Up!Rotterdam Podcast: Recent Episodes
Up!Rotterdam
This is the Up!Rotterdam podcast. Showcasing the vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem of Rotterdam - and our journey to support the founders responsible. Hosted by Lars Crama.
Crijn Bouman is a pioneer in EV charging. In 2005 - long before EVs were a hype - he co-founded Epyon, one of Europe’s first fast-charging startups. That company later sold to ABB, where he grew their EV charging business in over 50 countries.
In 2019, he founded Rocsys, making EV charging fully autonomous through a smart combination of Computer Vision, Soft Robotics and AI. With offices in the Netherlands and Portland, Rocsys serves fleet operators: From automated trucks in the port of Rotterdam to robotaxis in the streets of San Francisco.
He’s a man on a mission — and if all goes to plan, one day he’ll fall asleep in a robotaxi in Rijswijk and wake up in St. Tropez.
In this episode, we'll talk about:
- Picking the right niche to serve a future market;
- Selling your startup to a corporate… and coming back for round two.
- How to build a team across two continents, to scale in Europe and the US
Links mentioned:
- People: Crijn Bouman, Hans Streng, Ras Lalmy, Parya Lotfi, Herbert ten Have, Job Nijs
- Companies: ROCSYS, EPYON, ABB, TU Delft, Source, Meatable, Revolut, Ampelmann, Rivion
- Books: Clayton Christensen - Innovators Dilemma, James Collins - Good to grade, Andrew Growth - High Output Management
- Other: www.hackyourcareer.com, Daft Punk - Giorgio by Moroder
Marta spent over a decade backing startups as a VC. Now, she’s on the other side of the table, scaling Paebbl across Europe - balancing deep-tech innovation, manufacturing at scale, and a fast-growing team. She’s building a company that could change the way we build the world. A serial migrant, obsessed with frameworks, and here to share her story.
In this conversation, we’ll cover Martha's journey:
- What did she learn going from investor to founder?
- What’s it really like scaling a deep-tech startup that has to build factories instead of just writing code?
- And… why did she ignore investors who told her co-CEOs don’t work?
Links mentioned:
- People: Marta Sjogren, Andreas Saari, Constantijn van Oranje-Nassau, Pol Knops
- Companies: Paebbl, Techleap, Slush, Upstream Festival
- Other: Finder, Paebbl Showcase, Oura ring, Vacancies at Paebbl, Queen - Under Pressure
Marjolein is a driving force for digital well-being and responsible tech. In 2022, she left a successful career as a lawyer, mediator, and privacy expert to launch ChatLicense, helping families navigate responsible use of smartphones.
What started as a simple idea quickly became a fast-growing company, blending digital literacy with real-world impact. From pitching a wireframe at CES to winning startup competitions from Rotterdam to Silicon Valley, ChatLicense has built serious momentum.
Today, with support from telco operators and local governments, parents and kids across the country use ChatLicense to build healthier digital habits.
In this episode, we'll talk about:
- Why we must educate kids on the use of smartphones
- How to create your own luck through serendipity
- The Dynamics of Co-Founders and Team Evolution
Links mentioned:
- People: Marjolein van Tilburg, Martine de Leeuw, Marie-José van den Boomgaard, Marc Padberg, Liesje Goldschmidt
- Companies: ChatLicense, Microlab Rotterdam, Tekkoo
- Other: NL Startup Competition, Upstream Festival, Mobile World Congress Barcelona, Erasmus University Challenge, Frank Sinatra - That’s Life
Philip co-founded Senz in 2005 with two fellow students. Together they created the 'original storm umbrella' that - pun intended - took the world by storm.
Later on, Philip joined sleep startup Somnox and coached scale-up founders to implement Rockefeller Habits. With his latest venture - Rotterdam Factoring - he is on a mission to become the largest factoring company in the Netherlands, with no more than 10 people on staff.
In this episode, we'll cover:
- How an innovative storm umbrella - took the world by storm;
- Rockefeller Habits as a framework for growth
- How to become a Market Leader with no more than 10 employees
Links mentioned:
- People: Philip Hess, Julian Jagtenberg, Verne Harnish, Erik Rutten, Lieke Huisinga
- Companies: Senz, Philips Innovation Awards, Somnox, Rotterdam Factoring, KNAB Bank
- Other: Rockefeller Habits, OnlyFans Productivity per Employee
- Media: Opgezwolle - Volle Kracht
Kiki leads Thorizon, a revolutionary deeptech company backed by the EU, creating thorium-based molten salt reactors. Thorizon was founded by Lucas Pool and Sander de Groot as a spin-off from the national nuclear research institute of the Netherlands. In 2023, Kiki bemame the CEO. With an Aerospace Engineering degree from TU Delft and an MBA from INSEAD, her journey spans McKinsey, Bol.com, and now the ambitious goal of launching Thorizon’s first reactor.
In this episode, we'll talk about:
- Kiki’s leap from corporate to leading a nuclear energy scale-up,
- The potential of molten salt reactors in changing nuclear perceptions,
- The highs and lows of partnerships, funding, and the “nuclear renaissance.”
Links mentioned:
- People: Kiki Lauwers, Lucas Pool, Sander de Groot, Andrew Buskens, Nima Salami, Jos Lazet, Daan Giesen, Rinke Zonneveld
- Companies: Thorizon, Bol.com, McKinsey, OasysNow, Blockrise, LessonUp, InvestNL
- Media: EU endorsement Thorizon One molten salt reactor
- Other: Slush Helsinki, European Alliance on Small Modular Reactors, Careers at Thorizon, Hackyourcareer.com, DJ F.R.A.N.K. - The One and Only
Jouri is the founder and CEO of Pieter Pot, one of the most talked-about startups in the Netherlands.
The online supermarket, known for using jars instead of plastic packaging, experienced rapid growth since its launch in 2019, raising €12.5 million in capital. However, in 2022, the company encountered financial troubles, and despite a takeover, faced what seemed like a final blow at the end of 2023 when it went bankrupt. Now, in 2024, Pieter Pot is back in the startup phase with a new round of crowdfunding. As always, Jouri remains determined to make it a success.
In this episode, we'll talk about:
- Driving system change through business;
- Going from growth to getting acquired to bankruptcy to a rebirth;
- The difference between revenue and profitability;
- How to push forward as a founder
Links mentioned:
- People: Jouri Schoemaker, Michiel Muller,
- Companies: Pieter Pot, Albert Heijn, Jumbo, Picnic, OnlyFans, Nederlands Kampioenschap Risk, Ekoplaza, Kraft Heinz, Tivoli Utrecht, Anduvi = NVIDIA
- Other: Crossroads, Startup Utrecht
- Media: Systeem op de Schop Podcast, Crowdfunding Explanation Video (scroll down), De Ondernemer - De Pieter Potcast, M83 - Outro
Jos is a passionate entrepreneur who started his journey early, registering his first business at the age of just 15. In 2013 he got involved in Bitcoin and became captivated by its transformative potential. While pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, his fascination with blockchain led him to found Blockrise, where he now serves as CEO. Today Blockrise is a trusted partner to prominent individuals, corporations and family offices who want to have complete control over their digital assets.
In this episode, we'll talk about:
- innovating in the financial sector
- the future of cryptocurrency as an asset class and
- the opportunities that lie ahead in this rapidly evolving space
Links mentioned:
- People:Jos Lazet, Jasper Hu (CTO),
- Companies: BlockRise, De Nederlandsche Bank
- Media: Dumpert bitcoin.org introduction video, Michael Saylor: Bitcoin, Inflation, and the Future of Money | Lex Fridman Podcast #276, Emerce article, Blockrise.com Education Page, Podcast: Bitcoin for Millenials Bram Kanstein, Book: A Beginners Guide to Bitcoin, Book: The Bitcoin Standard
- Blog: Custodial vs Non-Custodial Wallets, Book: No Rules Rules by Reed Hastings and Erin Meyer, Start to Scale Podcast Episode with Hans Scheffer, Jason Mraz - Curbside Prophet,
- Other: AFM License, MICAR License, Bitcoin ETF
From a young age, Koen built websites for clients, leading to his first startup, CompanySpot, the Dutch version of Glassdoor. Koen later played key roles at platforms like Hyves, Relatieplanet and Dumpert and co-founded Upcoming, a news and entertainment platform. In 2015, together with 3 co-founders, he founded polarsteps.
