These companies raised the 10 largest funding rounds in the Netherlands in H1 2024; 9 of them are hiring now

The Netherlands has always been considered a hub for innovation and entrepreneurship.

In recent years, this reputation has only grown stronger, with multiple tech startups emerging and gaining recognition internationally.

Right from a sustainable online supermarket model to developing the world’s most efficient and sophisticated edge AI solutions, Dutch startups are making waves across various industries.

The Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER) by Startup Genome and Techleap confirmed this trend.

The Netherlands climbed to 13th place in the world’s top-performing startup ecosystems, a one-place improvement from last year.

According to the report, the Dutch ecosystem generated $96B in value during the 18 months from July 2021 to December 2023.

The Dutch ecosystem scores are high in performance areas such as funding, talent, and experience, placing it in the global top 15, says the report.

Having said that, in H1 2024, the Netherlands has seen a surge in investment activity that has captured the attention of investors, job seekers, and technology enthusiasts alike.

With a thriving tech ecosystem and an increasing number of innovative startups, the Dutch market is proving to be a fertile ground for groundbreaking ideas and solid financial backing.

In this article, we have compiled the top ten largest funding rounds in the Netherlands for H1 2024. Furthermore, these companies are actively seeking new talent in addition to funding.

Picnic

Fundraised: €355M

Founder/s: Michiel Muller, Frederik Nieuwenhuys, Joris Beckers, Bas Verheijen

HQ: Amsterdam

Hiring status: Yes| Apply here

Picnic is an online supermarket with a sustainable model, offering free doorstep delivery and competitive prices for groceries. 

Customers can choose convenient delivery times tracked down to the minute. The innovative distribution method incurs such low costs that delivery is offered free of charge, and the groceries are competitively priced. 

Mews

Fundraised: €101.39M

Founder/s: Richard Valtr

HQ: Amsterdam

Hiring status: Yes| Apply here

Mews offers a cloud-based property management system (PMS). After managing a hotel in Prague, Mews recognized the industry’s reliance on outdated technology and aimed to transform hotel operations.

Mews offers a cloud-based system that integrates with numerous tech solutions. Currently, it manages over 350,000 hospitality spaces for 5,000 global clients, including Strawberry Hotels, The Social Hub, and Airelles.

DataSnipper

Fundraised: €92.53M

CEO: Vidya Peters

HQ: Amsterdam

Hiring status: Yes| Apply here

DataSnipper addresses the labour-intensive nature of auditing by providing an intelligent automation platform. 

By automating repetitive tasks, it aims to boost productivity for auditors, allowing them to focus on more complex and valuable aspects of their work. The company claims that its technology not only enhances efficiency but also reduces the risk of errors.

Axelera AI

Fundraised: €63.5M

Founder/s: Fabrizio Del Maffeo and Evangelos Eleftheriou

HQ: Eindhoven

Hiring status: Yes| Apply here

Axelera AI claims to be developing the world’s most efficient and sophisticated edge AI solutions. It offers Edge AI solutions through its Metis AI platform. 

The company’s hardware and software solution would compress the AI processing capabilities of an entire server into a single chip at a fraction of the power consumption and expense of existing AI technologies.

Vico Therapeutics

Fundraised: €65.8M

Founder/s: NA

HQ: Leiden

Hiring status: Yes| Apply here

Vico Therapeutics is a clinical-stage genetic medicines company developing therapies for severe neurological diseases.

Its lead program, VO659, is currently in a Phase 1/2a clinical study of patients with spinocerebellar ataxia types 3 and 1 and Huntington’s disease, devastating neurodegenerative diseases for which there are currently no disease-modifying treatments available.

 The company is committed to advancing RNA-modulating therapies for patients with severe genetic neurological disorders.

Finom

Fundraised: €50M

Founder/s: Andrey Petrov, Kos Stiskin, Oleg Laguta, and Yakov Novikov

HQ: Amsterdam

Hiring status: Yes| Apply here

FINOM is a digital banking solution for SMEs and entrepreneurs. The company’s banking tools enable businesses to quickly open an account, streamlining online banking, payment processing, invoicing, and expense management.

The company does it by developing its proprietary core banking system that powers its broad suite of products and services, including rapid account setup, online banking, payment processing, invoicing, FX, and expense management. 

BioBTX

Fundraised: €80M

CEO: Ton Vries

HQ: Groningen

Hiring status: Yes| Apply here

BioBTX is a circular chemistry technology developer that aims to replace fossil resources with biomass & plastic waste.

The Dutch company has developed an integrated catalytic pyrolysis process that maximises BTX (benzene, toluene, and xylene isomers) yield and minimises operational costs, enabling clients to access sustainable BTX materials with lower carbon emissions, free from fossil resources.

BioBTX plans to scale up its technology at the PETRA Circular Chemicals Plant in Delfzijl, converting 20,000 tons of plastic waste into renewable aromatics annually. 

This replaces fossil resources and turns low-value plastic waste into high-value chemicals. Once production is proven successful, it plans to expand globally.

Mosa Meat

Fundraised: €40M

Founder/s: Mark Post and Peter Verstrate

HQ: Maastricht, the Netherlands

Hiring status: No

Mosa Meat is a foodtech company that is on a mission to transform beef production. The company is expanding its capabilities to produce the same beef people love in a way that’s better for people, animals, and the planet. 

The Dutch company is committed to addressing climate and sustainability issues by producing beef with 100 per cent renewable energy. The company introduced the world’s first cultured beef hamburger in 2013, which was created directly from cow cells.

Eye Security

Fundraised: €36M

Founder/s: Job Kuijpers, Vincent van de Ven, Piet Kerkhofs

HQ: The Hague

Hiring status: Yes| Apply here

Eye Security is a startup specialised in protecting small and medium-sized European enterprises from cyber threats. The company’s service combines endpoint monitoring with awareness campaigns, a 24/7 incident response strategy, and cyber insurance. 

Currently, the company’s solution is used by hundreds of customers in sectors including automotive, manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, and information technology. 

EFFECT Photonics

Fundraised: €34.95M

Founder/s: Dr. Boudewijn Docter, Tim Koene-Ong

HQ: Eindhoven

Hiring status: Yes| Apply here

EFFECT Photonics is a spin-off from the Eindhoven University of Technology that specialises in crafting photonic chips that leverage light, not electricity, to transfer information.

The company offers compact integrated solutions using its proprietary technologies—Digital Signal Processing, Forward Error Correction, and Ultra-pure Light Sources. 

EFFECT Photonics’ focus is on affordability, scalability, and reliability to meet the challenges of 5G, access-ready coherent solutions, and cloud and cloud edge services.