Top 8 startup accelerators and incubators in the Netherlands [2023]

If you are a startup looking to grow, the Netherlands is a great place. The country has one of the highest levels of entrepreneurship in Europe and has been called “Silicon Valley on the North Sea”. The Dutch government has invested heavily in innovation programs over the past decade, with its StartupDelta initiative alone investing over 0 million in startups since 2016. With so many funding opportunities available to entrepreneurs – and their ideas! – You might wonder where to start. To make it easier for you (and your idea), here are some of our favorite accelerators and incubators:

1. Utrechtinc

Utrechtinc is a startup accelerator for early-stage companies in the Netherlands. It provides mentorship, funding, and office space to help startups grow.

There are three main programs:

• Startups from the healthcare, education, mobility and life sciences industries can apply for the Utrechtinc healthcare program. Companies that have already received funding from one of the major healthcare investors (such as Qualcomm Ventures) are not eligible for this program.
• Startups from any industry can apply for the Utrechtinc Growth Program if they have been accepted into one of these accelerators before: 500 Startup; Plug & play; Techstars or Y Combinator; StartupBootCamp Amsterdam; StartupBootCamp Berlin; or via (formerly known as Venture Incubation Association). This program has no application fee, but there is a small annual membership fee as well as a 3% participation requirement.

2. Betalist

Betalist is a community of early adopters and beta testers. The platform provides opportunities for startups to put their products in front of potential customers, as well as connect with other enthusiasts. Betalist has over a million members and hosts over 3,000 beta programs each year.

There are two ways companies can use Betalist: they can apply to be part of the program or they can launch their own program with its platform. If you are accepted into the program, you will receive feedback on your product from users who signed up for it through Betalist. Once feedback has been collected and analyzed by Betalist, companies that want to continue working together after the beta period ends can do so in exchange for equity or other compensation.

3. Techleap.nl

Techleap.nl is a Dutch accelerator program for tech startups. It offers early-stage companies the opportunity to grow their business in three months. Each cohort of Techleap.nl is based on the idea of the startup and consists of 10-12 companies that follow an intensive six-week program in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Startups are either software or hardware focused and must pitch their business during the application process to be selected for the program.

Techleap was started in 2015 by Rens Kroesen, who also founded StartupBootCamp Amsterdam (SBCAM) with Joost Zweegers and Lotte van der Meulen of Startup Bootcamp Berlin (SBCBM).

4. Holland Fintech

Holland Fintech is the most recognized fintech accelerator in the Netherlands, and it is part of the Dutch Tech Foundation. Holland Fintech supports startups on their journey to become successful and sustainable businesses. They are also associates of the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM).

The organization offers several different acceleration programs:

• Startup Accelerator Program: For early-stage startups who have already validated their business idea, but need help scaling their product or service. They will receive €15,000 in seed funding, access to an extensive network of mentors and experts, and office space at startup Hub Level39 Amsterdam.
• Business Incubation Program: For early-stage companies who have started working on their product but have not yet validated it through customer validation. During this program, they get up to €100,000 in seed funding from Fintech Holland and access to an extensive network of mentors and advisors who can help them grow into a sustainable business with a strong product offering. / services

5. ACE Incubator

ACE Incubator is a program that helps technology startups at an early stage. The accelerator focuses on high growth, scalable business models and has been recognized as one of the top European accelerators by the TechCrunch 50. The program runs for 3 months and provides access to mentorship, funding and connections through its network of mentors, investors and companies.

ACE Incubator focus areas include:

• Artificial intelligence and machine learning
• Data Science and Analytics
• Cloud Computing and Internet of Things (IoT)
• blockchain technology

Ace is located in Amsterdam with offices in Berlin, London and Singapore.

6. Moon.Ventures

Moon.Ventures is a startup accelerator and early-stage venture capital fund that aims to build the next generation of startups in the Netherlands.

Moon.Ventures is a joint initiative of the Municipality of Amsterdam and the University of Amsterdam, with the support of other partners in the Amsterdam innovation ecosystem such as Startupdelta, TQ Amsterdam and the next web conference .

The program lasts three months and provides participants with €20,000 in seed funding as well as office space from startupamsterdam (the city’s largest coworking hub). During this time, entrepreneurs work closely with mentors who provide guidance on all aspects of their business, including product development, marketing strategy, and fundraising efforts.

7. Startupbootcamp amsterdam

StartupBootCamp Amsterdam is the most active startup accelerator in the Netherlands. It is a global network of startup accelerators and incubators, operating in 38 cities in 10 countries. It was founded in 2010 by Jeroen Tas, a serial entrepreneur who previously co-founded Dutch companies such as e-commerce site Lijst.NL and Dutch price comparison site Prijsvergelijk.nl.

In addition to its Amsterdam office, StartupBootCamp also has offices on three other continents: New York City, San Francisco Bay Area (Silicon Valley), and Singapore (Asia). In total, they have helped over 600 startups reach their potential with an investment portfolio worth over €1 billion combined across all locations, including investments from recognizable names like Apple Inc., Google Ventures or Sequoia Capital Partners.

StartupBootCamp aims to accelerate growth by providing entrepreneurs with a supportive environment where they can develop their business ideas into viable products or services that meet market needs while simultaneously growing their teams through hands-on training sessions led by experienced mentors. ; This includes both local experts who provide mentorship as well as regional directors who oversee each global cohort via Skype sessions every two months throughout the duration of the program (12 weeks).

8. Rotterdam Internet Valley

Rotterdam Internet Valley is a startup accelerator, technical center and business incubator in the Netherlands. It is also a co-working space with offices for startups and companies that want to grow.

Rotterdam Internet Valley was founded in 2008 by the city of Rotterdam, together with several partners from different fields such as industry, science and education. The objective of this initiative was to accelerate the development of new technologies in the region.

Currently, it has around 1,500 members from over 30 countries around the world, including Silicon Valley startups such as Uber Technologies Inc., Facebook Inc., Amazon Web Services Inc., Google LLC, and many more!

Conclusion

There are many startup accelerators and incubators in the Netherlands. It is important to know what you want to achieve with one of these programs before applying.