Where breakthroughs turn into companies that scale.
Building more global scale-ups in South Holland.
From 3,800 startups to 150 scale-ups: South Holland steps up to close the gap
The region of South Holland has everything it takes: talent, capital, research, and infrastructure. Yet when companies start to grow, that’s where complexity kicks in: hiring senior talent at speed, raising follow-on funding, finding customers that match your ambition, navigating regulation, and securing the space and infrastructure to actually scale.
The challenge isn’t the absence of these elements, but the fact that they don’t always connect when it matters, leaving founders to figure it out on their own, without easy access to peers who have been there before.
Founded in South Holland is here to change that.
For founders
If you’re building a company, you don’t need another list of programs. You need to know where to go next, who can actually help, and how others made it through. Founded in South Holland helps you navigate the system when things get complex.
For partners
If you’re part of the ecosystem, Founded in South Holland is not replacing what you do. It connects and amplifies it through clearer positioning, stronger collaboration, and more visibility for what works. As one collaborative system.
Join the community
Get in touch
Jorg Kop
Private Lead
Bram Spitzer
Public Lead
Frequently Asked Questions
No, Founded in South Holland is a shared regional effort that builds on existing regional strengths, successful collaborations and best practices across the ecosystem. As the ecosystem matures, the focus shifts from creating startups to helping more companies successfully scale. Founded in South Holland supports founders in navigating that increasingly complex growth journey.
Founded in South Holland originated from the EBZ Taskforce Startup & Scale-up and is developed together with public and private partners across the region, including InnovationQuarter, the Province of Zuid-Holland, Metropoolregio Den Haag Rotterdam (MRDH), Up!Rotterdam, municipalities across South Holland (Rotterdam, The Hague, Leiden, Delft) and leading knowledge institutions such as Erasmus University Rotterdam, TU Delft and Leiden University. Together, these partners are working to strengthen the regional ecosystem and improve the conditions for startups and scale-ups to grow internationally. Founded in South Holland is part of a broader movement. It connects to Founded.in, a platform active in the Northern Netherlands with the same mission: to help startups and scale-ups navigate the ecosystem and scale faster. Together, these efforts are building a stronger and more effective environment for founders across regions in the Netherlands.
The platform is being built step by step. What you’ll see here soon:
– Real stories of companies scaling in South Holland.
– Insights on where founders get stuck and what helps.
– A view of who does what in the ecosystem.
– Signals of where the region is gaining momentum.
By making the system clearer: who to talk to, where to go next, what actually works. And by helping the right connections happen faster. Also check out the ‘About us’ section.
Because the ingredients are already here: talent, research, capital, and ambition. The challenge is not starting companies but scaling them. When companies scale here, they anchor. They create high-impact jobs, build strong teams, and open new opportunities for the next generation. And when founders exit, they reinvest in new companies, in talent and in the ecosystem itself. The goal is to make South Holland a place where founders don’t have to leave to scale and choose to stay to build again.
By reaching out to Jorg Kop (Private Lead) or Bram Spitzer (Public Lead) or by leaving your details via the form ‘Join the community’. We’ll keep you in the loop and connect you to relevant peers.
adfhbadfbnfdbfn`gnd