The Ecological Entrepreneur

What The Ecological Entrepreneur does

The Ecological Entrepreneur (legally World's Natural Balance BV) is a Belgian sustainability consultancy founded in 2020 in Antwerp by Sebastiaan De Block and Marit Overbeeke, serving primarily Flemish enterprises, SMEs, sector federations, and NGOs. The company delivers seven service pillars — analysis and insight (CO2, LCA, double materiality), strategy and policy, reporting and transparency (VSME, CSRD, EU Taxonomy), certification and market validation (EcoVadis, CO2-Prestatieladder, SBTi, B Corp, ISO 14001), communication and activation, implementation and transition (including Carbon Invoicing and Sustainability-as-a-Service), and impact and nature restoration (CO2 compensation project development and carbon credits) — primarily through bespoke advisory engagements with multi-year contracts on a quote-based commercial model.

Its core technology is ESGpro, a proprietary B2B SaaS platform launched in November 2023 that automates VSME-standard sustainability reporting. ESGpro performs automated pre-assessments, calculates CO2 Scope 1 and 2 emissions, generates social indicators, benchmarks against anonymized market data, and integrates natively with three anchor Belgian data partners — SBB Accountants & Adviseurs (accounting), Acerta (HR/payroll), and Fluvius (energy grid) — eliminating manual data entry for the typical Flemish SME's reporting workflows. The platform is wholly owned as a core operating subsidiary and is positioned as both a direct-to-client product and a channel-distributed offering via SBB's 23,000-client network following SBB's April 2025 strategic stake in the company.

The business model is a hybrid of professional services and subscription SaaS. Professional services (ESG advisory, CO2 analysis, certification guidance, training) are quoted on a per-engagement basis with multi-year terms; ESGpro subscriptions provide recurring revenue tied to platform adoption. Go-to-market combines direct sales-led consulting, a monthly thought-leadership webinar series ("Sustainability Essentials"), partner-driven distribution (notably SBB), and inbound demand generation through a free Quick Scan tool. The firm has supported more than 200 organizations (per founder track record) and reports a customer base spanning coffee, hospitality, cold-chain federation, automotive logistics, steel, insulation, marketing, and event sectors, with named federation relationships providing sector-wide reach (e.g., BECOLD covering 25 member companies, Voka training cohorts of 20 members). The company has received EcoVadis Platinum Top 1% recognition (October 2025) and EcoVadis Accredited Consulting Partner status for 2026.

Name

The Ecological Entrepreneur

Legal name

World's Natural Balance BV

Website

https://theecologicalentrepreneur.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Ecological Entrepreneur is an Antwerp-based sustainability consultancy founded in 2020, serving Belgian enterprises, SMEs, sector federations, and NGOs with ESG advisory services and ESGpro, a proprietary SaaS platform for automated VSME-standard sustainability reporting.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainability Consulting Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (541620)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainability & ESG Consulting (BPAHACAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainability & ESG Reporting (GRI/SASB/ISSB/CSRD) (EUAHAJAB), ESG Strategy & Materiality Assessment (EUAHAJAA), ESG Data, Ratings & Research (Providers, Methodologies, Analytics) (FSAAALAJ)

Keywords

• Sustainability consulting
• ESG reporting software
• Environmental advisory
• Sustainability strategy
• Carbon footprint assessment

Headquarters

HQ city

Antwerp

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Sustainability Advisory & Consulting: The company's primary revenue stream is professional consulting services, including ESG strategy development, CO₂ analysis, LCA, double materiality assessments, CSRD reporting, EU Taxonomy alignment, EcoVadis certification guidance, CO₂ Performance Ladder support, SBTi guidance, B Corp certification, ISO 14001 support, sustainability communication, carbon offset project development, and Carbon Invoicing. Services are delivered through bespoke advisory engagements, workshops, training, and implementation support.
2. ESGpro Software Platform: SaaS-based sustainability reporting platform that automates ESG data collection, calculation, and VSME-compliant reporting. Revenue derived from platform subscriptions integrated with data partner ecosystems (SBB, Acerta, Fluvius).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Ecological Entrepreneur is a Belgian sustainability consultancy that helps organizations build sustainability strategies, implement ESG practices, and automate sustainability reporting through a seven-pillar methodology spanning analysis and insight, strategy and policy, reporting, certificates, communication, implementation, and impact measurement. The firm also developed ESGpro, a proprietary SaaS platform that automates ESG data collection, reporting, and certification workflows for its clients.

