“I never imagined being a founder — now I can’t imagine anything else”

One weekend. A group of curious participants. And a full, fast-paced Deep Green Innovators program.

That combination would mark the beginning of a completely new chapter for 24-year-old Duarte Carrasco.

If you had asked Duarte Carrasco just a year earlier what he imagined doing after finishing his degree, entrepreneurship wouldn’t even have made the list. He pictured a classic career path — a stable job, well-defined responsibilities, and a predictable everyday life.

But one afternoon, as he walked down the hallway at CBS in Copenhagen, something made him stop. A green poster with the words “Make Climate Change Your Business” caught his eye.

Even though he had never imagined himself as an entrepreneur, curiosity got the better of him, and he scanned the QR code on the poster. Just a few weeks later, he found himself surrounded by 50 other participants, diving into climate challenges and exploring potential solutions together.

“I never really saw myself as the entrepreneurial type, but something about combining innovation with climate solutions instantly sparked my curiosity,"

Facts about Deep Green Innovators

• What: 6-month innovation program - open for both students, professionals, researchers and current/former entrepreneurs

• Focus: Sustainability, idea development and interdisciplinary teamwork

• Includes: Workshops, access to research, team matchmaking, expert sparring

• Who can apply: Anyone curious about climate solutions – no idea needed

• Organized by: Aalborg University, Aarhus University and CBS

• Cost: Free

The defining weekend 

Everything fell into place when Duarte attended the programme’s Incubation Kickoff Weekend. According to him, this was where the programme shifted gears. Over three days, the participants were immersed in team exercises, practical tools, collaboration challenges and hands-on workshops — all of which provided a realistic picture of what entrepreneurship truly requires.

And even though he returned to Copenhagen exhausted and full of new impressions, one thing was unmistakably clear:

He wanted to become an entrepreneur.

“That weekend was where the spark really ignited. It was packed with sessions and exercises, but also with reflections on how founders think and act. It was the first time I could genuinely feel that this was the path I wanted to take.”

From family dinner to family startup 

With newfound motivation, Duarte travelled to Portugal to visit his family — and that visit took an unexpected turn. 

His uncle, agronomic engineer Pedro Santos, trained in plant physiology, had spent the past four years developing a patented technology that improves soil quality using nanobubbles. The family had already built prototypes, tested the concept and laid the technical foundation, but they lacked one crucial element: someone who could develop the business side.

For Duarte, everything suddenly aligned. 

“It struck me that I could use everything from Deep Green Innovators — the tools, the mindset, the structure — to turn their invention into a real startup.” 

Today, alongside his studies, Duarte is working on Bubtex — a solution designed to tackle a challenge many farmers face: compacted soils with too little oxygen around the roots.

By enriching irrigation water with microscopic oxygen-rich nanobubbles, Bubtex brings oxygen deeper into the soil, improving root conditions, boosting plant growth and reducing the need for fertilisers and pesticides.

“Curiosity is enough”

When asked what he would say to others considering Deep Green Innovators, Duarte doesn’t hesitate.

“You don’t need an idea. You don’t need experience. You just need to be curious. The rest you learn along the way.”

He emphasises that the programme is not only for those who already dream of starting a company — but just as much for those still searching for the right direction.

“I entered the programme without a goal. And I left with a direction, new skills and a belief that I can actually build something myself.”