Amsterdam-based Invest-NL, a Dutch national financing and development institution, announced on Thursday, September 21, that the Dutch government has launched a new initiative to protect companies of strategic importance against possible takeovers by unwanted owners.
A protection provision of €100M, announced during Budget Day by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate, has been created to support this mission. Invest-NL manages this financing.
It serves as an additional measure to the new legislation (Vifo) that came into effect in June 2023 to ensure national security in the face of risky takeovers.
Steps to mitigate potential threats
Although this provision and the law do not specifically target any countries, there is a rising concern about potential risks from regions such as Russia and China.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate has previously intervened through Invest-NL to safeguard strategically significant and innovative Dutch companies.
For instance, it intervened in the case of SMART Photonics and Twente LioniX to retain them in the Dutch ecosystem.
The facility is not exclusively intended for tech companies, but also for other strategically important sectors such as Defense, says the Dutch firm.
Invest-NL: Financing and development institution
Invest-NL is the Dutch national financing and development institution. As an impact investor, Invest-NL focuses on enabling financing for companies initially considered unfinanceable.
The Dutch firm focuses on critical societal challenges in collaboration with other financiers, investors, and development specialists in the public and private sectors.
It includes moving towards a carbon-neutral and circular economy, ensuring affordable and accessible healthcare, and supporting deep technological innovations.
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