The second edition of the Validation Track of the NOM Startup Program is also nearing completion, and supervisor Niels Palmers is positively surprised at the level of participating startups. 'In this group are startups that have a chance to make it, he says. 'What is especially striking is how eager to learn and open the founders are. They listen carefully to feedback, and translate it directly into action. You see that at the next meeting. That makes this group special. They immediately put theory into practice, and that's exactly how you move forward.'
IonIqs
Jasper Zuidervaart may just have struck gold with his Groningen-based startup, IonIqs. Or at least lithium. It’s all about recovering that critical metal—especially for batteries—from wastewater around lithium mines. “That, and we save an incredible amount of fresh water thanks to our patented electron membrane technology.” The principle works in the lab; a larger-scale pilot is set to take place next year, and according to the plan, global rollout will begin in 2028. The founder is certainly no stranger to scaling up a startup. In recent years, Zuidervaart has helped startups and has already accumulated 61 patent families himself. “Not all of the material in the Startup Program is new to me, but as a whole, it’s very worthwhile. I found the section on team dynamics particularly valuable once again.”
AI Foundation
A one-stop shop for small and medium-sized businesses of all kinds to get started with digital technology. That’s how Quinten Mulder defines his startup, AI Foundation. “We assess a company to identify opportunities. So we provide consulting services, but we also have a technical team behind us that can get to work right away. That might mean we use AI, but it could also mean we simply start with automation.” He sees that there’s a demand for his solution. “This is something many SME entrepreneurs don’t get around to doing themselves, even though they recognize its value.” Mulder realizes that one risk is wanting to move too fast with his startup. “That’s something I learned from the Startup Program, yes. You want to jump right into step 3, even though steps 1 and 2 aren’t properly completed yet. It’s important to stay focused and first clearly identify the customer’s problem, and only then develop a product that offers a solution. I’ve made good progress on that, and thanks to the program—where you also meet many other entrepreneurs—I now have a lot more tools at my disposal.”
MicroHealth
The bacteria in your gut have a huge impact on how you feel. Yet the importance of that microbiome is far from always recognized. And that’s actually strange, says Arezoo Shajiei-Schootsman. “I went through it myself. I had low energy and just didn’t feel well. I tried everything until someone pointed out the microbiome to me. Since then, everything has changed. And I want other people to experience that too. That’s the foundation of MicroHealth.” Her startup provides personalized advice based on artificial intelligence and scientific insights. “We have a test kit that allows us to analyze your gut microbiome in the lab.”
Because we also send along a questionnaire, we get insight into your way of life. Together with our AI, which is trained with data from LifeLines, among other things, we can give personalized advice on what you should eat more or less of.' The Startup Program brought her a lot. 'For example, the insight that it is essential to validate my product. I got the courage to interview a lot more people about what they're up against and how we can help.'
Egridz
Wind farms, solar farms, battery projects. It seems like there’s a lot going on everywhere. But what exactly is happening where? For entrepreneurs looking to get involved in (green) energy projects, that’s extremely valuable information. And that’s exactly what egridz offers. “I call it an online market information platform,” says founder Anu Mahabir. “We clearly map out where these projects are being developed, what stage they’re in, and who’s involved. That provides a more reliable and up-to-date picture of the landscape than what you’d normally have to gather from scattered sources.”
The Startup Program came at just the right time. "We have been in business for a year, deep in product development. We hit the brakes because of the program. We started to look more intensively at what the market really needs and put much more focus and priority in our approach. You are supported step by step in validating your problem definition and learn how to retrieve objective data from the market. The program gave us a professional push: go outside, into the market, have conversations. And daring to choose on that basis.' That approach paid off. Meanwhile, the first product is live and interest is growing from investors, project developers (even international ones), energy storage suppliers and partners.