City Fit Report
Fourteen EU and UK cities, scored against your company on cost, talent, customers, capital, quality of life and speed to set up.
The most frictionless EU landing point for an English-speaking team, with dense energy, mobility and circular-economy demand.
Amsterdam is a credible option: strong on customers, weaker on cost. First year for 3 people is roughly €278,280.
Best: Prime office rent €550
Best: Visa and relocation route 88/100
Best: Public procurement openness 86/100
Best: Grant and public funding access 90/100
Best: Quality of life 88/100
Best: Visa and relocation route 88/100
First year: €278,280 (€92,760 per person)
Europe's largest port and its heaviest concentration of industrial decarbonisation demand, at a fraction of Amsterdam's cost.
Rotterdam is a credible option: strong on customers, weaker on capital. First year for 3 people is roughly €253,080.
Best: Prime office rent €300
Best: Visa and relocation route 88/100
Best: Testbeds and industrial demand 92/100
Best: Grant and public funding access 88/100
Best: Home rent, one bedroom €1,350/mo
Best: Visa and relocation route 88/100
First year: €253,080 (€84,360 per person)
The deepest pool of climate capital, corporate buyers and advisers in the corridor, and the most expensive place in it to hold a team.
London is a credible option: strong on customers, weaker on quality of life. First year for 3 people is roughly €293,250.
Best: Employer social charges 15%
Best: Technical talent depth 96/100
Best: Testbeds and industrial demand 90/100
Best: Climate-tech VC invested €2,600m
Best: Quality of life 78/100
Best: English working proficiency 100/100
First year: €293,250 (€97,750 per person)
The strongest climate-tech capital market in the Nordics, and the place industrial-scale European climate deals get funded.
Stockholm is hard to justify against your priorities right now: customers is where it falls down.
Best: Home rent, one bedroom €1,500/mo
Best: English working proficiency 96/100
Best: Public procurement openness 84/100
Best: Climate-tech VC invested €1,400m
Best: Home rent, one bedroom €1,500/mo
Best: English working proficiency 96/100
First year: €286,787 (€95,596 per person)
The largest climate-tech founder and engineer pool in the EU, and the front door to German industrial buyers.
Berlin is hard to justify against your priorities right now: speed is where it falls down.
Best: Home rent, one bedroom €1,300/mo
Best: Technical talent depth 88/100
Best: Testbeds and industrial demand 76/100
Best: Grant and public funding access 92/100
Best: Home rent, one bedroom €1,300/mo
Best: Coworking desk €320/mo
First year: €272,420 (€90,807 per person)
Small market, outsized credibility: Danish wind, district energy and public-sector partners are references buyers everywhere respect.
Copenhagen is hard to justify against your priorities right now: capital is where it falls down.
Best: Employer social charges 1%
Best: English working proficiency 95/100
Best: Public procurement openness 82/100
Best: Grant and public funding access 84/100
Best: Quality of life 92/100
Best: English working proficiency 95/100
First year: €266,110 (€88,703 per person)
Large domestic market, heavy state backing for climate industry, and salaries below London for comparable talent.
Paris is hard to justify against your priorities right now: cost is where it falls down.
Best: Home rent, one bedroom €1,400/mo
Best: Technical talent depth 88/100
Best: Population within two hours 26m people
Best: Grant and public funding access 90/100
Best: Home rent, one bedroom €1,400/mo
Best: Time to incorporate 4 days
First year: €290,220 (€96,740 per person)
Where German industry actually signs: automotive, energy and manufacturing corporates with real pilot budgets.
Munich is hard to justify against your priorities right now: speed is where it falls down.
Best: Prime office rent €560
Best: Technical talent depth 84/100
Best: Testbeds and industrial demand 82/100
Best: Grant and public funding access 90/100
Best: Quality of life 90/100
Best: Coworking desk €360/mo
First year: €295,460 (€98,487 per person)
UK market access at roughly two-thirds of London's cost, with strong industrial and net-zero programmes across the North West.
Manchester is hard to justify against your priorities right now: capital is where it falls down.
Best: Home rent, one bedroom €1,250/mo
Best: English working proficiency 100/100
Best: Public procurement openness 82/100
Best: Grant and public funding access 82/100
Best: Home rent, one bedroom €1,250/mo
Best: English working proficiency 100/100
First year: €221,430 (€73,810 per person)
Scottish public funding and offshore-energy supply chains, with liveability that makes senior hires easier to keep.
Edinburgh is hard to justify against your priorities right now: capital is where it falls down.
Best: Home rent, one bedroom €1,350/mo
Best: English working proficiency 100/100
Best: Public procurement openness 80/100
Best: Grant and public funding access 84/100
Best: Home rent, one bedroom €1,350/mo
Best: English working proficiency 100/100
First year: €221,790 (€73,930 per person)
The UK's densest cluster of climate and energy engineering talent outside London, with a strong pull for people who want to work on this.
Bristol is hard to justify against your priorities right now: capital is where it falls down.
Best: Home rent, one bedroom €1,400/mo
Best: English working proficiency 100/100
Best: Public procurement openness 82/100
Best: Climate-tech VC invested €150m
Best: Home rent, one bedroom €1,400/mo
Best: English working proficiency 100/100
First year: €221,070 (€73,690 per person)
Southern-Europe cost base with credible engineering talent, and the obvious base for solar, water and urban-climate work.
Barcelona is hard to justify against your priorities right now: capital is where it falls down.
Best: Home rent, one bedroom €1,250/mo
Best: Technical talent depth 76/100
Best: Testbeds and industrial demand 72/100
Best: Grant and public funding access 84/100
Best: Home rent, one bedroom €1,250/mo
Best: Coworking desk €260/mo
First year: €204,760 (€68,253 per person)
The lowest burn rate in the corridor for a technical team, with grid and solar projects to prove things on.
Lisbon is hard to justify against your priorities right now: customers is where it falls down.
Best: Prime office rent €300
Best: Visa and relocation route 82/100
Best: Public procurement openness 74/100
Best: Grant and public funding access 82/100
Best: Cost of living 66/100
Best: Coworking desk €220/mo
First year: €162,170 (€54,057 per person)
The natural bridge city: English-speaking, inside the EU single market, and a short flight from every UK buyer.
Dublin is hard to justify against your priorities right now: quality of life is where it falls down.
Best: Headline corporation tax 12.5%
Best: English working proficiency 100/100
Best: Public procurement openness 78/100
Best: Grant and public funding access 86/100
Best: Home rent, one bedroom €2,100/mo
Best: English working proficiency 100/100
First year: €270,463 (€90,154 per person)