Today over 10 million travelers from all parts of the world use the app to plan, track and relive their adventures. So does my wife - as I found out only this summer.
In this episode, we'll talk about:
- How a passion for travel turned into a business
- Growing to 10 Million users
- Knowing when it’s time to hand over as a CEO
Links mentioned:
- People: Koen Droste, Niek Bokkers Job Harmsen, Max Neustadt, Laurens Groenendijk, Nalden
- Companies: Polarsteps, Hyves, CompanySpot, Glassdoor, Relatieplanet, Upcoming, Inkef Capital
- Media: Koen's Polarsteps Profile, Teleporter, House of Deeprelax
- Other: NPS Net Promoter Score, Yoga Nidra meditation
Berend is on a mission to revolutionize the agriculture industry.
With a Master in High-Tech Engineering ánd a Master in Management of Technology, he founded Plense Technologies together with Thijs Bieling.
They use a patented technology with smart sensing devices that literally listen to plants - and turn that into data for growers.
In this episode, we'll talk about:
- Measuring the inner working of plants;
- The importance of tough love from critical advisors;
- How to make the most of a competition like PHIA.
Links mentioned:
- People: Berend de Klerk
- Companies: Plense Technologies, Philips Innovation Award, YES!Delft
- Other: Xylem
- Media: The Opposites - Slapeloze Nachten
Immediately after graduating from TU Delft, Sander and Auke developed an innovative product called HeatCycle - which recovers all heat from household wastewater. That led them to win the ASN World Prize in 2020. Later they added the sleek and smart AO heatpump, that won the iF Design Award 2024 out of almost 11,000 entries from 72 countries. Today, DeWarmte is well underway to install their 3000th heat pump by the end of 2024.
In this episode, we'll talk about:
- A smarter way to get residential homes off natural gas;
- Anticipating changing market dynamics;
- deWarmtes recent crowdfunding campaign
Links mentioned:
- People: Sander Wapperom, Auke de Vries, Willem Kesteloo, Bob Hendrikx, Jan Pieter Versluijs
- Companies: DeWarmte, Rubio Impact Ventures, Fotoniq, Loop Biotech, Solar Monkey
- Media: Crowdfunding Campaign, Sing my Dream Around - Silver Pozzoli, Upstream Festival
Let me introduce Inventor, Biodesigner and Entrepreneur: Bob Hendrikx.
With a background in Architectural Engineering Bob strives for a world in which we work in symbiosis with nature. In 2020 he founded Loop Biotech, on a mission to revolutionize the funeral industry - through coffins that turn people into plant food.
Bob's journey received widespread attention, making headlines in Wired, CNN, The Guardian, and the BBC. VICE Media even awarded him the title of Human of the Year.
His backers include Dragons' Den investors Pieter Schoen and Shawn Harris and we have a scoop: as he just closed a 2M crowdfunding round last to propel the business into its next phase of expansion.
In this episode, we'll cover the following topics:
- Innovating in the funeral industry;
- Scaling up in Mushroom tech;
- Building a company with your fiancé
Links mentioned:
- People: Bob Hendrikx, Lonneke Westhoff, Pieter Schoen, Shawn Harris, Tony Robbins, Duke Urbanik
- Companies: Loop Biotech, Dragon’s Den, YES!Delft
- Media: Lighthouse Family - High
With a masters degree in Complex Systems, Josefien Groot went from national boxing champion to Scale-up CEO, advocating for a sustainable future.
Before reaching the age of 21, she had already established and sold her first business specializing in circular products. In 2017, she co-founded QLayers alongside Ruben Geutjens. Her significant contributions have been widely recognized through numerous accolades, including the prestigious European Rising Innovator and EY Emerging Entrepreneur Of The Year awards. Despite her industrial pursuits, Josefien has a love for nature and lives off grid in a self-built tiny house with her partner and their daughter.
In this episode, we'll talk about:
- Why we need to fix energy inefficiencies in industry;
- How to combine parenthood with scaling up;
- What off grid living teaches us about nature;
Links mentioned:
- People: Josefien Groot, Ruben Geutjens
- Companies: QLayers, UNIIQ, NPEX, ECFG Venture capital, Rotterdamse Havendraken, Welna
- Media: Voedselboscast, European Rising Innovator, EY Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year, Up!Rotterdam Finder, Alexia Chellun - the power is here now
After he completed his master in strategic product design from Delft University, Dorus began to do graphic studio work together with his fellow student Delft Tom.
From a deep love for music and the determination to stand up against the industry with products that produce massive electronic waste - they started Gerrard Street, in 2015, which was later renamed Repeat Audio.
Today, Repeat offers a range of modular high fidelity headphones. Notable users include the Metropole Orchestra, and one of the most important Dutch rappers, Sticks.
Dorus also finds time to play the piano and gives back as a volunteer by helping refugees.
In this episode, we'll talk about:
- How to build a consumer brand in the circular economy;
- Pivoting from product as a service to product sales;
- The fine line between failure and success in crowdfunding
Links mentioned:
- People: Dorus Galama, Tom Leenders, Sticks, Willem de Bruin (from The Opposites)
- Companies: Repeat Audio, Sennheiser, Sony, Frame.Work Laptop
- Media: Yes - Rhythm of Love, Dorus as a guest in Upstream Talks
With Master’s degrees in Strategy and Marketing, she excelled in mobility. From cutting carbon footprint at General Motors to boosting fleet growth at Greenwheels.
In 2021, Bibi co-founded umob with Raymon Pouwels. They secured 8M in funding within two years. And today, umob stands as the first MaaS operator in the Netherlands to integrate all three e-moped operators (Check, GO Sharing & felyx) into one platform.
In this episode, we'll talk about:
- The opportunities and business model in MAAS
- Beating the odds as a young, female founder.
- If fundraising can be fun…
Links mentioned:
- People: Bibi Jorissen, Raymon Pouwels, Souren Arakelian
- Companies: Umob, GreenWheels, GoSharing, CIC Rotterdam, General Motors, BAQME, Equalture
- Other: Shoe Dog - Phil Knight
- Media: You’ll Never Walk Alone - Lee Towers, Jay Shetty Podcast
In the last episode of this year, Up!Rotterdam's Lars & Lisette reflect on the entrepreneurial ecosystem of Rotterdam and its development over the past 4 years.
We'll talk about:
- How our scale-up ecosystem developed over the past 4 years;
- Who you found the most interesting founders this year;
- All you ever wanted to know about Up!Rotterdam.
Links mentioned:
- People: Lars Crama, Lisette Braakenburg, Hans Scheffer, Friso Schmidt, Han Kleppe, Fonger Ypma, Koen Burgers, Mattijs Slee, Nalden, Ellen Sano, Jamal Oulel, George Birch, Marie José van den Boomgaard, Ekim Sincer, Ohad Gilad
- Companies: Up!Rotterdam
- Other: Startup Partners: transparency in the world of startup service providers, HackYourCareer: work for a Rotterdam/Delft based scale-up
- Media: Fleetwood Mac - Dreams (2004 Remastered)
During his PhD research, Wang explored robots' societal impact on the elderly, especially with dementia.
In 2015, he left that and founded Tinybots, to make a tangible difference for those with cognitive challenges.
Today, their care robot Tessa is a proven solution for patient self-reliance, used by care providers all over the Netherlands on a daily basis.
In this episode, we'll talk about:
- How care robot Tessa helps clients lead more independent lives;
- The challenge with technology adoption in healthcare;
- Keeping a collaborative culture when the team grows;
Links mentioned:
- People: Wang Long Li, Umar Nizamani, Jan Pons, Menno Kamphuis
- Companies: Tinybots, NiceDay, Moov’d
- Other: Van Nelle Fabriek
- Media: Billy Joel - Vienna
With a Master in Hydraulic Engineering from Delft Technical University and an Executive MBA from INSEAD, he spent 15 years with Shell, where his latest roles included Investment Director for Shell ventures as well as Commercial Head for Shell Hydrogen.
