Thirteen Rotterdam-based startups have been included in the 2025 KvK Innovation Top 100, a ranking of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Netherlands.
The selected companies operate in sectors such as agriculture, energy, circular economy, health, and digital technology.
The KvK Innovation Top 100 is managed by the Kamer van Koophandel (KvK), the Dutch Chamber of Commerce. The initiative evaluates SMEs on innovation through a combination of expert jury assessments, which account for 80 per cent of the ranking, and public votes, which account for 20 per cent.
This year, companies without revenue are eligible to participate. The platform provides exposure and recognition that can help startups attract investors or partners.
Awards include five categories covering circular economy, energy transition, labour market and society, agriculture, and water and infrastructure, along with an overall winner and five Innovation Promise Awards for early-stage companies.
Voting for the 2025 Top 100 is open until October 21. Winners will be announced on November 14 at the KvK Business Days at the Jaarbeurs in Utrecht.
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13 Utrecht-based startups made it to the list
Thirteen startups based in Utrecht are included in the 2025 KvK Innovation Top 100. These companies operate in various sectors and are recognised for their products, services, and business concepts.
Check them out below!
Radarxense
Category: Agriculture, Infrastructure and Water
Radarxense designs and builds low-power radar systems that work from start to finish within one setup. The system serves as a full replacement for induction loops at traffic lights. It runs on solar power and connects through a 4G network without using cables.
The radar can be installed in about 15 minutes and does not require closing roads. It connects to existing infrastructure and costs less than one-fifth of the price of replacing an induction loop. The system detects vehicles, measures speed, identifies traffic types, and sends this information through the cloud to traffic control systems.
Faqta
Category: Labour Market and Society
Faqta supports teachers and schools through a learning platform that connects subjects within a unified curriculum. The system links themes such as world orientation, citizenship, digital literacy, geography, and reading comprehension, reducing preparation time and improving classroom flow.
Founded with a technology focus and shaped by teacher feedback, Faqta combines digital tools, interactive materials, and printed resources in one platform. Its approach unites lesson content, teaching methods, and technology to match everyday school use.
Ink Invent
Category: Labour Market and Society
RheoLight Crystal Glass Pigments, developed by Ink Invent, are glass-based paint additives made of small spherical particles. They are used in paints for vehicles and infrastructure to enhance visibility through retroreflection, where light returns to its source. This feature can now be applied in thin paint layers, expanding its use beyond traditional reflective materials.
Combined with the Visibility Label system, RheoLight enables retroreflection in coatings thinner than 5 microns and is adaptable to any design. The Visibility Label introduces a standardised A+ to G rating for visibility, supporting the VisibilitySavesLives.org initiative.
Adding RheoLight to paint increases visibility for people, cameras, and LiDAR systems without altering colour. The product integrates easily into current paint production, allowing direct use in existing manufacturing processes.
Leermaatje
Category: Labour Market and Society
Leermaatje is an online reading platform that uses AI to help primary school children improve reading skills through personalised content.
Parents and teachers can create reading texts based on a child’s interests or classroom themes. Children then practice reading with AI assistant Lau, who provides feedback, guidance, and encouragement to support progress and confidence.
The platform combines technology, education, and creativity to offer reading experiences that match each child’s world.
BikeFlip
Category: Circular economy
BikeFlip offers a circular subscription service for children’s bikes that includes home delivery, exchange, and repair. The goal is to reduce unused bikes and shift the focus from ownership to shared use, creating benefits for families and the environment.
To extend each bike’s lifespan, BikeFlip uses sandblasting and powder coating—a process that renews the bike’s frame, protects it from wear, and prepares it for reuse.
Kairos Furniture
Category: Circular economy
Kairos Furniture designs and produces modular sofas built for durability and reuse. The company focuses on local production with social partners and aims to scale through a steward-ownership model that preserves its social and environmental mission.
Each sofa is modular, meaning every part can be replaced or adjusted. This design reduces waste and extends the product’s life. The company uses sustainable materials such as recycled fabrics and Dutch sheep wool, and each sofa includes a materials passport and a buy-back option to promote reuse.
Kairos combines social impact, sustainability, and practicality in its products. The sofas are made for everyday use and are adaptable to different life situations. Customers can modify or repair their sofas—such as changing covers or switching the layout—so the furniture remains functional and relevant over time.
Sealed Cycle
Category: Circular economy
Sealed Cycle develops AI-driven solutions to support waste reduction. The company uses cameras and AI to guide people in schools, hospitals, and offices to correctly separate waste, helping organisations meet sustainability targets and lower disposal costs.
Its main product, Waste Assist, combines a camera, AI, and a light bar to show users which bin to use. The system works instantly through fast hardware and can be easily attached to different waste bins with a magnetic mount, allowing flexible use across locations.
Sealed Cycle focuses on changing behaviour through interaction with Waste Assist, encouraging lasting improvements in waste habits. The company also refines its AI model continuously, ensuring accurate waste recognition.
