Let me ask you a simple question.
“Who in this room heats their home in a fully decarbonized way?”

Very few hands go up.
And that’s not surprising.

Today, less than 0.5% of Belgians are connected to district heating networks. Yet in Brussels alone, nearly 60% of CO₂ emissions come from gas and oil heating systems. Heating is the elephant in the room of the climate transition—and for too long, it has been ignored.

KARNO has decided to tackle it head-on.

What brings together seemingly different pioneers such as Pairi Daiza, Aerospacelab, the Roissy Airport, the Kuebebierg District in Luxembourg or  Be.SHARE in Brussels?

A shared belief that sustainable partnerships and decarbonized heat are no longer optional—they are inevitable.

KARNO is not just imagining this future. We are building it. Together.

Picture this: one year from now, entire neighborhoods are connected to renewable thermal networks. Homes, schools, offices, hospitals—heated and cooled without fossil fuels. Thousands of tons of CO₂ avoided every single year.

Across Belgium, from Antwerp to Virton, we are weaving a network of sustainable warmth and cooling. Our mission is clear: fight climate change while keeping energy affordable and reliable. While the European average of decarbonized district heating stands at 13%, Belgium remains stuck at around 5%. Karno exists to close that gap—fast.

How do we do it?

We combine the best renewable heat sources available: geothermal energy, riothermal solutions, and recovered industrial waste heat. We design tailor-made solutions in just 15 days, turning ambition into concrete projects at record speed.
We finance, build, and operate the networks ourselves, offering a true 360° turnkey solution. And most importantly : we build energy communities, where neighbors share locally produced green heat as easily as they would share a cup of coffee.

Innovation is also part of our DNA. Together with Citronics and Destore, we developed the world’s first circular micro-computer for heating control a smart, low-impact brain that optimizes energy use while reducing electronic waste.

By 2025, Karno aims to reach €8 to 10 million in revenue. But for us, success is not measured only in euros. It’s measured in carbon not emitted, cities future-proofed, and communities empowered.

So when you vote for the Audience Award, remember this: You’re not just voting for a company.

You’re voting for a bright future where, next time I ask this first question, every hand in the room goes up.