When Maria Svantemark founded SustainLab, it wasn’t because the world needed another software tool. It was because she had lived the frustrations of sustainability work firsthand — and she knew there had to be a better way.

A problem she couldn’t ignore

As Sustainability Manager at Nomad Foods, Maria was responsible for driving progress on ambitious sustainability targets, like increasing the share of vegetables and fish products in their portfolio. But the work was often slowed down by something surprisingly mundane: data.

“We had sustainability goals, but the data to track them was always delayed, scattered, and hard to trust. By the time the reports came in, the decisions had already been made. It was so frustrating - we were working blind.”

That disconnect between business decisions and sustainability data meant that financial targets often came first, with sustainability goals left behind.

Meeting the co-founder

When Maria joined the entrepreneurship program Antler, she met Kamal, a data scientist with a passion for impact. Together, they interviewed more than 80 sustainability professionals — and heard the same story again and again.

Everyone wanted to focus on driving change. Almost nobody wanted to spend their days chasing numbers across spreadsheets.

That’s when the spark for SustainLab was born.

Building a platform that works in the real world

SustainLab was founded on a simple but powerful idea: make sustainability data easier to work with, so companies can spend more time on action and impact.

Unlike many platforms built around pre-set KPIs, SustainLab starts with raw data. That flexibility means companies can begin wherever they are - with the messy, real-world data they already have - and grow into more advanced reporting and insights over time.

“We didn’t want to create a rigid system that locks people in. We wanted to build something that adapts as companies mature, because sustainability work never stands still.”

Culture shaped by purpose

Maria’s personal values have also shaped the way SustainLab operates. The company culture reflects a “done is better than perfect” mindset, and sustainability isn’t just a product feature - it’s part of everyday choices, from serving only vegetarian food at team events to choosing trains over flights.

The team shares a common drive: to help sustainability professionals spend less time on data chaos, and more time on what they came into the field to do - make the world better.

Looking ahead

SustainLab has already helped companies cut sustainability data workload by 40–60%, freeing up valuable time for action. But for Maria, success isn’t just measured in hours saved.

“If we can accelerate the transition by even a small margin, then it’s worth it. That’s the legacy I want us to build - helping companies work smarter, faster, and with more impact for the planet.”