Founded

Fresh February Fuel! 🔥 New month, new energy, and a newsletter packed with everything you need to kick things into motion: must-attend events, powerful programs, and an inspiring founder story. 💪🏻  Plus, check out the friendly faces that will help you to set and smash your next big milestone. 😉

𝟴𝟬% 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗱! 𝗕𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗳𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝗽𝗹𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 HANNOVER MESSE! 🫣 ⚡️ The biggest industrial trade fair in the world. 🌍𝟱,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗲𝘅𝗵𝗶𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀. 𝟮𝟬𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬+ 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀. Endless opportunities. Hannover Messe 2025 is where 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 come together to make the future of a 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲-𝗻𝗲𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆. It’s where businesses connect, deals get made, and the latest industry tech gets the spotlight. 𝙒𝙝𝙮 𝙟𝙤𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘿𝙪𝙩𝙘𝙝 𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣? • Showcase your solutions on a global stage. • Connect with industry pros, innovators, and decision-makers. • Gain visibility through the NL booth and a strong supporting program. • Expand internationally with expert guidance and networking opportunities. 🇳🇱 The Dutch mission provides premium positioning, full support, and exclusive access to a high-value ecosystem. The mission is already 𝟴𝟬% 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗱—so this is your last chance to get a spot❗️ Ready to make an impact at Hannover Messe from 31 March to 4 April? Sign up now and be part of the Dutch delegation! ➡️ https://lnkd.in/dWmQU3p8 Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) | Partner in Sustainable Development #HannoverMesse #Innovation #DutchMission #Tech #Networking

𝗛𝘂𝗴𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 Okke de Jonge, 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗗 𝟱𝟬, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱! 🎉 Talent shapes the future, and this year’s Het Financieele Dagblad's list highlights 50 young entrepreneurial minds in 2025 driving progress with their big ideas. ➡️ https://lnkd.in/dkFrsXiF Among them is Okke de Jonge the founder of BOXO I Herbruikbare verzendverpakkingen, from Leeuwarden - a mission-driven company changing the packaging industry. A well-deserved spot in the FD 50, recognising young entrepreneurs making the future. Keep leading the way, Okke, 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐬! 💪🏻🚀 #FD50 #BOXO #SustainableShipping #CircularEconomy #TalentForTheFuture

📖𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 | with 𝗡𝗨𝗧𝗧𝗘 𝗩𝗔𝗡 𝗕𝗘𝗟𝗭𝗘𝗡 Building a startup comes with a lot of uncertainty, tough decisions, and moments where nothing seems to go as planned. Sound familiar? You’re not alone. Take Nutte van Belzen MD (CC Diagnostics)—from juggling ER shifts to tackling cancer screening worldwide, his story proves that figuring things out along the way is part of the process. 💪🏻 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗼 𝗶𝘁? 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝟲 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗡𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗲’𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆: ✅"𝘿𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙖 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙪𝙧" – Stop talking, start doing. ✅"𝙂𝙧𝙖𝙗 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙡𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙤𝙧"– You don’t need everything figured out to start. ✅"𝙃𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪"– Letting go is a skill. Trust your team. ✅"𝙄𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙘 𝙙𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙚" – That’s when work doesn’t feel like work. ✅"𝙋𝙞𝙘𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙗𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚𝙨" – Sometimes, a detour gets you further. ✅"𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙮 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙙"– A no-nonsense mindset keeps you balanced. Every founder’s path looks different, but taking action, adapting, and staying sharp is what moves things forward. 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗡𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗲? Catch up here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/dsxZUxk8 #StartLessons #Entrepreneurship #BuildingStartups #TakeAction #StartupMindset #FounderTips

𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀: Jochem Hoekstra—a fresh face who has joined Founded, 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦s 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘱s and sprinting towards new founder wins. 😎 ------------------------ " I’m Jochem Hoekstra, a former professional athlete and entrepreneur. For a long time, my life revolved entirely around cycling, and when my cycling career came to an end, 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁. That’s what I love about the startup world—every startup treats their business like a top-level sport, 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹. In my role at Founded, I’m passionate about helping them achieve their goals! As a 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱, I will support you in 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦. Whether it’s through referrals in our network—connecting you with potential mentors, clients, or those who can validate your business, informing you about upcoming missions that can provide valuable opportunities, or offering support for anything else you may need. My goal is to provide you with the right connections, resources, and advice to help you become a leader in your market. I believe that founders always take the lead themselves—Founded plays a supportive role in their entrepreneurial journey, and I will help them with whatever they need along the way. 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗲—let’s explore how we can turn it into reality! " 👉🏻 Share your milestone at https://lnkd.in/e-wFUV5Y  📩 jochem@founded.in 📞 +31 6 41 68 70 63

