When we think of the Netherlands, most of us think of canals, bicycles and fields of tulips. But the Dutch nation is also a haven for startups, thanks to government support, a driven work ethic and open culture, the fastest broadband speed in Europe, a wealth of world-class incubation and acceleration programmes, and a high innovation ranking. If you’re a founder outside Europe, you could get a 1-year “startup visa” including temporary residency, as long as you’re supported by a Dutch mentor. Turning towards the capital, Amsterdam is a true magnet for startups, ranking as the 4th most active startup hub in Europe.
The Dutch startup scene shows no signs of backing down, and we’re excited to see how it grows in 2021. With this in mind, here are 10 of the most promising young Dutch startups founded between 2018-2020, who all have fast-growing teams, are working on innovative missions, and are also showing promising signs, such as raising funding in the last year.
Dott – Dutch e-mobility startup Dott is on a super speedy growth trajectory. Founded in 2018, Dott’s e-scooter business has expanded to include e-bikes as well, being powered by sustainable green energy from local resources, like solar, hydraulic and wind. Having expanded Europe-wide, we included Dott in our Battle of the European e-scooter startups article as one of Europe’s e-mobility giants.
Kambr – Founded in 2019, Kambr’s mission is to raise airline revenue performance. Kambr offers airlines software, advisory services and media expertise to keep them at the top of their game and lift their revenues. With a seed investment of more than €3.5 million in 2019, and having just landed another round of €2.4 million in January 2021, the startup has already expanded to New York, Minneapolis, and Los Angeles. Here’s a cool inside tip: Kambr is derived from the word ‘camber’ – the shape of the wing which generates lift for flight.
Meatable – Dutch foodtech startup Meatable wants to satisfy the world’s appetite for meat without harming people, animals or the planet. Marketed as ‘guilt-free meat’, the team love meat, they just don’t agree with industrial farming. How does it work? Their products are created by artificially growing cells taken from an unharmed cow or pig. Founded in 2018, the team raised over €3 million seed funding in 2018, a Eurostars grant in November 2019 and €8.9 million in further seed funding just as the year closed. Their diferentiator? Their opti-ox technology can speed up meat production from months to just days or weeks.
Crisp – Riding the wave of home delivery, Crisp (founded in 2018) is the Netherlands’ first app-only supermarket. Its mission? To offer ultra-fresh food from more than 650 farmers, growers and makers. Last year Crisp raised €8 million, and grew its team from 50+ (Jan 2020) to 170+ (Jan 2021), showing the undeniable boost that the pandemic gave their business. They’re certainly on their way to fulfilling their mission of make better quality food available to more people.
Finom – Do you ever feel that banks and other resources are just not tailored to your entrepreneurial / freelance needs? This is where Finom comes in. Founded in 2019, Finom offers financial solutions for entrepreneurs, SMEs and freelancers, pulling together accounting, financial management, and banking functions all in one easy-to-use app. The team raised two rounds during 2020, totalling over €16 million.
The Protein Brewery – The plant-based protein trend continues to take off, and The Protein Brewery is part of the movement. Founded in 2017, the Breda-based team has a novel way of producing proteins – by brewing them. The result is their product Fermotein, which they hope will help feed a growing world population. The team landed a Series A funding round in 2020 of around €22 million, to boost its sustainable solution.
Dyme – Fintech startup Dyme is helping users manage, cancel, and switch their subscriptions, with a single click. With an everincreasing amount of monthly expenses, Dyme employs the latest machine learning technologies to offer a state-of-the-art subscription management solution. Founded in 2018, the startup has closed three seed rounds to boost its technology and uptake, overall increasing the financial wellness of its customers.
OrderChamp – Founded in 2019, OrderChamp believes in the ‘maker revolution’ and the need to help creators and small shop owners find the right retailers. Via its digital marketplace, it connects small brands with independent retailers, to increase the sale of individual products. The team landed its second funding round in 2020, after raising around €3 million the previous year.
Lepaya – Lepaya is a professional training company that aims to bring employees a happier work life. Founded in 2018, its learning app and short interactive classroom sessions allow users to stay a step ahead in life and in business. In 2020 the edtech team landed around €5.6 million in Series A funding, and expanded into Sweden after launches in Belgium and Germany.
BOTS by RevenYOU – Founded in 2018, RevenYOU highlights that you don’t need years of training to trade anymore. In fact, this fintech startup’s tag line is “bots trade better than humans”. Nowadays more than 75% of today’s world’s trades on exchanges are executed with algorithms. RevenYOU’s app, BOTS, harnesseses the power of these algorithms via your smartphone, instantly ‘levelling the playing field’. In 2020, RevenYOU secured €3.6 million, to help more individuals trade, even in cryptocurrencies.
By the way: If you’re a corporate or investor looking for exciting startups in a specific market for a potential investment or acquisition, check out our Startup Sourcing Service!
