The Netherlands climbs to 13th place among the world’s top-performing startup ecosystems: Startup Genome Report

The Netherlands climbed to 13th place in the world’s top-performing startup ecosystems, a one-place improvement from last year, says the Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER), launched today by Startup Genome and Techleap at London Tech Week.

“A structural investment in the Dutch tech sector is necessary because startups offer innovative solutions to challenges in areas such as climate and healthcare. Moreover, they serve as the job engine of the future,” says the report.

“The Netherlands has managed to maintain its strong position as a tech ecosystem. It shows that we are still an attractive country for tech talent and that we are moving in the right direction with a focus on deep tech, encouraging more investments, and fostering a strong entrepreneurial community,” says Constantijn van Oranje, special envoy of Techleap.

“At the same time, we are not blinded by this relative success because we see that we are falling behind in several crucial value chains due to a lack of money, people, electricity, and focus. To compete on a European and global scale and make a greater social and economic impact, our tech companies will have to grow faster.”

Here are the key takeaways:

Dutch startup ecosystem generate $96B

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

It represents a significant 32 percent growth compared to the previous period (July 2019 – December 2021), adds the report.

Scores high in performance

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.

It ranks among the top 20 ecosystems worldwide when considering research and patents.

Factors like the Startup Visa and residence permits for startup staff are key reasons for relocating a startup to the Netherlands.

Life Sciences, Agrifood, and Semiconductors

The report also confirms the Netherlands’ high performance in life sciences, agrifood, and semiconductors as is evidenced in talent density, supportive resources, and startup activities in these fields.

For example, the 30 per cent scheme plays a prominent role in attracting talent from abroad.

Investments in Deep Tech and AI are on the rise globally.

There were fewer investments globally in 2023, though the deeptech industry saw an increase in its share of investments.

Additionally, there was a surge in investments in generative AI, which tripled to nearly $200B over the past year.

Silicon Valley tops the list

Silicon Valley remains the top-performing startup ecosystem, followed by New York City and London (tied for second place).

London is the only European ecosystem to outperform the Netherlands, which ranks ahead of Paris (14th place) and Berlin (15th place).

It means that Europe has only one ecosystem in the top 10, which is an alarming signal.

Globally, Miami is the most notable climber, moving up seven places to 16th position.

Techleap: What you need to know

Techleap is a non-profit organisation subsidised by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy. 

It aims to accelerate the growth of Dutch tech startups and scale-ups.

Together with the government and other stakeholders, the organisation promotes the environment for technology companies to scale up faster by gathering and sharing knowledge, improving the conditions in the field of valorisation, financing, talent, and market access, and by strengthening an inclusive community of tech entrepreneurs.