In 2021, he was asked by Koolen Industries as the first employee of Battolyser Systems, a cleantech company with patented technology. Fast forward three years, and Mattijs is the CEO of a company of almost 100 employees.
We'll cover the following topics:
- Why the energy transition requires ambitious leaders;
- How to negotiate a 40 million euro deal with the European Investment Bank.
- How Mattijs reinvents himself from a 1 man team to leading 100 people.
Links mentioned:
- People: Mattijs Slee, Fokko Mulder, Geert Laagland
- Companies: Battolyser Systems, Koolen Industries, Shell Ventures, Shell Hydrogen, Vattenfall
- Other: Hydraulic Engineering at the TU Delft, Book: the strategic approach to building a boarding, Guns ‘n Roses - November Rain
- Media: Battolyser Systems on YouTube
Joris Biskop is the former CTO of Luxexcel, 3d printing lens specialist, which was recently acquired by Meta for €400 million. Based on his insights there, he founded Addoptics, of which he is now the CEO. Addoptics is a smart manufacturer of optics, serving an impressive list of customers worldwide from their office in Rotterdam.
We'll cover the following topics:
- The opportunities in a 1 trillion Augmented Reality market;
- Pivoting from niche prototype production to scalability;
- The pro’s and cons of taking investors on board;
Links mentioned:
- People: Joris Biskop, Boukje Vastbinder, Benjamin de Wit, Maarten Schweers
- Companies: AddOptics, Luxexcel
- Other: Meta Rayban Smartglasses, Rotterdam Sustainable Floating Homes Media: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UT_Ox_4nKSg&t=139s, Forbes - Looking forward to the future of AR and VR, Globe Newswire - Augmented Reality Market Size to Surpass $1109.71 Bilion
With a background in biology and a passion for environmental conservation, George embarked on a unique journey that led him from asset management to the world of oyster reef restoration.
After completing this MBA from Rotterdam School of Management, he founded Oyster Heaven - on a mission to make marine regeneration financially sustainable.We'll cover the following topics:
- Cleaning the ocean with oyster reefs;
- How To Make Ecosystem Regeneration Profitable
- What George is up to in his freetime
Links mentioned:
- People: George Birch, Shawn Harris, Guus Meijer, Elissa Glorie, Philip Roos,
- Companies: Oyster Heaven, Rotterdam School of Management, BlueCity, Orange Wings, Generous Minds
- Media: Oyster Heaven: the most scalable way to regrow lost oyster reefs, Book: Rachel Carson - Silent Spring, Alice Coltrane - Turiya and Ramakrishna
In this episode I speak with Auke Bleij, Founder of Respyre - the fascinating startup that helps cities turn green through a special concrete that holds moss. Respyre is a spin-off from Delft Technical University, on a mission to create greener cities through the application of mosses. You hold a Master in Construction Management from that same University.
We'll cover the following topics:
- Auke’s entrepreneurial journey
- nature inclusive development and
- how to make the most of a competition like PHIA.
Links mentioned:
- People: Auke Bleij, Mark de Kruijff, Matthijs Jaspers, Adil Aarouss, Eveline van der Pluijm, Timo Vonk, Jorn Douwstra, Lola van Hunnik
- Companies: Respyre, Philips Innovation Award, TU Delft, The Happy Activist, PON, NS
- Other: Sigma Squared, Building “The Valley” on the Amsterdam Zuidas, Sting - Englishman in New York, Register for PHIA
- Media: Article Quote: Auke Bleij Innovatiefste Student van Nederland
Marsha started Breeze - the worlds first offline dating app, together with 6 co-founders from the Technical University in Delft. That was 2019 and today, they are the fastest growing dating app in the Netherlands, with prominent investors supporting them.
In this episode, we'll cover the following topics:
- Diversity in tech;
- Starting a company with 7 co-founders;
- The Philips Innovation Award
Links mentioned:
- People: Marsha Goei, Stefan van den Berg, Thijs Verheul, Rogier Fischer
- Companies: Breeze, Hyves, Lexa, United Wardrobe (now: Vinted), Match.com, Litebit,
- Other: Philips Innovation Award
Souren's career spans across esteemed institutions such as Merrill Lynch and Rabobank, where he excelled in investment banking and M&A.
Today, Souren leads the charge at BAQME, the first company globally to offer a free floating shared cargo bike service. At a young age, he moved to the Netherlands from Armenia. He currently lives in Amsterdam, but soon will return to Rotterdam.
We'll cover the following topics:
- The future of Urban Mobility;
- Bootstrapping versus venture capital;
- Making it Happen as a first time founder;
Links mentioned:
- People: Souren Arakelian, Niki Sie, Sven Velthuis, Tristan van Doorn
- Companies: BAQME, Ketel1, Merrill Lynch, OnePlanetCrowd, Juuve, MyWheels, Future Mobility Park
- Other: Schiedam, Dutch Distillers District
- Media: Miles Davis - Blue in Green
Pim and his co-founder Lorenzo van Galen, are challenging the fast fashion industry. With their company Wear, they are creating the largest platform for pre-loved sneakers. Their collaborations with established players like Bristol and Bijenkorf have gained recognition, including the social impact newcomer of the year and the upcoming talent marketing award from our Mayor, Aboutaleb.
Prior to Wear, Pim made waves as a freelancer, leading communication efforts for organizations like VoorGoed Impact agency, the Dutch Impact Days, and Verre Bergen Foundation.
In this episode, we'll cover the following topics:
- The business of refurbished sneakers
- Pivoting from service to product
- Mass adoption of sustainable fashion
Links mentioned:
- People: Pim Roggeveen, Lorenzo van Galen, Joost Kamermans, Carolien van Wersch, Doesje Fransen
- Companies: Wear, Bristol, Bijenkorf, Voorgoed Impact Agency, Dutch Impact Days, Verre Bergen Foundation, R’damse Nieuwe, CityLab010, Pieter Pot,Jack Bean, Vinted, America Today, Maaskantine, Club Haug, Kralingse Plas, Seenons, Ondernemershuis Op Zuid, Wear Too Good To Go, Chillhop
- Media: Podcast R'damse Nieuwe - Lars Crama, Can’t Stop - Red Hot Chili Peppers
In 2014, along with Maarten Logtenberg, Lucas set out on this journey from a garage, fueled by their dream of designing and building cutting-edge machines. Fast forward nine years, CEAD has become a global leader in large-scale 3D printing, operating from a 3,000-square-meter facility in Delft.=
Lucas holds a Master's degree in Integrated Product Design from Delft, and when he's not leading CEAD, you can often find him pursuing his passion for surfing or kiting.
In this episode, we'll cover the following topics
- Product market fit in large scale 3D printing;
- Managing teams in an international setting;
- Tips for landing a 1M Euro EU grant
Links mentioned:
- People: Lucas Janssen, Maarten Logtenberg, Giovanni Pazienza, Constantijn van Oranje, Hans Scheffer, Noor Rhijnsburger, Monique Martens, Daisy Visser
- Companies: CEAD, TU Delft, Siemens, HelloPrint, 3D Hubs, Gartner, Delfts Studenten Corps, City of Delft, City of Rotterdam
- Other: Horizon Europe Grant, Scaleup vacancy platform HackYourCareer
- Media: Tash Sultana - Pretty Lady
In 2017 she co-founded Peelpioneers, the largest producer of raw materials from citrus peels in Europe - together with Sytze van Stempvoort and Bas van Wieringen, where she now sits at the supervisory board.
Next to that, she is co-founder and director at Tekkoo, an organization that helps startups and established organizations with sustainable innovation. She is also the initiator of Circular Factory, a start-to-scale-up program for circular startups in collaboration with BlueCity.
We'll cover the following topics:
- Profitable business models in the biobased economy;
- The journey of building a 21st century peel collector;
- How to convince investors to build a 10 Million Euro demo plant;
Links mentioned:
- People: Lindy Hensen, Sytze van Stempvoort, Bas van Wieringen, Silvia ten Houten, Ronald van Raaij, Diederik van Dommelen
- Companies: PeelPioneers, Tekkoo, BlueCity, Jumbo, Renewi, European Circular BioEconomy Fund, Doen Foundation, BOM, Natures Principles, SUNT, De Clique, Circular Factory, InvestNL, Polestar Capital
- Other: Week van de circulaire economie;
- Media: Lindy at Upstream Festival, Rabobank Duurzame Innovatieprijs, Xavier Rudd - Follow the Sun
As a chartered accountant Pavle Beslic started his career at Deloitte - after which he decided to go independent and stumbled into the world of recruitment. That inspired him to found Staffyou, now one of the fastest growing on-demand staffing platforms in Europe.