Product overview

The Ecological Entrepreneur is a sustainability consultancy whose primary product offering is ESGpro — a B2B SaaS platform for automated sustainability reporting — supplemented by consulting services across seven service pillars: Analysis & Insight (CO₂ analysis, LCA/EPD, PCF, Social Impact, Double Materiality), Strategy & Policy (ESG strategy, roadmap development, CO₂ reduction and compensation strategies), Reporting & Transparency (VSME, CSRD, EU Taxonomy), Certificates & Market Validation (EcoVadis, CO₂ Performance Ladder, SBTi, B Corp, ISO 14001), Communication & Activation (sustainability narratives, stakeholder communication, green claims), Implementation & Transition (Carbon Invoicing, Sustainability as a Service), and Impact & Nature Restoration (CO₂ compensation project development, carbon credits). The consulting services and ESGpro software are complementary — the platform automates reporting workflows developed through consulting engagements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ESGpro Proprietary SaaS platform developed by The Ecological Entrepreneur that automates ESG data collection, sustainability reporting, and certification workflows for client organizations. Targets sustainability and ESG teams in SMEs, large enterprises, and sector federations that need to streamline reporting and certification processes.
• Quick Scan Standalone sustainability assessment offering that provides organizations with a rapid diagnostic of their current sustainability position. Targets SMEs and organizations evaluating where to focus sustainability efforts before committing to a full advisory engagement.
• Advisory Services (Seven-Pillar Sustainability Methodology) Core consulting service delivering sustainability advisory across seven pillars: analysis and insight, strategy and policy, reporting, certificates, communication, implementation, and impact. Targets SMEs, large enterprises, sector federations, and NGOs that need structured sustainability transformation support.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 200 organizations supported with sustainability strategies, CO₂ analysis, ESG reporting, EcoVadis certification, and transition planning.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• AcertacoreTechnology or IntegrationESGpro integrates directly with Acerta's HR and payroll data systems, enabling automated extraction of social/employment data for ESG reporting purposes. This integration eliminates manual data entry for companies using Acerta as their payroll provider.
• FluviuscoreTechnology or IntegrationESGpro integrates directly with Fluvius energy grid data, enabling automated energy consumption data for CO₂ emissions calculations (Scope 2) and sustainability reporting under VSME standards.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• ClimatePartner: Germany-based climate action consultancy combining carbon accounting, advisory, and carbon offset project development for European enterprises. Larger and broader portfolio than The Ecological Entrepreneur, but overlapping on CO2 analysis, reduction strategies, and certification guidance (including EcoVadis).
• South Pole: Global climate solutions provider offering carbon consulting, ESG advisory, and carbon credit development. Larger incumbent with overlapping ESG strategy, CO2 reduction, and sustainability communication offerings targeting enterprise and SME clients across Europe.
• Workiva: Established sustainability and ESG reporting platform with deep CSRD/ESRS capabilities and a large enterprise install base. Indirectly competes with ESGpro on the reporting platform layer, though more enterprise-focused and significantly larger.
• Anthesis Group: Global sustainability consultancy providing ESG strategy, reporting, and implementation services. Significantly larger scale incumbent offering the same CSRD, EcoVadis, LCA, and materiality advisory services as the subject company to enterprise and mid-market clients.

Direct peers

• Sweep: France-headquartered sustainability and ESG data management SaaS platform serving mid-market and enterprise clients globally. Direct competitor to ESGpro on the software side and offers overlapping CSRD/VSME reporting functionality with a more international footprint.
• Persefoni: US-headquartered climate management and accounting platform serving enterprises and financial institutions. Direct SaaS competitor to ESGpro on automated carbon footprint calculation and sustainability reporting, though focused on larger enterprises.
• Watershed: Enterprise carbon accounting and sustainability platform offering automated emissions measurement and CSRD-ready reporting. Direct competitor to ESGpro's software capabilities with a more enterprise and US-leaning footprint, but increasingly active in Europe.
• Greenly: Paris-based carbon accounting and sustainability SaaS platform targeting SMBs and mid-market. Comparable to The Ecological Entrepreneur in combining automated GHG measurement with advisory services for SMEs, though Greenly is more product-led and less consulting-heavy.
• Position Green: Nordic sustainability software and advisory provider offering ESG reporting, CSRD support, and double materiality assessments. Closest direct peer combining ESG consulting services with a SaaS reporting platform in a regional European market, similar go-to-market to the subject company.
• Plan A: Berlin-based SaaS platform for carbon accounting, ESG reporting, and decarbonization planning targeting European SMBs and mid-market. Closely comparable to ESGpro in scope, target segment, and European geographic focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-ecological-entrepreneur

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 The Ecological Entrepreneur