Celebrating 5 Years of Snowball
From Cocktails & Dreams to Bubbles & Impact
Today, February 6th, 2025, marks five years of Snowball as a Cleantech hub and Living Lab, accelerating the energy transition. It’s a story of bubbles and impact—a journey of transformation, growth, and real change.
Exactly four years ago, on February 6th, 2021, we reflected on our one-year anniversary, calling it “Cocktails & Dreams”. Back then, we raised our glasses to possibilities, to bold ambitions, and to the thrilling uncertainty of what lay ahead. Now, four years later, we celebrate not just the dreams we pursued, but the real, tangible impact we’ve created. The bubbles in our glasses may have settled, but the momentum we’ve built is only just beginning.
This milestone wouldn’t have been possible without the unwavering support of our partners, friends, families, and fans. Your dedication, collaboration, and belief in our mission have been the driving force behind Snowball’s success. Whether you’ve been with us from the very start or joined along the way, your contributions have made all the difference.
Thank you for being an essential part of this journey. Here’s to the next chapter—together, we’ll keep building something great! And meanwhile: happy reading with this 5 year recap.
About “bubbles and impact”: 5 years Snowball
From Vision to Reality
In December 2017, Stefan Grosjean (founder of a.o. Smappee) and his team submit a funding request to the Flemish Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship VLAIO to launch an incubator in West Flanders.
Its goal? To support scale-ups focusing on cleantech and smart technology in Flanders. The vision is to build an incubator that provides infrastructure and mentorship to growing companies, combining office and testing spaces for prototyping, assembly, and storage. More than just a workspace, the incubator is designed to serve as a Living Lab & Demonstration Hub for innovative energy projects and IoT applications, while also offering services such as coaching, networking, and access to financing.
By April 2018, the project secures funding from the Flemish Minister of Work, Economy, Innovation, and Sports.
Official Launch: Snowball is Born
Fast forward to 2020: Snowball, “where cleantech companies grow”, officially opens its doors, an incubator and accelerator for green technology.
On February 6, 2020, Snowball hosts its first public event in collaboration with GLUON , “The New Green Deal,” welcoming over 200 attendees for a packed program featuring workshops, a keynote by MIT Professor Dr. Pattie Maes, and an exhibition on Europe’s climate ambitions, the energy transition, and AI’s role in sustainability. This event marks the beginning of a series of conferences, workshops, and lectures at Snowball.
By this time, the incubator is fully operational with Alexandra Vanhuyse on board as co-founder and CEO. The Snowball name and branding is established, complete with a website and social media presence with Loud and Clear. Additionally, two major pilot projects have kicked off in collaboration with a.o. Flux50, Howest, YUSO and Amplifino. (Note: both projects were successfully completed in 2021.)
Adapting to Challenges: The COVID Era & Beyond
Then comes COVID-19, forcing Snowball to close its physical doors. However, the team continues working behind the scenes, developing 18 collaboration initiatives in IoT and energy transition between 2020 and 2022. These projects engage a diverse network of partners, including research institutions, start-ups, industry partners and lobby groups. Of the 18 initiatives, 11 receive approval and are successfully launched, later achieving completion.
Snowball’s commitment to the energy transition and its role as a Living Lab & Testing facility do not go unnoticed. This leads to an Interreg collaboration “ConnectSME” among six pilot facilities, including EnergyVille, Green Energy Park and The Green Village. It is dedicated to supporting innovative SMEs in developing and introducing sustainable technologies to the market – helping startups navigate the infamous “valley of death.”
Over the next 3 years, Snowball joins the Flux50 Board of Directors, acts as mentor to students from HOWEST & Universiteit Gent , and hosts key events such as the CEO for Climate Event, the VIVES bootcamp “In Search for Sustainability,” a blockchain hackathon with HOWEST and Trends Gazellen, and many more. Snowball also gains media recognition, featuring in several Kanaal Z reports, two podcasts, ambassadorship for UNIZO Entrepreneurs and among others a three-page spread in De Standaard “Duurzaam Leven” special edition.
By now, Snowball’s reach extends beyond Belgium, engaging in European collaborations as a pilot facility in the ERA-Net consortium for R&D in materials and battery storage. The organization also shares expertise with European research institutions, companies, and alliances focused on the energy transition and financing opportunities .
Reflecting on 5 Years: Where We Stand Today
Today, as we celebrate our 5th anniversary, we reflect on a journey marked by resilience, collaboration, and impact. Looking back at our ambitious 2017 plans, we take pride in how relevant and effective our execution has been.
Here’s (in a nutshell) what we’ve accomplished:
- Contributed to over 35 innovation projects with a diverse set of partners, 23 of which were approved and launched.
- Grew the team to 7 full time employees and 20+ interns and recurring contractors.
- Established multidisciplinary and multi-stakeholder collaborations with nearly all Flemish research institutions and a multitude of startups, SME’s and industrial partners.
- Joined several industry federations and associations to maximise our impact.
- Organized 200+ workshops and events focused on energy, the energy transition, and climate action, catering to audiences of all ages (from 6 to 92 years old!) and housing over 150 residents.
- Welcomed 25k+ visitors on all kinds and forms of entrepreneurship and energy-related activities, including sustainability-focused breakfast sessions, international research project meetings, workshops, lunches, coffee breaks, cafés and diners on topics as the likes of e-mobility, energy savings, carbon emissions and the European Green Deal.
- Operated as an energy neutral hub, including generating 740 MWh PV production and charging over 590 MWh EV in more than 24k charging sessions. Also offset our entire CO2 emissions (scope 1 + 2 + 3) for the first time in 2023 through a partnership with Go Forest and Go Ocean.
- (and of course much more …)
Looking Forward: The Future of Snowball
As we look ahead, one thing is clear: the challenges of the energy transition have only grown more complex, urgent, and diverse over the past few years. Snowball’s role as a Cleantech Hub and Living Lab has never been more crucial. Our guiding principle remains steadfast: “where cleantech companies grow”.
Here’s to the next five years of innovation, sustainability, and impact!