He's been recognized as one of the Netherlands' top young entrepreneurs by Quote and has earned accolades from FD Gazellen and Deloitte Fast 50. And when he's not in the business world, you might find him on a boat or in the boxing ring.
We'll cover the following topics:
- Innovating the temp staffing business;
- Going from Chartered Accountant to startup founder;
- Getting punched in the face.
Links mentioned:
- People: Pavle Beslic, Micky Chen, Albert van Ommen, Liselore Lugt, Bastian van de Belt, Seda Cin
- Companies: Staffyou, Quote, FD Gazelle, Deloitte Fast 50, EY, Ahoy, De Kuip, Getir, Minite Works, Rebels.ai Lox MJR Tom
- Other: Definition Register Accountant (RA) / Certified Public Accountant (CPA), De Meent Rotterdam, Gladiatoren aan de Maas
- Media: Trailer of Pavle's fight at Gladiatoren aan de Maas, Ice Cube - It Was A Good Day
Fonger is an experienced leader in the energy sector. He obtained his PhD in mathematics and physics at Oxford University, after which he worked as a strategy consultant and McKinsey and as head of a Eneco Smart Energy Lab. Since then, he was the CEO of Brainbay, and a cofounder of Blockheating - the scale-up that recycles data center energy.
In this episode, we'll cover the following topics:
- His rather bold mission to slow down global warming
- The difference between Corporate venturing and a running a startup
- The hard part about climate tech
Links mentioned:
- People: Fonger Ypma, Boyan Slat, Menno van Dijk, Dirk van den Berg, Peter Molenaar
- Companies: Arctic Reflections, Eneco, Brainbay, Blockheating, The Ocean Cleanup, Scaleup Nation, Protect Our Winters
- Other: www.hackyourcareer.com
- Media: Cold as Ice - Foreigner
Niels Verwij is a successful e-commerce entrepreneur. He started dekbed-discounter, a disruptive online duvet webshop, in 2014 from scratch. It disrupted traditional retail and soon became one of the most successful e-commerce companies in the Netherlands.
Today, as the CEO of Jamani, he oversees multiple businesses, including Dekbed-Discounter, Boxspring Lease, KoopJeDeal.nl, and WoonQ. At the age of 34, Niels has built an impressive portfolio, solidifying his position in the industry and securing him a place in the Young Quote 100.
In this episode, we'll cover the following topics:
- Finding a sweetspot in e-commerce
- Growing 3800 percent in 4 years time
- Keeping focus when opportunities seem unlimited
Links mentioned:
- People: Niels Verwij, Jarno Goesten, Maurice Rustwat, Erwin Paaij, Frank Waagmeester, Dorus Galama, Ronnie Overgoor, Ben Mandemakers
- Companies: Dekbed Discounter, Jamani, Boxspring Lease, KoopJeDeal.nl, 123vloerkleed.nl, Groupon, Daydealers.nl (no longer exists),Pannendiscounter (no longer exists),Repeat, HelloPrint, Billink
- Other: Song: Lucas & Steve - I want it all
Joost is the founder and SeaEO of The Seaweed Company. A global pioneer in developing high-quality seaweed applications, with farms in the Netherlands, Ireland, Morocco, India and Greenland.
After a corporate career at P&G and Pepsico, Joost worked with leadership teams allo over the world to help them create a better future, until he met Edwin Sneekes and Stefan Kraan, his co-founders in 2018. He is a frequently asked speaker and he published two books: “The 15-Minute Inbox” and “The Couple Company”.
We'll cover the following topics:
- Why we should re-align business and nature
- The role of seaweed in the food transition
- What you run into when scaling aqua farming.
Links mentioned:
- People: Joost Wouters, Edwin Sneekes, Stefan Kraan, Gunter Pauli, Anske Plante, Rogier Wilmink, Lenny van Klink, Rebecca Wiering, Jennifer Breaton
- Companies: The Seaweed Company, Colruyt Group, PepsiCo, P&G, BlueCity, ONS Schiedam, Municipality of Schiedam, Van Oord Ocean Health, Salacia Solutions
- Other: Book “The 15-Minute Inbox”, book “The Couple Company” (no longer available), Sustainable Food Award,
- Media: Your Ancestor - Nynke Laverman
Koen is the co-founder and CEO of Solarduck, the Dutch leader in offshore floating solar. He started his career as a management consultant, before he joined Damen Shipyards, where he was the Director Strategy and Business Transformation.
Koen is a member of The Economic Development Board of the Drecht Cities. And although his home is in Nijmegen, his office is… in… Rotterdam!
In this episode, we'll cover the following topics:
- Offshore floating solar;
- Starting a business in your forties;
- How to prevent rookie mistakes as a founder;
Links mentioned:
- People: Koen Burgers, Don Hoogendoorn, Mare Straetmans, Karlijn Gerris, Luuk Visser, Jonas Skattum Svegaarden, Joerek Kohutnicki, Peter Paul van Voorst tot Voorst
- Companies: SolarDuck, Damen Shipyards, Buienradar, Skoon, Blue Invest, Katapult VC, Link VC, TU Delft, TNO, Maritime Research Industry Netherlands, Deltares, RWE, Impuls Corporate Finance, Platform Zero
- Other: Article: “from Tiel to Tokyo: how Koen Burgers is scaling offshore solar power with Solarduck”, Nijmeegse 4-daagse
- Media: Podcast Episode 37 - Rebekah, Sunny Days van Armin van Buuren & Josh Cumbee
Rebekah is the CEO and founder of Pilar.one, a fast growing startup that creates better humans through advanced use of CRISPR, the genome editing technique. She raised over 450 million us dollars to date from unknown private investors and runs her lab facility in an undisclosed location.
Although it seems she came out of the blue, that is because Rebekah is not her real name. She had a successful exit in a previous company and uses that alias to stay safe.
In this episode, we'll cover the following topics:
- The applications of CRISPR for genome editing;
- AI as a gamechanger for founders;
- How to create better humans.
*Please note that Rebekah is not her real name. As this founder is still in stealth mode, she uses an Alias.
Ferhat is the CEO and Co-founder of Valyuu, the circular economy marketplace to sell and buy pre-owned goods, like smartphones and macbooks. With first hand experience from T-mobile and a first venture in b2b refurbishment, he started the company in January 2021.
Valyuu joined Techstars and in March 22 they raised a first investment with ten prominent angel investors. Valyuu has been growing rapidly, so Ferhat is currently raising to support the next stage.
In this episode, we'll cover the following topics:
- Building a multi sided platform in the circular economy;
- The value of a startup accelerator;
- Taking investor calls on a train station floor… ;-)
Links mentioned:
- People: Ferhat Topuz, Jingwei Ren, Arvin Esterabadi, Thomas Mensink, Laurens Hamerlinck, Leonie Timmermans, Stefan van den Berg, Anna Brandt, Noor van Boven
- Companies: Valyuu, 2Hearts Community, T-Mobile, Techstars, Golden Egg Check, ABN Amro, Afterpay, Swapfiets
- Other: Careers at Valyuu, Ferhat in an investor call at Amsterdam CS
- Media: Altin Gun - Halkali Seker
Abdessamad Dari is the MD of Techgrounds Netherlands. With a background in management, sales and system admin, in 2019 he joined Techgrounds. He is Managing Director of the Rotterdam based program that reskills talent in IT.
Katia Ramos’ career includes several administrative roles at different organizations until she found herself out of a job. She is a participant in the current program.
