Except

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

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

• Sustainability consulting
• Regenerative design
• Circular economy strategy
• Systems thinking
• Sustainability training

Headquarters

HQ city

Utrecht

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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

Core 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

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• IUCN Leaders for NaturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExcept 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-IKEAflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerExcept 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.
• HeinekenflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerExcept 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 VietnamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExcept 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'scoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExcept 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 CenterflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerExcept 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 CommunitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExcept 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 FarmscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExcept 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 CommunityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerExcept 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

Direct 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

• Xx.com/except_nl
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ExceptNL
• Facebookfacebook.com/exceptintegratedsustainability
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/except---integrated-sustainability
• Instagraminstagram.com/except_nl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Except