The government is coming up with a ‘growth accelerator’ for Dutch startups in the US

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy is making EUR 500,000 available for this. Invest-NL will also contribute financially to the project. Startups can register till February 18 www.scalenl.com.

Dutch startups looking to expand internationally often face financing problems, as Dutch investors often prefer to take less risk than international investors. The ScaleNL program prepares entrepreneurs for funding rounds and storm growth (‘scaling’) in the US. This improves their competitive position compared to other European companies. Countries like Germany, Denmark and Israel also have such programs.

Focco Vijselaar, Director General for Business and Innovation at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate: “Dutch entrepreneurs stand out internationally because their smart products, technology and services contribute to solving the main problems of our time. ScaleNL was also selected by startups, a global leader operating in Silicon Valley and other technology centers. Able to better compete with companies, we give these startups knowledge, money and the incentive to find partners, which is a market with huge growth opportunities for Dutch businesses.”

The first group of ten companies will launch a project in April aimed at doing business in Silicon Valley. This amount could be supplemented with private money to support a total of 60 companies over the next three years.

ScaleNL

ScaleNL is an initiative of successful Dutch entrepreneurs and Dutch consulates in the United States. Companies are selected by successful American and Dutch businessmen based on their innovative strength, team and potential success in the US market. That market includes Silicon Valley on the West Coast and well-known tech hubs like New York and Boston on the East Coast, but also growth cities like Miami, Atlanta and Chicago.

Dirk Jansen, Consul General in San Francisco: “In America, Dutch startups are often seen as innovative and innovative. We try to force American progress through ScaleNL: we connect entrepreneurs with leading experts and investors in American technology centers. As a result, a Dutch head office or research laboratory develops automatically, thus Our economy is reaping the benefits.”

A crash course in doing business

The top ten companies will begin a 12-week program in April 2022, including a crash course on “Doing Business in Silicon Valley.” Among other things, the program focuses on business modeling and obtaining funding. The first part takes place digitally; The program concludes with an intensive component in San Francisco, allowing attendees to meet more than 200 ScaleNL mentors and experts in person.