In this episode, we'll cover the following topics:
- opportunities in tech for underrepresented talent
- a paradigm shift for employers;
- first hand experience from inside the program
Links mentioned:
- People: Abdessamad Dari, Katia Ramos, Ruben Nieuwenhuis, Marijn Roelof, Rory Heltzel
- Companies: TechGrounds, MolenGeek, Booking.com, Rabobank, Squerist, PostNL, ITCampus
- Media: Molengeek (SIfted Article), Fugees - Can’t take my eyes off of you
Want to promote diversity and professionalism in your IT team? Looking for talented new IT people? Visit https://techgrounds.nl/voor-bedrijven/
Born in Iran, Parya moved to the Netherlands at the age of twelve. She has a background in systems engineering at Technical University of Delft. There, together with Joris Mollinga and Mark Evenblij she founded DuckDuck Goose - a remarkable company on a mission to detect deepfake.
DuckDuckGoose first clients included the NFI (Dutch Forensic Institute) and the Dutch House of Representatives. In 2022 the European organization IDNext awarded DuckDuckGoose won the Digital Innovation Award 2022.
In this episode, we'll cover the following topics:
- How to spot a deepfake;
- Starting a business out of University;
- Growing as a leader and as a team;
Links mentioned:
- People: Parya Lotfi, Mark Evenblij, Hajo de Boer, Ewout Karel, John van Schagen, Leonne Dieleman, Joe Bloemendaal, Jin Han, Ian Wachters, Hans Henseler, Joris Mollinga
- Companies: DuckDuckGoose, TU Delft, NFI, YES!Delft, BNR
- Media: Tom Cruise Deepfake, Baraye - Shervin
- Other: IDNext Awards, GDPR, TU Delft Impact Contest
With a background in engineering and business, Peter Paul started his career at the acclaimed shipbuilder Damen Shipyards. In 2017, together with Daan Geldermans he founded Skoon on a mission to make clean energy accessible.
Damen Shipyards became his first investor soon the Netherlands most prominent cleantech investor Kees Koolen followed.
Today, Skoon is scaling up at an impressive rate, growing a whopping 800% in 2022.
In this episode, we'll cover the following topics:
- How do you turn crisis into an opportunity?
- What is it like to raise capital in cleantech?
- … are dutch founders dreaming big enough?
Links mentioned:
- People: Peter Paul van Voorst tot Voorst, Daan Geldermans, Kees Koolen, Sjoerd de Jager, Arash Aazami, André Kuipers
- Companies: Skoon, Damen Shipyards, Workspot, Maritime Sisters, PortXchange, ChatGPT
- Other: Peter Pauls photography album, Coldplay - Higher Power
Born and raised in Rotterdam, Jamal has been involved in a number of social initiatives: from RefugeeHero, Edubility foundation. Starters4Communities.
In 2020 he founded Social Debt, on a mission to ensure that there is no more profit on debt collection. His work has not gone unnoticed: Jamal featured in various Dutch media, which even led to questions in the dutch parliament. Social Debt is one of the first two companies to receive funding by the NN Group Social Innovation fund.
In this episode, we'll cover the following topics:
- Helping young people to get out of problematic debt;
- Funding an scaling a cooperative social enterprise;
- The risky path of entrepreneurship.
Links mentioned:
- People: Jamal Oulel, Sarah Reitema, Hulya Kat, Patricio de Boom, Willem Los, Michael van Loenen, Jos Versteeg
- Companies: SocialDebt, RefugeeHero, Starters4Communities, CIC, CityLab010, Quan, Woonstad Rotterdam, Heilige Boontjes, LaatBloeien, YouBeDo
- Media: NPO Interview (In Dutch), MT/Sprout
- Other: NN Social Innovation Fund, Steward Ownership, Fugazi, Upstream Festival, Kempi - Stratiblues
Simon co founded NOWI Energy together with Omar Link, a fellow Strategic Product Design Master student at TU Delft.
In 2016, they set out to design a chip that harvests energy - to replace batteries. They grew the company to forty employees, with sales teams in San Francisco and Shanghai. They raised a series A in november 2019 and in November 2022, the company was acquired by Nexperia.
In this episode, we'll cover the following topics:
- Non technical founders solving a technical problem
- Finding the right advisors along your journey;
- And ofcourse… the acquisition by Nexperia
Links Mentioned:
- People: Simon van der Jagt, Omar Link, Jan Willem Klerkx, Ad Scheepbouwer, Ronald Prins, Menno van der Marel, Christiaan van Nispen, Merijn Zondag, Elisa van der Jagt - Zondervan, Ellen Elschot?
- Companies: Nowi Energy, Nexperia, YES!Delft, Fox IT, PetBNB, Tiler Charge, NEXT Delft , ASML
- Other: CES, blog: should startups invest in a large scale conference like CES, Vroegefasefinanciering RVO, Upstream Festival, Macklemore - Downtown
Clinton is the founder and CEO of Maxwell & Spark, manufacturer of renewable energy systems.
Originally from South Africa, he has led highly innovative engineering teams, in the fields of materials engineering and renewable energy. From academics, solar car racing and the large hadron collider, to shipping lines and litigation in Africa and Europe.
He is an Honourary academic at University of KwaZulu-Natal. His academic career started in Philosophy but led him to a PhD in Materials Engineering.
In this episode, we'll cover the following topics:
- Accelerating the energy transition;
- Academia versus industry;
- Moving to the Netherlands… from South Africa.
Links mentioned
- People: Clinton Bemont, Richard Hardiman, David Evans, Cailin Greiner, Gerko Visée
- Companies:Maxwell & Spark, Spar, Rotterdam Partners, Fairtree & Elefant, RanMarine, YES!Delft, The Hague International Center
- Media: Solar team
- Other: Mandoza - Nkalakatha
Michiel is a b2b e-commerce veteran.
He joined ISM e-company - which was founded by Jan Kees de Jager and Karel van der Woude - during his Master at Erasmus University more than 20 years ago.
Later, he became Managing Partner. Since 2011, he has been dedicated to building Sana Commerce. As their CEO, he helps companies worldwide achieve e-commerce success, with a team of more than 400 people all over the world.
In this episode, we'll cover the following topics:
- Switching from a project business to a product business;
- Creating one culture with team members across multiple timezones;
- How the lessons from the 2008 crisis still apply today.
Links mentioned:
- People: Michiel Schipperus, Jan Kees de Jager, Karel van der Woude, David Heinemeier Hansson
- Companies: Sana Commerce, ISM eCompany, Valantic, Pimm Solutions
- Media: Article: “The bubble has popped for unprofitable software companies”
- Other: Van Nelle Factory, SAP, Microsoft Dynamics ERP, Rotterdam companies founded since 2000 in the finder, Vacancies at Sana Commerce, Hackyourcareer.com, Black Eyed Peas - Pump It
Ellen joined Yuki right after they launched in Belgium, where she grew the business with more than 100% year on year.
In 2020, Yuki was acquired by the Nordic Visma Group. And a year later, Ellen took over from CEO and Yuki founder, Lucas Brentjes. Today she is responsible for The Yuki Company, which includes Yuki in three countries as well as two other ventures.
Ellen graduated with honors in Applied Economics at University of Antwerp, and now spends her time between Antwerp and Rotterdam.
In this episode, we'll cover the following topics:
- Taking over from a founder CEO;
- What happens after your company gets acquired;
- How to keep employees engaged as the company grows
Links mentioned:
- People: Ellen Sano, Ruud Hendriks, Arco van Nieuwland, Lucas Brentjens, Sebastian Toet, Marc Coppens, Rogier van den Heuvel, Harmen van Norel, Esther O’Callaghan
- Companies: Yuki, Visma Group, DizzyData, Yaarwerk, Nexxworks, Hundo
- Other: Queen - Don’t stop me now, Gauss Curve, Restaurant Stable,Restaurant InVINcible,
Dervis studied Aerospace Engineering at Delft Technical University. Already in 2002 he invented an endoscopic simulator. In 2010 he became managing director of Epona medical until in 2015, he founded Medical-X, global market leader in simulation products for medical teaching and training.
In this episode, we'll cover the following topics:
- Scaling a global med-tech business;
- Managing cashflow;
- Similarities between boxing and entrepreneurship.
