Amsterdam’s ecosystem for startups and scaleups has become sophisticated over the past years. According to the Startup Genome Project, the Netherlands has risen from the fifth to the third-best startup ecosystem in Europe.
In the past, we have mostly compiled lists of the startups that have raised funds for expansion or onboarding new talents. However, we have now compiled a list of Amsterdam-based companies from various sectors that were acquired or have strategically partnered with others to further expand their offerings.
Certain details of these startups such as founders’ names and founding year have been sourced from Dealroom.
VisionLabs
Founder(s): Alexander Khanin
Founded in: 2012
Acquired by: Mobile TeleSystems OJSC
VisionLabs claims to be one of the world’s leaders in pioneering new products based on computer vision and machine learning. The company’s software helps process data from more than 1.7 million cameras across the globe. It has executed more than 500 computer vision projects in 37 countries for more than 270 customers across the financial, telecommunications, retail, transportation, and power sectors.
Earlier this month, Intema, a subsidiary of MTS AI, signed an agreement to acquire a 100 per cent stake in VisionLabs for RUB 7B (approx €84.33M). The deal amount is subject to future performance-based metrics of VisonLabs over the next three years.
As a result of the deal, VisionLabs will become the largest asset in the portfolio of Intema, which was established by MTS AI as a new brand aimed at developing, launching, and marketing AI-based products on the global arena.
Intertrust
Founder(s): Shankar Iyer (Current CEO)
Founded in: 1952
Acquired by: CSC
Intertrust provides fund and corporate, capital market, and private wealth and employee benefit solutions to multinationals, fund managers, financial institutions, and business entrepreneurs worldwide. It operates through five segments: The Netherlands, Luxembourg, Jersey, Cayman Islands, and the rest of the world.
The firm’s corporate services include formation and implementation, domiciliation and management, legal administration, accounting and reporting, treasury management, performance and reward management, and escrow services; and fund services comprise fiduciary, legal administration, accounting and reporting, depositary, and escrow services, as well as risk and regulatory compliance services to hedge funds, private equity funds, and real estate funds.
Earlier this month, CSC, a provider of business, legal, tax, and digital brand services, announced the acquisition of Intertrust. By combining the strengths of the two businesses, CSC believes it will become the preferred partner to help companies manage their needs with a full suite of core and specialised services provided by industry experts and supported by a single-source technology platform.
Vivo Energy
Founder(s): –
Founded in: 2011
Acquired by: Vitol
Vivo Energy distributes and sells Shell and Engen fuels across 23 African markets. It operates a growing network of 2,400 gas stations. It is the company behind the Shell brand in Africa and is jointly owned by Vitol, Helios Investment Partners, and Shell. The company recently expanded its presence across the African continent. Last week it announced the opening of its 250th station in Kenya along with a national promotion programme.
In November 2021, commodities trader Vitol acquired Vivo Energy for approx $2.3B. With this, Vitol looks to take full control of the distributor of Shell- and Engen-branded fuels in Africa. Vitol, which is the top Vivo investor with a 36.1 per cent stake, will also buy out Helios, the second biggest shareholder.
Applied Risk
Founder(s): Jalal Bouhdada
Founded in: 2012
Acquired by: DNV
Applied Risk is focussed on critical infrastructure security and combating security breaches that pose a significant threat. The company provides a range of industrial control systems security solutions for its clients. It includes IACS security, ICS/SCADA security assessment and penetration testing, RVA assessment, embedded security assessment, medical devices security assessment, and IoT security assurance. The company offers its services to firms in the power, pharmaceutical, oil and gas, water, manufacturing, and chemical industries.
In early November, DNV, an assurance and risk management provider, announced the acquisition of Applied Risk. The two companies joined forces with an aim to build the world’s largest industrial cyber security practice, defending critical infrastructure against emergent cyber threats.
Entopic
Founder(s): Theo Hylkema, Hans Postma
Founded in: 2000
Acquired by: iO (formerly known as Intracto Group)
Entopic is a platform that creates concepts and content to increase the effectiveness of online communication, marketing, and sales. The company claims to be a specialised online content agency with over 20 years of experience. In 2020, Entopic had over 200 content professionals working for more than 150 clients.
Entopic founders believe iO is the perfect fit for their next step even though the acquisition means that they need to say goodbye to Entopic. The founders said, “We notice a growing demand among our clients for an agency that, in addition to content, can provide support and advice across multiple fields of expertise. For a few years now, we’ve been working with other agencies that specialise in technology or marketing, for instance, in order to fill that demand. Within iO, our clients can find all services under one roof. And we have the opportunity to help our clients even better.”
Office App
Founder(s): Thijs van der Burgt
Founded in: 2014
Acquired by: HqO
Office App is a proptech and CRE tech company focused on tenant and employee experience. It provides landlords and corporations with a digital platform to create future-proof, sustainable, and people-focused office spaces.
Since its inception, the company has been digitally transforming workspaces, changing the landscape of the modern office and giving office workers everywhere access to the tools, services, and perks they need to live, work, and be happy. It is currently active in 20 million square feet divided over 100+ offices in 24 countries.
In October 2021, US-based end-to-end tenant experience platform for commercial real estate properties HqO, acquired Office App. The acquisition will help both companies to accelerate product development and continue to provide better services and solutions to commercial landlords and property teams. Moreover, the Office App acquisition will help HqO increase its European footprint and accelerate product development to better support its customers.
Mycapa.city
Founder(s): Thomas Vles, Farbod Saraf
Founded in: 2020
Acquired by: Orderli
Mycapa.city is a free web app that offers catering businesses the opportunity to get the maximum occupancy out of their business following legal guidelines. This way, the app prevents extra interaction at the door and allows users to scan the free capacity of a bar or cafe on site and make a reservation immediately.
