Key Learnings from Episode: Scaling Oort Energy with Nick Van Dijk, CEO of Oort Energy

In this episode of Beyond the Raise, Nick Van Dijk shares the story behind Oort Energy and the journey of developing commercially viable hydrogen technology for the energy transition. The conversation explores DeepTech commercialisation, fundraising, leadership, resilience and the realities of building a climate technology business through changing market conditions.

Commercial Viability Must Come First

From the outset, Oort Energy focused on a simple principle: technology only creates impact if people are willing to adopt it.

Rather than building technology for technology's sake, the company focused on developing hydrogen electrolysers that could compete commercially while helping accelerate the transition to green chemicals, sustainable fuels and lower-carbon industrial processes.

Key Takeaways

• Market adoption drives meaningful change.

• Climate technology must be commercially viable to scale.

• Solving environmental challenges and creating business value can go hand in hand.

• Customers ultimately buy solutions that work economically.

Early Success Brings New Pressures

After raising seed funding, Oort Energy moved quickly from concept to deployment, delivering its first product to a customer site within a remarkably short timeframe.

While reaching the market created excitement and validation, it also introduced pressure. Tight deadlines, operational challenges and the expectations of investors all intensified as the company worked to deliver on its promises.

Key Takeaways

• Early momentum creates opportunity and responsibility.

• Product deployment often reveals new challenges.

• Small operational issues can have significant consequences.

• Success often comes with increased expectations.

Market Conditions Can Change Overnight

One of the defining moments in Oort Energy's journey was navigating a sharp shift in the ClimateTech market.

As investor sentiment cooled, projects were delayed, funding became harder to secure and many businesses found themselves operating in a far more cautious environment than they had anticipated.

Rather than being driven solely by company performance, many of these challenges were shaped by wider economic and political factors.

Key Takeaways

• External market conditions can reshape entire sectors.

• Investor confidence often follows broader economic trends.

• Founders must adapt to factors beyond their control.

• Resilience becomes increasingly important during downturns.

Tough Times Reveal Team Strength

As conditions became more difficult, Oort Energy's team became leaner and more focused.

While some people naturally moved on, those who remained demonstrated remarkable commitment, stepping outside their usual responsibilities and contributing wherever they could add value.

For Nick, one of the most rewarding aspects of the journey was seeing the team rally together around a shared challenge.

Key Takeaways

• Difficult periods often strengthen core teams.

• Adaptability becomes critical in challenging environments.

• Shared purpose can unite people during uncertainty.

• Resilience is often built through adversity.

Communication Is a Leadership Tool

A recurring theme throughout the conversation is the importance of transparency.

As uncertainty increased, Nick found himself communicating more frequently with the team rather than less. Regular updates, open discussions and clear explanations of both challenges and opportunities helped keep people aligned.

The result was a culture where people felt connected to the wider mission rather than isolated within their individual roles.

Key Takeaways

• Communication builds trust during uncertainty.

• Teams perform better when they understand the bigger picture.

• Transparency helps reduce unnecessary anxiety.

• Leaders should bring people into the journey.

Pivoting Requires Courage

As market conditions evolved, Oort Energy made the decision to adapt its business model.

Rather than focusing solely on selling equipment, the company began developing projects and creating value through the end products those projects would generate.

The technology remained the same, but the route to market changed significantly.

Key Takeaways

• Business models should evolve with market realities.

• Pivoting does not mean abandoning a vision.

• Commercial flexibility can create new opportunities.

• Listening to the market is often more important than protecting assumptions.

Credibility Must Be Earned

In DeepTech, customers often make substantial investments and need confidence that both the company and the technology will deliver.

Nick discusses the importance of proving performance through real-world deployments, demonstrating reliability and building trust over time.

For many customers and investors, seeing technology operating successfully in the field is far more persuasive than presentations or forecasts.

Key Takeaways

• Credibility is built through delivery.

• Real-world validation matters.

• Early projects create trust and momentum.

• Demonstrating reliability reduces perceived risk.

Sustainable Growth Beats Growth at Any Cost

Nick deliberately built Oort Energy with a focus on long-term sustainability rather than rapid expansion.

Having seen companies grow aggressively without clear routes to profitability, he believed the business should remain lean, commercially focused and capable of weathering difficult market conditions.

That philosophy helped the company navigate a period that proved challenging for many ClimateTech businesses.

Key Takeaways

• Growth should be aligned with market demand.

• Profitability matters.

• Lean businesses are often more resilient.

• Sustainable growth creates long-term stability.

Great Technology Still Needs Commercial Thinking

Throughout the episode, Nick returns to a point often overlooked in technical businesses: understanding the customer.

Innovation alone is rarely enough. Successful products solve real problems, meet customer needs and create clear value.

For Nick, commercial thinking is not separate from engineering. It is part of building products that succeed.

Key Takeaways

• Customer needs should shape product development.

• Technical excellence alone is not enough.

• Commercial thinking improves innovation.

• Great products solve meaningful problems.

Leadership Is About Carrying Responsibility

Reflecting on his experience as a founder and CEO, Nick describes leadership as carrying the weight of the organisation while supporting the people within it.

As companies grow, leaders become responsible not only for business performance but also for helping teams navigate uncertainty, maintain confidence and continue moving forward.

Key Takeaways

• Leadership comes with significant responsibility.

• Supporting people is as important as delivering results.

• Founders must balance commercial and human challenges.

• Strong leadership creates stability during change.

Looking Ahead

Having successfully navigated a challenging period and evolved its business model, Oort Energy is now focused on developing projects that can accelerate the production of green chemicals and sustainable fuels. With growing interest from investors and the market, the company is entering a new phase built on the lessons learned during its journey so far.

Final Thought

Nick's story highlights a reality many founders eventually face: success rarely follows a straight line. Markets change, assumptions are challenged and strategies evolve. The businesses that endure are often those willing to adapt while staying focused on the problem they set out to solve. For Oort Energy, that means continuing to build commercially viable technology that can help drive the energy transition forward.