Links Mentioned:
- People: Dervis Demirtas, Samy Andary, Pavle Beslic, Davi Reinaldo,
- Companies: Medical-X, TU Delft, Gladiatoren aan de Maas, StaffYou, YES!Delft, Platform Zero
- Media: Daddy Yankee - Pon T Loca
- Other: Definition laparoscopy, Upstream Festival, Dolls AdamX & NenaSim
Sander graduated Cum Laude in Biomedical Engineering at Delft University of Technology. Where he also did his PhD and a postdoc until he co-founded his first company Virtualock in 2009 together with Jasper Schuurmans. In 2014 this lead to their second venture Mapiq, market leader in software for optimizing office space and facilities.
Under his leadership, the company has grown tremendously over the past few years, now operating in more than 20 countries, with over 115 people on staff and with the founders of TomTom as his most recent investors.
Somehow, Sander combines this with riding a motorcycle and making time for conversations like this one today.
In this episode, we'll cover the following topics:
- Leaving academia for a risky path of entrepreneurship;
- Bootstrapping and getting the right investors on board;
- Gearing up for growth in uncertain economic conditions;
Links mentioned:
- People: Sander Schutte, Jasper Schuurmans, Ferdinand Grapperhaus
- Companies: Mapiq, Virtualock, TomTom, InnovationQuarter, Rinkelberg Capital, Techleap Rise, Delft Technology Partners,
- Media: Mapiq - How to win the war for talent, Geoffrey Moore - Crossing the chasm, Robert M. Pirsig - Zen & The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance, Lars’ one-sentence summary
- Other: The Prodigy - Firestarter, KTM 690 Adventure, Jobless Growth
Micky is on a mission to turn today's brightest students into tomorrow's workforce.
Her first successful venture was a Harry Potter platform she built and monetized at age 7. She worked at Salesforce and IBM prior to founding Minite together with her sister Linky, in 2020.
Their story has been featured across all major media, from Quote to RTLZ and has been on stage many, including MT/Sprout best performing SaaS companies, EU startup summit most promising Early stage Startup, and Most inspiring women in tech & innovation.
Next to Minite, Micky finds the time to provide guest lectures at Rotterdam School of Management.
In this episode, we'll cover the following topics:
- Finding the ideal student job;
- Saying no to investors;
- And… about TikTok
Links mentioned:
- People: Micky Chen, Linky Chen, Timo Groos, Zaakir Patel, Dave de Held, Marta Stachowiak-de Wit,
- Companies: Minite, Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam , TikTok, SalesForce, ACE, Erasmus Enterprise, VU, Toptal,
- Media: Quote article
- Other: Eureka Week, Careers at Minite, BTS - Butter
Early 2020 Niels wrote an angry post on linkedin: About large platform companies who were asking for government support while generating billions in dividends.
That message went viral - and led to a 2M crowdfunding round to create a more social alternative to hotel booking platforms. In May 2020, moonback was founded in Rotterdam.
Today, Niels is the co-founder and CEO of Moonback. The HONEST booking site, which won the Dutch Interactive Disrupter Award and NIels was voted most inspiring entrepreneur of the Netherlands.
In this episode, we'll cover the following topics:
- A more social platform economy
- The steward ownership model
- The dos and donts in crowdfunding
Links mentioned:
- People: Niels Meijssen, Gijsbert Koren, Bas van Abel, Dave Geensen, Mart Evers, Jelske Hondema
- Companies:Moonback, Booking.com, Triodos, Odin, Carslberg, Purpose, We Are Stewards, de Clique, Fello, Dela, Clearmusic
- Media: Moonback’s Crowdfunding Campaign, The LinkedIn Post that started it all, Tegenlicht meetup - De ontgroeiers, Upstream Talks 2021 - Digital Transition
- Other: The initial post on LinkedIn, Niels Blog (in dutch), Book a hotel in Rotterdam via Moonback, Explanation on steward ownership, Statuten > “Articles of Association”, Moonback Legal Documentation, Meditation app Headspace, Meditation app Calm, Biergarten Rotterdam, Goldband - Ik Haat Je
Ferdinand is the CEO of PHYSEE Technologies, which he founded together with Willem Kesteloo in 2014 in a physics lab at Technical University Delft.
PHYSEE is on a mission to make the build environment energy neutral in an aesthetic way. With success: in 2019 PHYSEE was recognized as the most innovative SME of The Netherlands, and in december 2021, the European Innovation Council recognized PHYSEEas one of the 50 best European Scaleups in Deeptech.
He made it to Forbes 30 under 30, but more importantly, he has built a strong patent portfolio, international projects and strategic partnerships.
In this episode, we'll cover the following topics:
- The impact you can achieve with deeptech;
- Selling sustainability to a traditional industry;
- The spiritual journey of entrepreneurship
Links mentioned:
- People: Ferdinand Grapperhaus, Willem Kesteloo, Daan van der Vorm , Boudewijn Poelmann, Sir Richard Branson, Elon Musk, Job Dura, Michael Jackson, Sam Anders jr, Sander Schutte, Lisette van der Knaap
- Companies: Physee, TU Delft, Par+, Cottonwood, Mapiq
- Media: EIC Scaling up
- Other: Burning Man, Upstream Festival, Freebird - LYNRD SKYNRD
- Books: How to change your mind - Michael Pollan
Esther is the founder of hundo careers - dedicated to upskilling the next generation in web3 and metaverse. Esther is a Global Tech Advocate, a digital nomad and a triathlete.
Her 20+ years of experience span government, CSR, ESG, arts, culture and music. It’s impossible to summarize her achievements. Just to name a few: she is an award winning DJ/producer, Freeman of the City of London, International Woman in staffing Top 50 and part of the first all-female Decentralized Finance delegation to the European Parliament.
In this episode, we'll cover the following topics:
- Ending youth unemployment through web3
- Failing forward as an entrepreneur
- All you need to know about hiring Gen Z
Links mentioned
- People: Esther O’Callaghan, Maurice Bakker, Ohad Gilad , Ekim Sincer, Nadiyah Rajabally, André Damian
- Companies: Hundo.Careers, Global Tech Advocates, TNLA
- Other: CareerCon, Upstream Festival, Web3, Metaverse, OBE, Ready Player
- Songs: Orbital - Belfast (Anna techno remix)
In 2006, together with Tycho van Paassen and Remy Verhoeven Wouter built VONQ - which turned out the household name for recruitment marketing - used every day by over 1000 leading companies - including over 25 Global Fortune 500s.
In 2019 Capital D acquired a majority stake of the company, and in 2021 wouter handed over the realm to the new CEO, Arno Schafer. Now he divides his time between family, running marathons, investing in startups and… starting new ventures.
In this episode, we'll cover the following topics:
- Building, scaling and exiting VONQ
- Finding out what kind of CEO you want to be
- Investing in startups ánd in limoncello.
Links mentioned:
- People: Wouter Goedhart, Arno Schafer, Tycho van Paassen, Remy Verhoeven, Michiel Muller, Ralph Brasker, Ilonka Jankovic, Quintin Schevernels, Lotte Welten, Paul Citroen
- Companies: VONQ, Capital D, Oneteam, Arches Capital, Selection Lab, Qandidate, Randstad Innovation Fund, Microlab, Jordy’s Bakery, Selection Lab, Springcast
- Media: Loes Luca promo, Article: German Sex Tech innovator Einhorn raises 0,0 led by nobody.
- Other: HackYourCareer
- Books: The hard thing about hard things
- Song: Ugly Kid Joe - Cats in the Cradle
Tim Houter is the co-founder of Hardt Hyperloop. Founded in 2016, the team at Hardt is working tirelessly to disrupt the transport industry with an innovative and sustainable mode of transport. With a recent 15 Million euro grant from the European Union,they are building a new test facility in the European Hyperloop Center in Groningen.
Tim has a background in mechanical engineering at TU Delft, where he has been on a winning streak when it comes to fast modes of transport. He spent 2 years engineering prize winning lightweight electric cars with the Universities Racing team. And in 2017, Tim and his co-founders won first prize in the international SpaceX Hyperloop competition, organized by Elon Musk.
