Today the official launch of Invest-NL will take place in Amsterdam in the presence of Ministers Wopke Hoekstra (Finance) and Eric Wiebes (Economic Affairs and Climate). Invest-NL, as a private company led by Wouter Bos, will finance companies that make the Netherlands more sustainable and innovative. With a share capital of 1.7 billion euros, Invest-NL's focus at the start will be on energy transition and innovative fast-growing companies (scale-ups).
Within energy transition, Invest-NL focuses particularly on electrification and energy, circularity, agrifood and the built environment. For innovative scale-ups, the focus is mainly on industrial technologies. Invest-NL wants to broaden the market and make fundable what seems unfundable. Besides taking high risks, Invest-NL uses long maturities and is able to invest large amounts. When funding, Invest-NL puts impact first: no funding without impact.
More venture capital available
Market parties in the Netherlands struggle to finance major societal transitions. They face policy and technology challenges, the multiplicity of stakeholders and the fragmentation of initiatives with relatively high learning and transaction costs. In addition, various studies show that relatively less venture capital is available for young fast-growing companies in the Netherlands compared to, for example, Germany, the United Kingdom or the US.
Finally, it appears that Dutch companies to date benefit less from European investment funds and facilities. Other European countries have national funds and/or banks for this purpose through which they make venture capital available to companies in their own country. With Invest-NL, the Netherlands now has its own comparable fund.
Based on research, Invest-NL has decided to make funding scale-ups and the energy transition its highest priority now. This is also in line with parliamentary statements on the subject. On Invest-NL's website (invest-nl.nl), entrepreneurs and financiers can find out whether their business plan is eligible for funding by Invest-NL based on five questions.
Firm ambitions
Wouter Bos, CEO Invest-NL: "As Invest-NL we have firm ambitions: we want to quadruple the amount of venture capital for the energy transition in five years. Young innovative companies must be able to grow successfully as often as in Germany and England. This means we have to do twice as well as we do now."
Wopke Hoekstra, Minister of Finance: "I am very proud of what we are creating here. It is not often that the state establishes a state participation. And with an important goal: with Invest-NL's activities we strengthen our innovative economy and contribute to the transition to a sustainable society."
Eric Wiebes, Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate: "With Invest-NL we show that with the big changes around energy and climate there is also money to be made. Invest-NL's funding and development power help innovative companies get started and contribute to new jobs and the growth of Dutch economy."