English//2 min read/published
Something interesting is happening around The Hague and South Holland.
Something interesting is happening around The Hague and South Holland. And at the same time, something is clearly missing. We have strong universities. Ser...
Human-Centered AIHuman-Centered AIEthical TechnologyStartup EcosystemsInnovationFundraising
Original source: Google Docs import
- Something interesting is happening around The Hague and South Holland.
- And at the same time, something is clearly missing.
- We have strong universities.
- Serious tech domains like AI, cybersecurity, biotech, energy.
- International talent constantly arriving.
- Public funding, initiatives, “innovation programs”.
- But still… it doesn’t feel like a connected system for international founders.
- People sometimes don’t even know what others on the same floor are working on. And for startups, that kind of isolation kills speed.
- Dutch knowledge compartmentalisation works for traditional services. For startups trying to move fast and simplify things, it slows everything down.
- If you look at ecosystems that actually work, they don’t rely on just one thing.
- Not just accelerators.
- Not just events.
- Not just government programs.
- They create density of everything:
- * Places where founders meet physically
- * Events that happen every week or every month, not once a year
- * Clear entry points for international founders, including how the local system works
- * Programs that are visible and connected, not isolated
- * Investors who trust the system and don’t need to babysit every deal
- Right now in this region:
- Ecosystems feel fragmented
- Initiatives don’t really talk to each other
- International founders don’t have a clear landing flow
- A lot of energy is lost between cities instead of being multiplied
- And this is exactly where the opportunity is.
- Imagine if, for example, Zoetermeer becomes a real startup entry point.
- Delft keeps pushing deep tech and engineering all around the region.
- Leiden anchors biotech and life sciences. Rotterdam drives international scale and industry.
- And instead of competing, they operate as one system. As international founders see it.
- Not theory. Just execution.
- Monthly, weekly founder events.
- Quarterly international flows.
- Real collaboration between hubs.
- Clear programs from idea to scale.
- One shared narrative for the region.
- This is not about more events or another program.
- It’s about making the region actually work as an ecosystem for founders, local development and investments.
- I’m spending a lot of time thinking about this and discussing that with likeminded people.
- If you run a hub, program or fund, work with startups or talent, or presented in municipality, education or corporate, let’s talk.
- Also thinking actively about how this could connect to a VC layer and new fund structures, so if you’re exploring similar ideas, feel free to DM or jump on a call:
- https://zcal.co/axlindholm/1hour
- #Startups #Ecosystem #TheHague