In September, Orderli, which offers a digital menu for restaurants, acquired Mycapa.city for a symbolic amount of €1. With the deal, Orderli looks to cement its position in the Netherlands and expand its offering to other markets. Orderli will maintain and develop Mycapa.city’s software and take care of its customers.
Primephonic
Founder(s): Veronica Neo
Founded in: 2014
Acquired by: Apple
Primephonic was a direct response to the urgent challenges and opportunities existing within the classical music industry. With the platform, the Dutch company sought to reinvent the digital classical music experience and reignite a global passion for the genre.
In August 2021, with an aim to expand Apple Music, tech giant Apple acquired Primephonic. With this deal, Apple Music subscribers got an improved classical music experience beginning with Primephonic playlists and exclusive audio content. Primephonic subscribers also received six months of Apple Music for free, providing access to hundreds of thousands of classical albums.
ViriCiti
Founder(s): Alexander Schabert, Freek Dielissen, Jan-Willem Heinen, Simon Rijk
Founded in: 2012
Acquired by: ChargePoint
ViriCiti offers a cloud-based monitoring system to improve electric vehicle operations. From energy management to maintenance, ViriCiti’s solution provides in-depth insights tailored to each fleet’s needs. The company operates in the US and Europe for public transit with over 150 vehicle OEMs and fleet operators.
In August 2021, ViriCiti was acquired by an EV charging network operator ChargePoint, for approximately €75M in cash. According to ChargePoint, ViriCiti will enhance its fleet solution portfolio of hardware, software, and services by integrating information sources to optimise electric fleet operations. It includes battery management, charging station monitoring, OEM-agnostic telematics, vehicle maintenance, and vehicle operations data.
TraceDock
Founder(s): Boris Schellekens, Jaap Breeuwer
Founded in: 2019
Acquired by: CM.com
TraceDock provides software that enables companies to collect first-party data from website visitors, even without cookies if necessary. The company claims that it has active users in the Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany. The company’s software is used by more than 500 websites and customers like HEMA, VanMoof, Simpel, NS, the Dutch Chamber of Commerce, Corendon, and Independer use TraceDock for accurate reports of website traffic.
In July 2021, CM.com acquired TraceDock to help its customers further optimise their contact with unknown website visitors. The deal will also help CM.com to contribute towards enriching its Mobile Marketing Cloud and allow online marketers to make an improvement in its entire customer journey.
Vamp.io
Founder(s): Hermen Heinen, Olaf Molenveld, Tim Nolet
Founded in: 2013
Acquired by: CircleCI
Vamp.io, formerly known as Magnetic.io, is a StartupBootcamp alumnus and offers a release management solution that simplifies container technology-based software delivery and speeds up business operations. It works with companies that continuously need to release, validate, and optimise new versions of their software. The platform’s Canary and auto-scaling features enable developers and business teams to deliver higher-quality software in less time. Vamp partners include Microsoft, Mesosphere, and Docker.
CircleCI acquired Vamp.io in May 2021. According to CircleCI, combining Vamp’s release orchestration capabilities with CircleCI’s CI/CD platform was transformative for engineering teams amid a growing need for increased change validation in the industry.
24Sessions
Founder(s): Konstantin Goncharuk, Rutger Teunissen
Founded in: 2015
Acquired by: MessageBird
24Sessions is the video-first customer engagement platform that allows companies to connect with customers via embedded mobile video interactions. It does this through a suite of appointment scheduling, secure video-calling, and AI analytics technology.
The company has a customer base in the financial services industry and public sector, as it offers a secure, “feature-rich” solution for personal customer engagement at scale. In addition, it also serves enterprises in the insurance and utility sector.
Earlier this year in March 2021, MessageBird acquired 24sessions and will be offered to customers as part of MessageBird’s omnichannel suite. The entire staff of 24sessions – 45 people – were absorbed by MessageBird post-acquisition.
PayPlaza
Founder(s): Edgar Antonio Plasa
Founded in: 2010
Acquired by: CM.com
PayPlaza connects partners to its POS Gateway, POS, and mobile-POS terminal devices and serves large retailers such as Zeeman, and Dutch government departments such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In early March 2021, CM.com acquired PayPlaza for €10M (excluding a capped earn-out). The deal helped CM.com to merge its payments solutions with PayPlaza’s technology, thereby offering its existing and new customers quick access to additional payment options from one single platform.
SignRequest
Founder(s): Geert Jan Persoon, Michaël Krens, Nick Dessens
Founded in: 2014
Acquired by: Box Inc
SignRequest helps users sign documents through its online platform. It offers an e-signature tool that can be integrated with other enterprise tools, including Salesforce, Google Drive, Zapier, and Dropbox.
In February 2021, Cloud content management company Box Inc acquired SignRequest for $55M (then, for approx €45.6M). With the help of SignRequest’s team and technology, Box developed Box Sign, it’s e-signature capabilities integrated into Box.
Hubs
Founder(s): Bram de Zwart, Brian Garret, Filemon Schöffer
Founded in: 2013
Acquired by: Protolabs
Hubs (formerly known as 3D Hubs), is an online manufacturing platform that offers engineers with on-demand access to a global network of manufacturing services including CNC machining, 3D printing, injection molding and sheet metal fabrication. Through the platform, users can upload their design, instantly receive a quote, and start production.
In January 2021, digital manufacturing leader Protolabs, acquired Hubs for $280M (then, nearly €231M) and $50M (then, approx. €41.2M) for performance-based targets.
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