The Netherlands has a thriving startup ecosystem, particularly centered in Amsterdam, which is becoming a major European tech hub. As of 2023, the Netherlands is home to around 6,000 startups. The Dutch government supports innovation through initiatives like TechLeap.NL and the Dutch Venture Initiative, which provide funding, resources, and mentorship for startups. In 2022, Dutch startups raised approximately €3 billion in venture capital. These factors collectively highlight the dynamic and evolving nature of the Dutch startup landscape.
As of 2023, the Netherlands' startup ecosystem includes around 6,000 startups. In 2022, these startups attracted approximately €3 billion in venture capital funding. This substantial investment underscores the ecosystem's growth potential and robust nature. The market's size and financial backing reflect its capacity to foster innovation and maintain a competitive edge within Europe and beyond.
The Netherlands' startup ecosystem is characterized by several key strengths, including a highly educated workforce, a strong focus on innovation, and a strategic location in Europe. The country excels in sectors such as fintech, healthtech, and deep tech. These strengths are bolstered by the Dutch government's support and the country's robust industrial base, positioning the Netherlands as a leader in the European startup scene.
Amsterdam is the primary hub of the Netherlands’ startup ecosystem, known for its strengths in fintech, healthtech, and deep tech. The city attracts significant investments and has produced notable startups like Adyen and Booking.com. Other cities like Rotterdam and Eindhoven are also making significant contributions to the startup landscape, with Rotterdam excelling in logistics and Eindhoven known for high-tech systems and innovation. These cities drive the Netherlands' economic growth and technological advancements.
In addition to Amsterdam, emerging hubs like Utrecht and The Hague are gaining prominence in the Netherlands’ startup ecosystem. Utrecht is known for its strengths in education technology and sustainability, while The Hague is becoming a hub for security technology and international law. These emerging hubs are expanding the reach and diversity of the Netherlands’ entrepreneurial landscape, offering new opportunities for innovation and growth.
The Netherlands’ startup ecosystem benefits from a strong network of incubators, accelerators, and co-working spaces that provide essential support and resources for entrepreneurs. Initiatives like StartupDelta and YES!Delft have significantly boosted the ecosystem by offering mentorship, resources, and international exposure. This supportive infrastructure is crucial for nurturing early-stage companies and fostering a collaborative entrepreneurial environment.
Despite its strengths, the Dutch startup ecosystem faces challenges such as high living costs and regulatory complexities. Navigating these hurdles can be time-consuming and complex for startups. Addressing these issues requires strategic efforts and supportive policies to sustain growth and competitiveness in the global market.
The Netherlands has significant opportunities for growth in sectors like fintech, healthtech, and green technology. The country's strong focus on sustainability drives innovation in renewable energy and environmental technologies. The Netherlands' strategic location in Europe and strong trade relationships provide startups with opportunities for international expansion. With continued investment and innovation, the Dutch startup ecosystem is poised for further growth, contributing significantly to the European and global markets.
The Netherlands' startup ecosystem demonstrates remarkable resilience and adaptability. The country's commitment to innovation, coupled with strong government and institutional support, enables startups to navigate challenges and capitalize on opportunities. The diverse talent pool and high level of digitalization attract entrepreneurs and investors alike, ensuring sustained growth and success in the face of global economic shifts and market dynamics.
San Francisco California, Netherlands
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • IT (& TMT) • Media • Education • BioTech • Hardware (& Manufacturing) • Retail (& E-Commerce) • Cosmetics (& Fashion) • Blockchain (& Cryptos) • Advertising • Insurance (& InsurTech) • Mobile Apps • SaaS • Consumer • Productivity
Co-Founder and CEO at Apptitude
Co-Founder and CEO at Apptitude
Cremorne Australia - ; Virginia ; Victoria Texas ; Amsterdam Netherlands; Melbourne Victoria Australia; Richmond Virginia United State, U.S.A.
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • IT (& TMT) • Blockchain (& Cryptos) • Investment Management
Domenic is co-founder of Future Capital and CEO of ASX listed Crowd Mobile. Domenic was previously the co-founder and Group CEO of ASX-listed destra Corporation Ltd (ASX: DES), which was the largest independent media and entertainment company in Australia with revenues of over $100m. He stepped aside from destra in April 2008. With over 15 years experience in business and technology, Domenic has built a reputation as a leader in the Internet space by building one of Australiaâs largest independent digital music websites, MP3.com.au, and building from scratch, Australiaâs second largest virtual web hosting/domain companies which he sold for $25m. Domenic is past Chairman of the Internet Industry Association (IIA) and holds a Masters of Entrepreneurship & Innovation (MEI) from Swinburne University.
Melbourne Victoria, Australia - Global: U.S.A., Australia, Canada, Germany, U.K., Israel, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, Malta, Iceland
CleanTech • A.I. (& Big Data) • HealthTech (& Fitness) • Blockchain (& Cryptos) • Nanotechnology • Woman Focused
Most Interested In
Passionate, driven, dreamers who are reworking old spaces and finding new ways to do things. Hardware that would have been deemed MAGIC a decade ago. People who have a view on the future and are happy to talk about it.
Not Interested In
All idea - no execution. A lick of paint given consideration as new and exciting, People with no listening skills. An idea, concept that can't be explained to me in 2 sentences.