Many founders delay going international, but as Tjarda Polderman points out—𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙡𝙮 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜. 𝙏𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 are one of the fastest ways to see if your product sticks, connect with the right investors, and take your startup to the next level! With Hello Tomorrow, HANNOVER MESSE Events, and GITEX EUROPE Berlin coming up, where will you go to validate, scale, and grow? 🌍🔥 More trade missions? ➡️ Check out events on Founded website 😎 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dKHkEaRZ #startups #growth #marketexpansion #founders #trademission #2025

𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗙𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗛𝗼𝘄 Elfsquad 𝗶𝘀 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 Jan Brolsma walked into a factory and felt like he’d time-traveled to the ‘80s—fax orders, outdated software, and inefficiency everywhere. Instead of accepting it, he built Elfsquad, now the Benelux market leader in CPQ software, scaling globally from 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱. But building a startup? 𝘍𝘢𝘳 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘴𝘮𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨. Stress, borrowing money from friends, and feeling like “living constantly before an important exam.” An 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗕𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 wasn’t just useful—it was survival. And while advisors kept nudging him to move to the south (Randstad), Jan saw strength in staying put: “𝘋𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩, 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩.” 𝗘𝗹𝗳𝘀𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝗺𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗱𝗮𝗺 𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗼𝗻 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗼 𝗯𝗶𝗴! 📖 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗲𝗯𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲: https://lnkd.in/dymgmZAM

𝘽𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙉𝙚𝙬𝙨: 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗩𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀 €𝟮𝟵𝟱,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗶𝗻 𝗙𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗕𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗕𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱-𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳!🔋 Future Tech Ventures (FTV) is backing Fused Button Battery with a €295,000 investment to bring their 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆 to a larger scale. The startup’s innovation? A built-in safety mechanism that neutralises the battery when exposed to bodily fluids, preventing chemical burns in children who accidentally ingest them. 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁:€295,000 from Future Tech Ventures. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀: Internal short circuit discharges the battery before harm can occur. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀: Prevents serious injuries that current safety labels fail to stop. 𝗕𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗶𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲: Pushing for EU policies that prioritize safer battery designs. 💬 Deepak H. Veeregowda, Ph.D., Investment Manager at FTV: "Warnings alone are not enough—FBB’s technology ensures no child’s safety depends on a label." Congrats Fused Button Battery!🎉 #BatterySafety #TechForGood #FutureTechVentures #FusedButtonBattery #ChildSafety

𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀—𝗯𝘆 Partnify. For many businesses, working together means endless email chains, scattered documents, and tools that don’t quite fit. Partnify, a Northern Dutch startup, saw the inefficiencies and built a platform that streamlines collaboration—helping 𝗦𝗠𝗘’𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘀 in sales, marketing, IT, and AI work more efficiently. With support from Rabobank and connections in the Northern startup ecosystem from Founded, they’ve been able to refine their platform and scale. Now, they’re looking beyond borders, with plans to expand to 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗴𝗶𝘂𝗺, 𝗚𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗮! 🔗 But this collaboration goes beyond just technology. It’s about 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄, 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆—making collaboration not just easier, but smarter. 📖 Read more about Partnify and what’s next: https://lnkd.in/dCHfaCGT #StartupGrowth #Collaboration #Partnify #Innovation #ScalingUp

𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙙? ChallengeBase 𝙞𝙨 𝙝𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙤𝙧! Some problems seem unsolvable—until the right people connect. ChallengeBase bridges the gap between companies with big challenges and startups with smart solutions. Now, the team (powered by NV NOM & Founded) is looking for a 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝑺𝒖𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒔𝒐𝒓 to 𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗵 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸. 🔎 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲? 𝗔 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 who thrives on bringing people together. Strong 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 & 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 skills (or the guts to step up). A structured, independent 𝗴𝗼-𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿. HBO/WO background + 𝟮-𝟯 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲. Fluent in 𝗗𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗵 & 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻? Shape a new initiative in the Northern Netherlands and work with 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽𝘀, 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. Room to grow as the team scales up. 📅 Apply before 𝗙𝗲𝗯 𝟳, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 | Interviews: 𝗙𝗲𝗯 𝟭𝟯 & 𝟮𝟬 Think this is your next challenge? 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗻𝗼𝘄!  ➡️ https://lnkd.in/d3N4sQyN  #innovation #startups #facilitation #jobs