In this episode, we'll cover the following topics:
- The future of transport;
- Finding funding;
- Creating European Standards for Hyperloop;
Links mentioned:
- People: Tim Houter, Elon Musk, Kees Koolen, Jacob Ruiter, Bas van Kooperen,
- Companies: Hardt Hyperloop, European Hyperloop Center, Groningen, SpaceX, BAM, National Railways, Royal IHC, Tata Steel, Innovation Quarter, Delft Enterprises, UNIIQ, EIT InnoEnergy, Buccaneer Delft
- Media: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fW1fg6OPkd8&t=1s, The Pneumatic Tube, Hack Your Career, Demonstration Hardt Hyperloop
- Other: Crystal Palace Pneumatic Railway, Beach Pneumatic Transit, Magnetic Levitation Train
Born in SriLanka, raised in Australia and moved to the Netherlands. Arosha spent her career in Management Consulting with PwC and with companies like DSM and TNT. After a few years of consulting organizations on employee well-being, she started Quan Wellbeing together with Lucy Howie. Arosha is the co-founder and CEO of the first ever female-led Dutch to be accepted into Y Combinator, raising a million euros in pre-seed capital.
In this episode, we'll cover the following topics:
- The importance of employee well being for business success;
- What it’s like inside y-combinator, the world's leading startup accelerator
- Traveling… with children.
Links mentioned:
- People: Arosha Brouwer, Lucy Howie, Julian Jagtenberg, Menno Gravemaker, Yoeri Dassen
- Companies: Quan Wellbeing, Y Combinator, PWC, TNT, DSM, Somnox, Airbnb, Doordash, Dropbox, Coinbase, 4Impact, VENGEAN
- Media: Quan from Jerry McGuire , Harvard Business Review - The Great Resignation
- Other: Scale NL Accelerator into US, The Power MBA: tam-sam-som, song: Coldplay - Sky full of Stars
Pieter is a well known Dutch serial entrepreneur and investor. After founding a publishing business and two IT companies, in 2005 he started NLE together with his business partner Harald Swinkels. NLE opened up the Dutch market for utilities and soon became the largest independent energy supplier in the Netherlands. In 2018, they were acquired by NUTS group, for an undisclosed amount, of around 200 million euros.
In this episode, we'll cover the following topics:
- Disrupting markets;
- The thin line between bankruptcy and a dream exit;
- Investing in fast growing scale-ups;
Links mentioned:
- People: Pieter Schoen, Harald Swinkels, Constantijn van Oranje, Vincent Karremans, Podcast Episodes with Charlotte Melkert and Julian Jagtenberg.
- Companies: Dragons’ Den, Shoe Investments, NLE, Career Fever, Heineken, Unilever, Shell, VOCCP, Charlie Temple, Equalture, Somnox, InnovationQuarter, Tech Netherlands Advocates, Mega Netherlands
- Media: Gloria Gaynor - I Will Survive
- Other: Upstream Festival
She co-founded death tech company - yes you heard that right - Closure with Chantal van der Velde in 2017. They won the Philips Innovation Award and made it to top 3 in Sprout’s Dutch startup of the year.
Graciella has a Master in Econometrics from Erasmus University Rotterdam, and she was awarded Rotterdam Business Woman of the year.
In this episode, we'll cover the following topics:
- Death and tech;
- Funding your growth;
- The things Graciëlla does when she’s not working on Closure.
Links mentioned:
- People: Graciella van Vliet, Chantal van der Velde, Bart Verhaegh, Daniel Salimian, Janneke Niessen, Neelie Kroes, Elon Musk, Kees Jan Rietveld, Lex Geerdes, Hans Scheffer, Julian Jagtenberg
- Companies: Closure, EUR, DUO, Aon, Rabobank, Somnox, PHIA
- Media: Techleap report "Thinking Bigger: how ambitious is the Dutch entrepreneur?", Cover Blof - Hier with vocals by Closure's CTO Bart Verhaegh
- Other: Delfshaven, Rotterdamse Zakenvrouw van het Jaar, Globaliser Program, Closure Vacancies
Fast company described him as “A hybrid of the serial entrepreneur Sean Parker and Jason Kottke, the web designer and blogger". But we like his own twitter description better: “Father of two; a husband to one, founder and angel investor of some.”
Nalden gained his online reputation through his blog, which he started at the age of 16. In 2009, he founded file-sharing service WeTransfer, which he exited in 2019. He is now building a new startup - Adelee - to foster connection for families & friends.
In this episode, we'll cover the following topics:
- founding ánd leaving WeTransfer;
- surrounding yourself with the right people;
- and… keeping a beginner's mindset;
Links mentioned:
- People: Nalden, Mark Zuckerberg, Kevin Kalle, Sanne Koemeester, Edwin Hans, Erik Anspach
- Companies: WeTransfer, Facebook, Adelee
- Media: Nalden at The Wereld Draait Door, Nalden's personal website
- Other: download Adelee in the AppStore, Blog on why Lars Crama deleted Whatsapp
- Song: James Blake - Say What You Will
In 2016, Hamed Sadeghian co-founded Nearfield Instruments together with Roland van Vliet as a spin out from TNO. Nearfield has since then become a leader in semiconductor metrology solutions, with offices in Eindhoven and Rotterdam, employing over a 100 people.
Hamed received his PhD cum laude in 2010 from Delft University of Technology in nano-mechatronics systems design. He holds more than 60 patents, has authored over 100 papers and co-authored a number of books. Hamed also holds an MBA from Vlerick Business School in Leuven.
In this episode, we'll cover the following topics:
- Scaling up in a highly capital intensive industry;
- Building a strong leadership team;
- Preparing the road to IPO;
Links mentioned:
- People: Hamed Sadeghian, Roland van Vliet, Roelof Veldhuizen, Gillian Soeteman
- Companies: Nearfield Instruments, TNO, TU Delft, Vlerick Business School, TSMC, Invest-NL
- Publications: Publications Hamed Sadeghian
- Media: ASML's Architects
- Other: Moore's Law
Julian is the founder and CEO of Somnox, which he started with fellow students at the Technical University of Delft in 2015. Two years ago they introduced the world’s first sleep robot to the market. Somnox patented technology received various awards: Philips Innovation Award, Rabobank Sustainable Innovation Award and the #1 most innovative business of the Netherlands. But most importantly, the Somnox sleeprobot is used by tens of thousands people around the world to improve their sleep.
Julian is also a brilliant speaker and presenter. In March this year, 1,5 million viewers saw Julians pitch at the Dragons Den on Dutch National Television.
In this episode, we'll cover the following topics:
- Sleep as a superpower;
- Shifting from distributors to direct to consumer;
- Building a strong team to support the growth;
Links mentioned:
- People: Julian Jagtenberg, Reid Hoffman
- Books: The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle, A guide to the good life by Wiliam B Irvine
- Companies: Somnox, TU Delft, PHIA, Rabobank, Coolblue, VanMoof, Auping, Health Investment Partners
- Media: Dragons Den Somnox, CES 2018 We went to bed with Somnox the sleep robot, Somnox Youtube channel, hackyourcareer.com (Somnox is hiring!), Founder Book Club
- Other: Trustpilot reviews, bootstrapping, Baba o’ Riley - The Who
In 2016, Jarell founded Shypple - the "booking.com for intercontinental sea freight that connects more than 3000 companies worldwide."
In 2020, Shypple was voted Sprout Startup of the year. In april 2021, they raised a 7 Million Euro Series A, bringing the total funding to 9,5 Million and gearing up for more to facilitate acquisitions. Jarell earned his bachelor degree in Tilburg and his Masters in Rotterdam and turns out to be quite competitive.
In this episode, we'll cover the following topics:
- Shaking up a traditional industry that is used to fax and e-mail;
- Finding balance between organic growth and acquisitions;
- Staying healthy through quantified self.
Links mentioned:
- People: Jarell Habets, Ruben Wieman, Pieter Sleeboom
- Companies: Shypple, DHL, Kuehne Nagel, Clear Health, Antler, Oneteam, Graduate Entrepreneur
- Media: Interview with Jarell in AD
- Other: Vacancies at Shypple
Keep an eye on our LinkedIn channel for upcoming guests!
EJ sold his first business @Media to the Dutch Broadcasting Service in 2001. In 2006, he founded Nimbuzz, which he sold for 137 Million Euros to New Call Telecom in 2014. He then went on to found NGTI, until he dedicated himself to take up a role as the Managing Director of YES!Delft - voted #2 best university incubator in the world.
