Up together. Start-ups, scale-ups and established companies meet in the Northern Netherlands ecosystem. And that benefits everyone.
Bold cooperation. That’s definitely the term that sticks with you after the event about the ecosystem surrounding northern startups and scaleups. NOM and Founded organized this community event right before the annual NOM summer party. New and more seasoned entrepreneurs, investors, ecosystem builders, and experts on the local landscape gathered at the Molkfabryk in Burgum.
So, “Bold cooperation.” According to Google, that translates to: “Daring collaboration.” This generally refers to a proactive and ambitious approach to collaboration, often involving various stakeholders and aiming to make a significant impact. Joost Pâques (Paques Biomaterials) brought up the term during a panel discussion on the startup ecosystem in the Northern Netherlands. “Do we really want to accelerate here in the North? Then we need to collaborate even more. We need to open our doors, reach out to each other—including the government and the education sector. Then we’ll get things done, as long as we’re willing to share the pie.”
Validate
And if it’s anywhere that this could work, it’s here—that’s the reasoning. The Northern Netherlands has already come a long way when it comes to intensive collaboration and building a functioning ecosystem. Mariken Gaanderse, director of BeStart, has seen this for years. “I travel all over the Netherlands, but nowhere is it as good as it is here. We’re truly a frontrunner in this area. That’s why organizations from far away are getting involved here. They always faithfully make the trip to the North for BeStart’s meetings.”
So we can do quite a bit. The director of Founded in the North, Bertwin Kampman also sees that. ,,The foundation of our ecosystem around startups has really strengthened in recent years, yes. You can see that in the investment figures, for example. There we were lagging behind for years, but last year we reached the Dutch average.''
“The ecosystem is developing well, especially in specific areas,” says Niels Palmers. Among other things, he is a business developer at NOM and is responsible for the NOM Startup Program. “We’re particularly good at validation here. During the Startup Program, we come across some truly high-quality plans.”
Bold and brave
And yet there is still plenty to do, say the panelists. What the northern Netherlands especially needs is more opportunities to scale startups. That means more investment money, more expertise, more education and more short lines of communication. Bertwin Kampman: ,,On average, twenty percent of all startups in the Netherlands reach the scale-up phase. In the Northern Netherlands that percentage is just over ten. There is really a lot to be gained there.''
But how do we tackle that? By - there's the term again - being more bold and brave. By bringing entrepreneurship, potential and money together more and better. Mariken Gaanderse: ,,Working together is what we need to do. Unlock networks, facilitate meetings. And we can also shout a little louder about what is already good here.''
And also: learning from what is already there. Kampman sees an important role for successful founders. ,,That is always important in good ecosystems, that knowledge and expertise are given back. That way you also move toward a more "private-driven" ecosystem, and that's a good idea.''
Self made man
Back to Joost Pâques and his bold cooperation. In his line of business, that's the way to go. ,,We are developing a biological counterpart to plastic. This can only be a success if the entire value chain participates. Our product has to be extracted, but also produced, used and sold. We cannot do all that ourselves. Without cooperation you have nothing.''
Something similar applies to Enatom, explains founder Lusanne Tehupuring. “We’re developing something new with roots in the medical world and education. In those markets, building relationships is essential—and so is securing funding. That’s the value of a good ecosystem: knowing at any given moment where to turn and who to reach out to.”
Even for Eric Idema, a typical example of a self-made man, cooperation is desperately needed. His Easy Toys has grown in recent years from Veendam against the odds. ,,In the corona days it went completely crazy. We pretty much doubled in sales. That's when I enlisted the help of private equity. I did that not only to finance the growth, but also to help me grow the organization along with it.''
Feedback
An ecosystem is there for the greater sum of its parts. You can find advisors, contacts with investors, entry points to employees and more. Arezoo Shajiei-Schotsman recently started her startup MicroHealth from Groningen. ,,Yes, I benefit a lot from the support and advice from the ecosystem. Partly because of that, I am now in talks with several investors.''
Being open to good advice is essential. Lusanne Tehupuring deliberately gathered a strong advisory board around her. Eric Idema also listened to his people. ,,I concluded after I had been CEO for three years that the company needed something different. To strengthen the entire MT, it needed someone from whom my people could learn more than from me. So I stepped back. Excellent decision.''
Joost Pâques knows the situation. ,,In my opinion, you always have to think about whether you are still the right man or woman in the right place. As your company grows, the culture changes and people have to adapt, including yourself. So I think you should always be open to feedback. First of all from your own people, but also from contacts in your network, throughout the ecosystem.''