Sustainable energy new-age ventures are driving the global energy transition towards cleaner and resilient energy systems. While the development of this sector looks positive and successful from the outside, the companies face tremendous external impacts to sustain their competitiveness and survival. The industry lies at the crux of environmental, economical and social constructs given the nature of their business, that involves having focus and consideration for product, people and planet. This involves operating in an ecosystem driven by continual impacts, requirements and changes from all three constructs, and tactically reacting to those pressures. To understand the impact of these external triggers, this research examines how Dutch sustainable energy-tech startups and scale-ups perceive the triggers and respond accordingly. With having a particular focus on ’pivots’ - i.e., deliberate change in the course of action of business model (Ries, 2011) - an attempt to explore the understanding between trigger and subsequent pivot action has been made. Drawing upon conceptual understanding of dynamic business models, we further probe into cascade of internal changes within business models of companies as a result of these external triggers and pivots.