, enabling profitable food production in arid regions and sustaining communities in harsh environments.
- ViCo Summit / Vietnam Innovation CommunityminorExcept participates in the ViCo Summit: the New Vietnam organized by ViCo (Vietnam Innovation Community), positioning the company at a regional industry event focused on systemic resilience and global disruption trends.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Except competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Atelier Ten: Environmental design consultancy focused on sustainable building performance, regenerative design, and integrated sustainability strategy for built environments. Comparable to Except as a design-led sustainability firm that combines engineering, strategy, and project development on flagship built-environment projects.
- Circle Economy: Impact organization specializing in circular economy strategy, measurement, and implementation for businesses and cities. Directly comparable to Except's circular economy and regenerative city practice, particularly the work on circular roadmaps analogous to the Heineken engagement.
- Systemiq: Systems-change consultancy focused on circular economy, climate, and nature through multi-stakeholder transformation programs. Peer to Except given the shared emphasis on systemic, regenerative sustainability transformation at city and industry scale, including supply chain transitions.
- Metabolic: Dutch-based sustainability consultancy and systems-thinking think tank working on circular economy, regenerative cities, and corporate sustainability. Closely comparable to Except as a similarly-sized Dutch firm that approaches sustainability through systems thinking, regenerative design, and built-environment transformation.
- EcoAct: Climate strategy and sustainability consulting firm focused on carbon footprinting, decarbonization roadmaps, and ESG advisory. Comparable to Except as a specialist consultancy delivering corporate sustainability strategy, with overlap in circular economy and net-zero roadmap work.
- South Pole Group: Climate and sustainability consultancy providing climate strategy, carbon management, and supply chain sustainability advisory. Direct peer to Except in the corporate ESG and supply chain sustainability space, particularly overlapping on the corporate transformation engagements Except runs for clients like Heineken and Inter-IKEA.
- Anthesis Group: Specialist sustainability consultancy that helps enterprises design and implement ESG, circular economy, and supply chain sustainability strategies. Direct peer to Except given the shared focus on corporate ESG transformation, supply chain sustainability tooling, and dedicated sustainability-only positioning versus generalist firms.
Broad incumbents
- Buro Happold: Global engineering consultancy with a dedicated sustainability, climate, and regenerative design practice spanning buildings, cities, and industry. Comparable to Except as both deliver integrated engineering, strategy, and design for regenerative built environments, though Buro Happold operates at much larger scale and broader engineering scope.
- Arup: Multinational engineering and design firm with extensive sustainability, cities, and climate adaptation practices. Comparable to Except through its combination of systemic sustainability strategy and built-environment design, but operating at vastly larger scale across more geographies and disciplines.
- WSP: Global professional services consultancy with a major sustainability, climate adaptation, and resilient cities practice. Broad incumbent peer to Except spanning regenerative urban landscapes, climate-adaptive infrastructure, and corporate ESG advisory across enterprise and municipal clients.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Except social profiles
Digital presenceExcept financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Except leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Except funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Except 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 Except
What does Except do?
Except is an integrated sustainability consultancy, research, and design agency that delivers strategy, design, and project development services for systemic impact. They help enterprises, municipalities, and governments transform toward regenerative, circular, and resilient outcomes using their proprietary Symbiosis in Development (SiD) framework. Engagements span research and analysis, vision and strategy, design and engineering, and end-to-end project management.
Is Except a public or private company?
Except is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Except founded?
Except was founded in 2000. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Except based?
Except is headquartered in Utrecht, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does Except make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Consultancy Services are the primary driver. The others are design & Engineering Services and training & Knowledge (Except Academy).
Who are Except's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Atelier Ten, Circle Economy, Systemiq, Metabolic, EcoAct, South Pole Group and Anthesis Group. Broad incumbents are Buro Happold, Arup and WSP.
Does Except have an API?
No public API is recorded for Except.
What industry is Except in?
Except's product category is Sustainability Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAHAJAE, Supply Chain Sustainability & Responsible Sourcing (SMETA, supplier ESG), with a secondary code of BPADALAD, Climate Adaptation & Resilience Programs. Its NAICS code is 92411 and its SIC code is 8700.