
Employees in the Netherlands deserve to take charge of their careers. TwinQels was founded with this in mind. A platform for sustainable employability, where all 8 million workers in the Netherlands can go to work on their personal development in a pleasant way.
Co-founder Arjan Pruim: "Most people only worry about their personal development when they have to or want to quit their current job. That is actually only 5% of the group that should actually be moving. The goal of TwinQels is to give that entire group control over their careers. We want to let them discover what they are good at, what makes them happy and what the value of those things is in today's market."
With the interactive career platform, TwinQels aims to ensure that every working Dutch person has the opportunity to take a moment to reflect on their own career. In a number of different modules, employees look at their personal development and reflect on their careers
The challenge
To establish such a platform properly, you need money. It involved amounts that the founders could not cough up themselves, so they went looking for investors.
"Through our network, we first came to NOM. They quickly referred us to their colleagues at Flinc, a division of NOM where they guide entrepreneurs to become investor ready. We came there thinking we were almost ready for investors, but that soon turned out to be an illusion. Thanks to Flinc, TwinQels is now a lot more mature. When I look back on the whole process we went through together, I can only see what we were missing."
The solution
At Flinc we make sure you become investor ready. For example by helping you write a business plan. Indispensable if you want investors.
"The first thing they said to us at Flinc, after we told them what we wanted to do: all well and good, but where is your business plan? They pushed that quite a bit. We were also challenged all the time: have you thought about this? And this? Did you research this and that, put this and that on paper? Sometimes to the point of frustration, but apparently it was necessary to achieve the desired result."
Just as TwinQels wants to put workers in charge of their careers, Flinc has let the founders take charge of their company. By establishing a solid foundation, they are now ready for investors.
"Flinc helped TwinQels mature. The idea was already good, but many things around it could be better. That's why, among other things, we changed the positioning and established a B.V. and holding company. Flinc creates a perfect link between theory and practice when it comes to investments."
The result
Fortunately, the joint efforts were not without results. The first investors have signed a letter of intent, and through the network, the first informal investors are now coming to the table.
"We are very happy that Flinc helped us, because we find that it is now a lot easier to bring investors to the table. Not least because Flinc also gives us access to their extensive network. In addition, thanks in part to Flinc's support, we have now received a grant from SNN."
Other good news is that TwinQels may now welcome its first clients to the platform: "The pilot is almost running so we can further optimize our platform. After that, it's time for a big marketing offensive!"
Many start-up companies looking for investors quickly count themselves rich. Every entrepreneur is excited about his idea and expects to go a long way with it. Practice proves more recalcitrant.
And it is precisely with that practice that we at NOM help you move forward. With our extensive experience, we know exactly what needs to be done to become investor ready. Want to know more about it? Then read our white paper!
Do you need funding to make your innovative plans a reality? Contact Reno Minnema or Leonie Ebbes.