News item | 11-05-2023 | 13:41
The government will continue for another three years (2023-2026) with the booster program for a strong start-up and scale-up business climate in the Netherlands: Techleap.nl. Minister Micky Adriaansens (Economic Affairs and Climate) today informed the House of Representatives to allocate a budget of 15 million euros to the organisation. The Ministry of Economic Affairs also makes direct public investments in young growth companies through, for example, the Deep Tech Fund (250 million euros together with InvestNL), Dutch Future Fund (300 million euros together with InvestNL and the European Investment Fund), but also indirectly via National Growth Fund projects.
In 2015, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy and other organizations (StartupDelta and then Techleap.nl) took the initiative to ensure that startups and scale-ups collectively in the Netherlands have better access to capital, markets, knowledge and a network to enable collaboration, innovation and ultimately growth of ambitious technology companies. These companies develop products or offer services for, for example, the energy transition, mobility, biotechnology, nanotechnology, digital (financial) platforms, quantum, healthcare, circularity of raw materials and products.
Minister Micky Adriaansens (EZK) has had the program evaluated by an external agency. This shows that the Dutch start-up and scale-up climate has improved substantially in eight years. And that even more is possible. Such as with the further development of high-quality technological knowledge in products and services: so-called deep tech. And by focusing even more on growth companies that tackle the biggest societal challenges such as health, climate, energy and digitization.
“I accept the recommendation to Techleap.nl to go ahead. A booster is still needed to maintain and strengthen the knowledge and networks that have been built up. Techleap.nl will realize that improvement with a different role and focus. It will soon be aimed at more deep tech get companies in the Netherlands and allow more startups to grow into scale-ups. In addition to public financing – as in other EU countries – more private financing such as venture capital is also needed for the part that can now be taken up by the market itself. Techleap.nl can play a role in mobilizing those market parties,” says Minister Adriaansens.
10,000 startups in the Netherlands and more than 135,000 tech jobs
According to the latest leading Genome Ranking from 2022, the Netherlands is now in position 14 worldwide when it comes to the start-up climate, first in the European Union (before Berlin, Germany) and overall second in Europe after London (United Kingdom).
There are more than 10,000 startups in the Netherlands, including more than ten with a value of more than 1 billion dollars. The Dutch sector accounts for more than 135,000 tech jobs. Among the more than 10,000 startups are about 1,400 so-called deep tech companies: knowledge-intensive start-ups that combine high-quality (technological) knowledge from universities, for example, with research, development and production.
Startup policy and decision on Special Envoy
The government will publish its tightened policy for start-ups, scale-ups and the promotion of venture capital before the summer. At the same time, the cabinet will also take a decision on whether or not to appoint or reappoint the Special Envoy (envoy) for startup and scale-up policy: Prince Constantijn van Oranje.