Boston - New York - Los Angeles - San Francisco Bay Area - California, U.S.A. - Global: U.S.A., Australia, Canada, Germany, U.K., Israel, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, Malta, Iceland
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • Businesses Solutions • A.I. (& Big Data) • Blockchain (& Cryptos) • Developer tools • Woman Focused
Managing Director at Hack VC
Most Interested In
When we invest, we can help startups to hire engineers. We can do this because we run the world's largest programmer conference with a community of 125,000+.
Not Interested In
We typically co-invest alongside other larger seed fund and VCs since our check doesn't provide enough runway on its own. The best types of startups for us to meet come from referrals from other investors who need quality co-investors in their rounds, or from startups who have a round that needs additional participants to complement their lead investor..
Ed Roman serves as the Chief Executive Officer of HackHands and Founding Partner at Hack VC. He is also the Founder of hack.summit and was the Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Ghostfire Games. He received a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Cornell University in 1998.
San Francisco Bay Area - California, U.S.A. - Global: U.S.A., Australia, Canada, Germany, U.K., Israel, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, Malta, Iceland
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • FinTech (& Financials services) • A.I. (& Big Data) • Blockchain (& Cryptos) • Consumer
Dr. Elad Gil is a Co-Founder and serves as the Chairman at Color Genomics. He served as Chief Executive Officer at Color Genomics. He served as the Vice President of Corporate Starategy for Twitter. He was also Co-Founder and served as Chief Executive Officer at Mixer Labs / GeoAPIBefore GeoAPI.com. He has a long standing interest in location based services and mobile. He co-founded Google's Mobile Team where he was the first PM on Google Mobile Maps and was involved with the Android acquisition. Prior to Google, he worked at 3 venture backed startups and at McKinsey. He has a Ph.D. from MIT. He is currently an investor and advisor to a number of mobile and social media startups. He is an Advisor of Origami Logic, Bitwise and Anchorage.
Dubai - United Arab Emirates, U.S.A. - Global: U.S.A., Australia, Canada, Germany, U.K., Israel, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, Malta, Iceland
FinTech (& Financials services) • Blockchain (& Cryptos) • Developer tools
Co-founder & COO at Polygon (previously Matic Network)
London - Berlin, Germany - U.K. - Netherlands - France
FinTech (& Financials services) • Blockchain (& Cryptos) • Web Security (& Privacy) • Future Of Work
Most Interested In
Decentralization, Blockchain, Peer to peer networks, API ecosystems, automation, devtech, legaltech, logistics
Not Interested In
AdTech, E-Commerce, FoodTech, Media, HealthTech
Helsinki, Finland - Europe: Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Romania, Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic, Greece, Portugal, Sweden, Hungary, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Finland, Slovakia, Norway, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Iceland, Monac
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • Businesses Solutions • FinTech (& Financials services) • Sales (& Marketing) • Blockchain (& Cryptos) • Payments
Angel investor and entrepreneur
Investor and Senior Advisor at Spintop Ventures
Entrepreneur @komartek (sold to @wm-data, nowadays @cgi). Angel investor. Investments to 30 companies. Three angel exits. Advisor Spintop Ventures. M. Sc. LUT
Palo Alto - California, U.S.A. - Global: U.S.A., Australia, Canada, Germany, U.K., Israel, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, Malta, Iceland
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • BioTech • A.I. (& Big Data) • Blockchain (& Cryptos) • Autonomous vehicles (& Cars) • Cloud Services (& Infrastructure) • Developer tools • Consumer
Most Interested In
API E-Commerce Education Enterprise Fintech Food and Beverage Future of Work Gaming Government Technology Hardware Health and Wellness Healthcare/Medtech Industrial Internet and Mobile IoT Life Sciences Productivity Proptech/Real Estate Robotics SaaS Social Supply Chain/Logistics Transportation Travel/Hospitality
New York, U.S.A. - Global: U.S.A., Australia, Canada, Germany, U.K., Israel, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, Malta, Iceland
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • Education • FinTech (& Financials services) • Retail (& E-Commerce) • CleanTech • A.I. (& Big Data) • Blockchain (& Cryptos) • Cloud Services (& Infrastructure) • Developer tools • Woman Focused
Fabrice Grinda serves as Co-Founding Partner at FJ Labs. He also serves as a Partner at True Global Ventures. He serves as Industry Advisor at DN Capital. Previously he was a Co-Chief Executive Officer of OLX, Inc. Prior to OLX, he was the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Zingy Inc. In 1998, he co-founded and was the Chief Executive Officer of Aucland. Prior to that he worked as a Business Consultant for McKinsey & Company. He is an Investor at Knock.
Sao Paulo - San Francisco Bay Area - New York - London, U.K. - Germany - Netherlands - Greece - Brazil - Mexico
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • BioTech • FinTech (& Financials services) • Retail (& E-Commerce) • A.I. (& Big Data) • Blockchain (& Cryptos) • Gaming (& eSports) • Analytics • Developer tools • Woman Focused
Partner at Hummingbird Ventures
Partner at Hummingbird Ventures
Amsterdam, Netherlands - U.K.
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • Businesses Solutions • FinTech (& Financials services) • Hardware (& Manufacturing) • IoT (& Wearables) • CleanTech • Blockchain (& Cryptos) • Real Estate (& Construction)
Managing Director | InMotion Ventures
Early stage investor - proptech / clean tech / industry 4.0 / Enterprise SaaS