From 3,800 startups to 150 scale-ups: South Holland steps up to close the gap

South Holland is one of Europe’s leading deeptech regions, but only a fraction of startups manage to successfully scale: out of more than 3,800 startups, only around 150 reach scale-up stage. The challenge is not only starting companies, but scaling them. That is where the pressure builds for CEOs: hiring senior talent fast, raising larger rounds with higher stakes, finding production space that doesn’t exist yet, dealing with permits, regulation and timelines that slow them down, and securing customers that match their ambition.

A different approach to scaling 

South Holland is stepping forward with Founded in South Holland that helps startups and scale-ups navigate the ecosystem and scale faster. Founded in South Holland shows what it really takes to scale a company in this region and what needs to change. By making existing strengths work together more effectively, it helps companies move faster when it matters most. This happens through targeted support around scaling challenges such as talent, capital and market access, while strengthening the connections across the broader startup and scale-up ecosystem.

As Scale-up CEO Stephan van Sint Fiet from Vivici has put it:

“The Netherlands has all the ingredients to build successful companies and lead, but it’s about combining those strengths, not working in silos. We’re grateful to be able to access this ecosystem, but as you move from startup to scale-up, the stakes get higher and the capital requirements grow. There’s still work to do to make sure scale-ups get the support they need.”

Making the system work when pressure is highest

“We see the same pattern again and again: the ingredients are here, but they don’t always connect in time. Founded in South Holland is about making sure that connection happens when it matters most.”

“Founded in South Holland draait om het zorgen dat die verbinding ontstaat op het moment dat het het hardst nodig is.”

South Holland already has the foundations for ambitious companies to grow: world-class research, strong access to capital, leading knowledge institutions and a dense network of innovation hubs and science parks. Founded in South Holland helps founders navigate that ecosystem more effectively, especially during the complex scaling phase where timing, access and coordination become critical.

Built on data and real insight into what drives growth, Founded in South Holland focuses on where companies get stuck and what helps them move forward. Particular attention is given to high-potential scale-ups that can create momentum for the wider ecosystem. Because when these companies break through, talent flows in, capital follows and new companies emerge. That is how a region strengthens its long-term economic position.

Connected beyond the region

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.

“Breakthrough can happen everywhere, but scaling isn’t. The difference is whether a system actually works when it matters. That only happens when the right things connect at the right moment, built from the reality of founders who are scaling.” – Bertwin Kampman, Director of Founded in the North.

Together, these initiatives are building a stronger and more effective environment for founders across regions in the Netherlands.

Creating a place where founders stay to build

When companies scale here, they create high-impact jobs, build strong teams, and open new opportunities for the next generation. And when founders go through successful exits, they often reinvest in new companies, talent and future generations of entrepreneurs. The ambition is to make South Holland a place where founders don’t have to leave to scale and choose to stay to build again.

“Het momentum in Zuid-Holland versnelt. We bewegen voorbij het bouwen van een goed verbonden innovatie-ecosysteem naar een volgende fase van volwassenheid: een ecosysteem dat wereldwijd talent, kapitaal en category leaders aantrekt. De uitdaging is niet langer het genereren van innovatie; het is het internationaal laten opschalen van meer bedrijven met de juiste timing, netwerken en groeikapitaal om hen heen.” — Lars Crama, CEO van InnovationQuarter.

Founded in South Holland brings together founders, operators and ecosystem builders to create more clarity around what scaling companies actually need and what needs to work better.

Want to stay close to what’s happening? Join the community and follow the development of Founded in South Holland foundedinsouthholland.com.

About Founded in South Holland

Founded in South Holland is not another program but a shared regional effort that builds on existing strengths, successful collaborations and best practices across the ecosystem. It’s the layer that makes the regional ecosystem work as one. 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.