The Netherlands remains a top-tier hub for innovation, but a rapidly changing global environment means ambition alone is no longer enough to stay ahead.
The State of Dutch Tech 2026 Report provides a comprehensive diagnostic of the ecosystem. It evaluates where the Netherlands is successfully powering ahead while exposing critical gaps that must be closed to secure our long-term growth, ranging from evolving regulatory pressures to the specific infrastructure needs of our most advanced tech clusters.
Key findings from the report
Shift in Investor Activity: US involvement in breakout rounds (€50-100 million) tripled to 40%, whilst European participation fell to 21%, leaving Dutch scaleups increasingly dependent on foreign capital.
Deeptech Growth: Deeptech remains the ecosystem's powerhouse, producing 41% of all scaleups and attracting 41% of total venture capital in 2025.
AI Paradox: Despite having Europe's highest AI talent density (10.9 professionals per 10,000 inhabitants), the Dutch conversion rate to scaleup status (21.2%) is only a quarter of the US rate (80.9%).
Scaleups as Employers: The ecosystem now employs 135,000 people locally, with a projected need for 300,000 additional tech specialists by 2030.