The Startup Ecosystem of The Netherlands

The Netherlands has 27 cities in the top 1000 and has a vibrant startup scene that ranks 11th within the competitive global top 20.

COUNTRY RANKING

The Netherlands’s startup scene remains stable in 2022 on the 11th position, having gained 5 more cities in the global top 1000.

Population

17.6
Million

Regional Ranking

5th
0
In Western Europe

Global Ranking

11th
0
Worldwide

Ecosystem

Startup Ecosystem Overview

a group of boats that are sitting in the water
The Netherlands is home to numerous influential startups that have developed into global players, including Booking.com and Adyen. Most impressively, Dutch entrepreneurs have also managed to create Advanced Semiconductor Materials Lithography (ASML), which manufactures the machines used in the production of computer chips and one of the largest suppliers in the semiconductor industry. As of 2023, the company was named the most valuable European technology business after reaching a US$ 270 billion valuation.
The Netherlands boasts an outstanding level of urban innovation and quality of life to both local entrepreneurs and immigrating talent. The government of the Netherlands has set up the Ambitious Entrepreneurship Action Plan with a budget of €75 million. The plan covers multiple strategic measures to fund and support entrepreneurs, such as offering Startup visas for non-EU citizens. One area of interest under the Ambitious Entrepreneurship Action Plan is the attraction of foreign startups through support agencies such as Techleap.nl and Netherlands Point of Entry.
The Dutch government is involved in boosting the entrepreneurial scene through organizations such as the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) and government-supported accelerators.
In addition, the Netherlands has registered record numbers of VC and foreign investments in the past few years and has an ambitious goal of becoming a unicorn nation.
On the other hand, this level of progress comes with some drawbacks for startup founders who might get discouraged by the high cost of living and by the extensive labor laws benefiting employees.
The good news is that the Netherlands is already primed for global scaling, especially considering the high level of English spoken in the country and the tax structure which encourages the immigration of foreign workers. Furthermore, its strategic location and connectivity to multiple global hubs have earned the country the title of "the Gateway to Europe.” The country is culturally impacting the global startup ecosystem with strong tech media and events such as The Next Web, and bootstrapping thought leaders like Pieter Levels, founder of Nomad List. One of the leading global startup platforms, Dealroom, is also based in the Netherlands. The country’s global mindset and ambition to catch up with its US and Asian counterparts will be a key factor for the ecosystem’s success in the upcoming years.

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Ecosystem

The Startup Ecosystem in The Netherlands

Our startup ecosystem map for The Netherlands includes a sample of 1228 tech companies. We have identified as unicorns 7 startups that have passed the USD 1 billion valuations. Contributing to the vitality of this startup ecosystem are the 3 pantheon member entities.

Global Rank

The Netherlands is ranked within the top 20 startup ecosystems globally.

Top Industries

The Netherlands’s startup scene is best represented in Transportation, Energy & Environment, and in Hardware & and IoT.

Top Cities for Startups in The Netherlands - Ranked by StartupBlink
StartupBlink ranks the startup ecosystems of 100 countries and 1,000 cities. Download our latest Global Startup Ecosystem Report.
Rows:
2022 National Rank & Change ▲
Access subscores for 1000 cities and 100 countries
2022 National Rank & Change City
search leaderboards icon
Global Rank & ChangeTotal ScoreQuantity ScoreQuality ScoreBusiness Score
1st
0
27th
+
2
26.807
00.00
00.00
00.00
2nd
0
154th
-
31
5.026
00.00
00.00
00.00
3rd
+
1
176th
-
19
4.609
00.00
00.00
00.00
4th
-
1
179th
-
48
4.559
00.00
00.00
00.00
5th
0
185th
-
13
4.468
00.00
00.00
00.00
6th
0
221st
+
129
3.682
00.00
00.00
00.00
7th
+
2
271st
+
162
2.538
00.00
00.00
00.00
8th
0
345th
+
59
1.559
00.00
00.00
00.00
9th
-
2
469th
-
74
0.815
00.00
00.00
00.00
10th
+
3
551st
+
92
0.595
00.00
00.00
00.00
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Startups

Notable Startups in The Netherlands
Picnic startup icon
Picnic
StuDocu startup icon
StuDocu
Catawiki startup icon
Catawiki

Startups

Successful Transportation startups in The Netherlands
VanMoof startup icon
VanMoof
Dott startup icon
Dott
SendCloud startup icon
SendCloud

Startups

Startups Ranking by Industry

Transportation icon
Transportation
#4 worldwide

On our map, you can explore a total of 366 startups for Transportation.

Energy & Environment icon
Energy & Environment
#5 worldwide

In Western Europe, The Netherlands' Energy & Environment is in top 5. The Netherlands has a concentration of about 151 of the region's total Energy & Environment startups that are represented on our map.

Hardware & IoT icon
Hardware & IoT
#6 worldwide

The Netherlands' Hardware & IoT is ranked 6th in the world. Our database contains 129 for this industry.

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