Delta21
Category: Energy transition
Delta21 is a multifunctional concept designed for the southwestern delta, addressing water safety, energy storage, and nature restoration.
At the Haringvliet estuary, it combines a dune row, a closable barrier, and a pumping station to form a flood barrier that creates a lake of around 20 km². The pumping station manages high river water levels, while the dunes and barrier protect against seawater surges.
The broader Delta21 plan includes a Valmeer and a Tidal Lake covering 100 km². The Valmeer stores energy (34 GWh) and water (1,100 million m³), while the Tidal Lake supports fish migration, biodiversity, tourism, and safe shipping. Energy is stored using fish-friendly Archimedes pump turbines when supply exceeds demand and released when needed.
The system’s large pumping capacity (>10,000 m³/s) also mitigates flooding in areas such as Rotterdam and Dordrecht.
Smart Fire Technologies
Category: Energy transition
Smart Fire Technologies specialises in fire safety for mobile applications using lithium-ion batteries. The company provides expert advice and wireless detection systems to support safe energy use.
Its Fire-Track system detects early signs of battery issues in vehicles, boats, and aircraft. The system combines sensors with real-time GPS tracking, allowing emergency services to respond quickly. Cloud-based monitoring provides continuous visibility of asset location and status.
Unlike traditional smoke detectors that react after a fire starts, Fire-Track identifies anomalies before smoke or flames appear. This early detection, combined with real-time location, enables timely intervention, reducing the risk of damage or injury and allowing assets to be moved safely.
Withthegrid
Category: Energy transition
Withthegrid develops technology to create a connected and resilient energy infrastructure. Its two main products are the Teleport Gateway and the Asset Monitoring Platform (AMP).
The Teleport Gateway is a local energy management system that links renewable energy sources—such as solar panels, wind turbines, batteries, and charging stations—to the cloud. This allows grid operators and energy suppliers to control assets through a single API, optimise local energy use, and integrate more renewable energy into the grid. The system also helps companies expand without waiting for larger grid connections.
The AMP is an IoT solution that provides real-time insight into the condition of grid components. It helps operators monitor assets, detect anomalies, and plan maintenance. The Teleport Gateway simplifies the connection of multiple energy assets while maintaining secure, reliable local control, acting as a neutral interface between physical installations and energy suppliers.
MaGie Creations
Category: Health and Nutrition
MaGie Creations processes brewing grain, a major by-product of breweries, into food ingredients instead of using it for animal feed or biomass. This keeps food resources within the human food chain.
Their product, PowerBond, is a clean-label emulsifier made from brewer’s spent grains. It can replace synthetic emulsifiers like E274e in foods such as bread. Using brewing grain as a food-grade emulsifier is uncommon, and PowerBond provides effective performance while maintaining a grain-based, clean-label solution.
Phase2 System
Category: Health and Nutrition
Phase2 System is an electronic patient record (EPR) designed for mental healthcare. The founders created it to reduce the administrative burden that consumes nearly 40 per cent of practitioners’ time.
The system uses AI to capture information during sessions and convert it into structured documents, cutting administrative work in half. It integrates calendars, client files, invoices, and e-health tools in one platform, removing duplicate data entry and switching between programs. The platform adapts to different roles, such as psychologists, psychiatrists, or social workers, customising task lists and notifications.
Phase2 System is the first in the Netherlands to integrate AI from the design phase and is built on the HL7 FHIR standard for compatibility with other healthcare systems.
Verne Health
Category: Health and Nutrition
Verne Health develops healthcare technology focused on improving care for both patients and providers. Its mission is to make healthcare accessible and sustainable by supporting providers in decision-making and enabling patients to track and manage their own health.
The Verne EHR platform allows physiotherapists and patients to collaborate on patient records. Patients can monitor their progress, while providers access structured electronic records. AI and automation reduce administrative tasks by around 70 per cent, freeing providers to focus on care.
Verne Health’s platform is open-source and fully API-based, designed for integration with other healthcare systems. It combines triage tools, real-time data processing, and automated administration to streamline workflows and support more effective patient care.
Showcasing Dutch SMEs
The Kamer van Koophandel (KvK) is the Chamber of Commerce in the Netherlands. It operates as an independent administrative body, providing information, advice, and support to businesses. The KvK also manages the Commercial Register.
One of the KvK’s initiatives is the KvK Innovation Top 100. For 20 years, this platform has highlighted innovations from Dutch businesses. Companies such as tampon brand Yoni Care and clothing brand Labfresh have participated in the past. Starting this year, startup entrepreneurs without revenue can also join the Top 100.
The KvK Innovation Top 100 presents innovations from SMEs in the Netherlands. Since its inception, the platform has listed 1,900 products and services, and it will highlight 100 new innovations in the coming year.
The award does not include a monetary prize. Its value lies in demonstrating the capabilities of Dutch SMEs and providing recognition in the innovation sector.
