Access to capital
If you're an investor looking for a country or city for your investment, availability of and access to capital is a critical factor. Rotterdam offers you a strong start-up infrastructure with co-working spaces, incubators, accelerators and innovations hubs, providing essential resources and access to funding. Our entrepreneurial community attracts venture capital firms and angel investors and supportive government policies, incentives and grants help to create a conducive environment for companies to thrive.
The Netherlands is not just planning for the future, but also investing in it. Between 2021 and 2025, the Dutch government has dedicated 20 billion euro to future-forward innovation through its National Growth Fund. Doing business in the greater Rotterdam area, there's several programs and initiatives that can help you access capital:
UNIIQ fund: UNIIQ is an investment fund focused on the proof-of-concept phase. UNIIQ provides entrepreneurs with seed capital to realize their plans and bridge the risky phase from concept to promising company.
IQ Capital Fund: investing with a long-term focus in innovative startups and scale-ups. These companies are characterized by a driven management and a clear growth strategy.
Energiic (Dutch website): the Energy Innovation Fund of South Holland, offering a wide range of financing instruments to create the right conditions to maximize the growth opportunities of innovative companies in the province of South Holland. The fund Energiic invests in companies that are ready to commercialize their proven energy innovation that either results in CO2 reduction and has a head office, R&D or production location in South Holland.
Port XL: the mission of PortXL is to accelerate innovative technologies for the green energy, maritime, logistics and process industry in port regions across the world. PortXL facilitates the signing of paid pilot contracts, leading to entrepreneurs validating their technology, while corporates can test the latest solutions at competitive prices.
Techleap.nl: Techleap.nl helps quantify and accelerate the tech ecosystem of the Netherlands, creating the optimal climate for tech companies to scale with programs and initiatives for improving access to capital, market and talent.
Seed and venture capital companies in the Rotterdam region include:
Addington Investment Group (early & late stage)
CNBB Venture Partners (early stage )
Eneco Ventures (early & late stage)
Graduate Entrepreneur Fund (early stage)
Infinity Recycling (early stage)
KPN Ventures (early & late stage)
Urban Impact Ventures (early stage)
Facts & Figures
AAA
The Netherlandscountry credit rating, by Standard & Poor’s, Moodys and Fitch#5
The NetherlandsEuropean Innovation Leader (2024) according to EC's European Innovation Scoreboard#3
The Netherlandsin Europe for Finance for start-ups and scale-ups, according to Global Innovation Index 2024 WIPO#1
The Netherlandsglobally in Venture Capital investments (2025), according to Dealroom
About us
We are the official Investment Promotion Agency for the Rotterdam region. From location advice and fact-finding trips to connecting you with partners and networks, we help you start and grow your business.
