The State of Dutch Tech 2023 Report

In an era of rapid technological advancement, the Netherlands shines as a beacon of innovation in the EU. Yet, beneath its success lies a landscape of challenges and opportunities. Delve into the Dutch tech ecosystem to discover resilience and untapped potential amidst bustling cities like Amsterdam and Rotterdam.

Despite remarkable achievements, the Dutch tech scene faces obstacles hindering global competitiveness. Deeptech remains underutilised, limiting societal impact due to funding shortages and reliance on foreign investment. Moreover, gender diversity in leadership remains a pressing issue, stifling innovation and perpetuating inequalities.

However, amidst challenges, opportunities for growth emerge. Realignment of tech policies, support for deeptech ventures, and a resilient VC market offer pathways to unlock full potential. By fostering diversity, expanding startups, and promoting regional development, the Netherlands can lead in global tech innovation.

Key takeaways from The State of Dutch Tech 2023 report:

Boosting Spin-off Impact – Dutch universities’ spin-offs face funding challenges, limiting their scale and impact.
Bridging Talent and Diversity Gap – The ecosystem lacks gender diversity in leadership, hindering innovation and inclusivity.
Resilient VC Market – A shift towards domestic funding and co-investment is crucial for market independence and resilience.
Realigning Strategic Tech Policy – Integrated tech policies are needed to prioritize entrepreneur needs and drive innovation.
Supporting Deeptech Ventures – Enhancing support for tech transfer and funding can accelerate deep tech ventures for societal impact.
Developing Diverse Talent – Diversifying the talent pool is essential for accelerating startup success and scaling in the Netherlands.

The Dutch Tech Startup Ecosystem, number of jobs, startups and VC funding and combined enterprise value

Despite being the most successful EU ecosystem, the combined valuation of Dutch startups stagnated.

Chart of the ecosystem valuesof serval countries including the US, Germany and the UK

Fintech and healthtech are the leading startup sectors in the Netherlands.

Scaleup to startup ratio by sectors in the Netherlands

Dutch deeptech startups are resilient, but they take time to scale.

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Techleap is a non-profit organisation, funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, helping to quantify and accelerate the tech-ecosystem of the Netherlands. Constantijn van Oranje is Special Envoy of Techleap.