EJ is also a guest speaker at Nyenrode on innovation and transformation, an expert member for the European Commission and… a force to be reckoned with when it comes to padel.
In this episode, we cover the following topics:
- Dream exits;
- Building strong entrepreneurial ecosystems and;
- The link between business and sports.
Links mentioned:
- People: Evert Jaap Lugt, Elon Musk, Jan Koum, Constantijn van Oranje, Hans Scheffer
- Companies: Nimbuzz, YES!Delft, Erasmus Enterprise, Nyenrode, Whatsapp, Yahoo Messanger, KPN, Techleap, Gemeente Lansingerland, CIC, CES, Gladiatoren aan de Maas
- Media: Podcast Jan van de Tempel, Podcast Cinzia Silvestri, Liselore Lugtat Gladiatoren aan de Maas, AD Article about the Dutch Mark Zuckerberg
- Other:
- Nimbuzz Finder, Padel
Keep an eye on our LinkedIn channel for upcoming guests!
Vincent is the founder and Managing Director of Magnet.me - the online network that helps young professionals find a job they love.
In his spare time, Vincent represents the VVD, the liberal party at the City Council of Rotterdam. So you can see him on Dutch television every now and then. He has also been one of the driving forces behind the scale-up program in Rotterdam.
In this episode, we cover the following topics:
- How do you compete in a crowded market like recruitment;
- The opportunities in career coaching for students;
- Combining entrepreneurship with a role in the City Council.
Links mentioned:
- People: Vincent Karremans, Harald Swinkels, Laurens van Nues, Freek Schouten, Roos Vermeij, Sabine Biesheuvel, Bas van Kooperen
- Companies: Magnet.me,LaatBloeien, Het IndustrieGebouw, LinkedIn, Eton, Rabobank, NLE, VVD, BlueCity
- Media: Campaign Video - I’m on a horse
- Other: jobs.uprotterdam.com, Careers at magnet.me
- Song: We built this city by Starship
Keep an eye on our LinkedIn channel for upcoming guests!
Han is the founder of LeadInfo, category leader in B2B website visitor analytics. Before founding LeadInfo, Han worked for Telecom 360 for almost eight years, where he learned all about growing conference call services in multiple countries. Han featured on Dutch News Radio BNR twice in 2018 and 2019 and his interview at SaasBazen was the most downloaded episode.
In this episode, we'll discuss:
- How do you beat the odds as a bootstrapped single founder?
- What is Han's strategy for winning new customers across Europe?
- How do you manage work life balance as a founder raising three young children?
Links mentioned:
- People: Han Kleppe, Marien den Besten, Filip Lauweres, Adriaan Mol, Hans Scheffer, Quirijn Kleppe, Marianne Kleppe
- Companies: Leadinfo, BNR, Saasbazen, LaatBloeien, Exact, Feyenoord, Heineken, Amazon, Mollie, Helloprint, Adhoc Docent
- Media: jobs.uprotterdam.com
- Song: Mark Knopler - Skydiver
Keep an eye on our LinkedIn channel for upcoming guests!
Djordy is a tech entrepreneur who is passionate about real estate and building impactful ventures. With a Master in Law (Cum Laude) and a Master in Science, he joined HousingAnywhere in 2014. In 2018, Djordy took over as the CEO. He professionalised the company, led multiple funding rounds taking the total amount raised by the company to €35.5 million, accomplished four successful acquisitions within 12 months and navigated the business through the Covid-19 crisis.
In this episode, we discuss:
- What is it like to step in as CEO when the founder steps out;
- What are Djordy's learnings when it comes to M&A
- How do you structure your company for growth;
Links mentioned:
- People: Djordy Seelmann, Niels van Deuren
- Companies: Housing Anywhere, Rentmate, Studenten WG, Stanzazoo, Kamernet, Moonback, HenQ, Mendix, Vostok New Ventures, BlaBlaCar, Gett
- Media: AD Article - Tinder for Rental Market
- Other: Five55 Building, OKRs, vacancies at HousingAnywhere
- Song: Eminem - Lose Yourself
Keep an eye on our LinkedIn channel for upcoming guests!
Cinzia Silvestri is the Founder and CEO of Bi/ond, the Dutch biotech company on a mission to enable personalized disease treatment. Originally from Italy, Cinzia holds a Master in Electronic Engineering from the University of Rome, and a PhD in Microelectronics from Delft University of Technology. She is a TEDx speaker and was selected InspiringFifty. In this episode, we discuss:
- What is it like to build a business in the pioneering field of Organ-on-chips?
- How do you keep faith when your competitors receive 100M+ in funding?
- What are Cinzia’s dreams for the future;
Links mentioned:
- People: Cinzia Silvestri,Nikolas Gaio, William F. Quirós-Solano, Ronald Dekker
- Companies: BI/OND, University of Rome, TU Delft, UNIIQ
- Books: Crossing the Chasm
- Other: TEDx talk: "Your Drugs Are Average", Philips Innovation Awards 2019, Accenture Innovation Awards 2018
- Song: Roberto Vecchioni - Sogna Ragazzo Sogna
Keep an eye on our LinkedIn channel for upcoming guests!
This episode features Hicham Shatou, Founder and CEO of LeQuest.
Hicham is a man on a mission to improve the world of healthcare. With a background in civil engineering, he founded LeQuest, the leading MedTech company in online training for medical devices. Last year, LeQuest was recognised as one of the 250 fastest-growing companies in the Netherlands. Hicham is also an investor and coach at BlueSparrows, a Delft Based MedTech fund, where he shares his experience and insights with upcoming MedTech entrepreneurs.
In this episode, we discuss:
- How do you build partnerships with multinationals like Philips and GE?
- How does diversity help you build stellar teams?
- How to combine family life with a globally operating scale-up?
Links mentioned:
- People: Hicham Shatou, Dervis Demirtas, Anoesjka Imambaks, Dyon Leter, Sven Kramer, Ireen Wüst
- Companies: LeQuest, BlueSparrows, IcySolutions, Feyenoord, LUMC Leiden, Philips, GE, YES!Delft, Venture Café, Fundright, Medical X
- Books: The hard things about hard things by Ben Horowitz
- Articles: LeQuest €7M funding announcement
- Other: Qui se ressemble, s'assemble
- Song: Claude Nougaro - Tu verras
Keep an eye on our LinkedIn channel for upcoming guests!
This episode features Jeroen van Velzen, Founder and CEO of Roadmap.
Jeroen has an impressive entrepreneurial record. In 2002, he co founded Mobile2Pay, the first mobile payment system in the Benelux. After that, he became CEO and co-owner of Sound Of Data. In 2015, together with Koen Bavink and Markus Emmer, he spun out their travel activities, which became Roadmap. They raised a EUR4M series A in 2018. In March this year, Roadmap was acquired by Emburse, a global leader in expense management.
In this episode, we'll talk to Jeroen about:
- What is Grit and why is it important?
- How do you prepare for a dream exit?
- and… what will the future bring for Jeroen?
Links mentioned:
- People: Jeroen van Velzen, Koen Bavinck, Markus Emmer
- Companies: Roadmap, Emburse, Newion
- Media: Grit by Angela Duckworth (book), Press release Emburse acquires Roadmap, Interview with Jeroen on how the COL helped Roadmap to stay afloat
- Other: Qi Gong, Brain Academy
Keep an eye on our LinkedIn channel for upcoming guests!
(Ps.: we took our show on the road and experienced a challenge with sound levels this time. But we promise to learn fast. Thanks for your understanding and... enjoy the story! 🙏)
This episode features Charlotte Melkert, Founder and CEO of Equalture.
At the age of 19, Charlotte started her first company, together with her identical twin sister Fleur. Today, she is the co-founder and CEO of Equalture - the fast growing HR Tech company that is shaping the world of unbiased hiring. Charlotte was nominated most talented female entrepreneur of The Netherlands, LOEY Talent Award, Sprout 25 under 25 and Sifted's top European Gen Z Founders.
In this episode, we'll talk to Charlotte about:
- How do you raise your first round of 1MM in seed capital?
- How do you make tough entrepreneurial decisions at a young age?
- What are Charlotte’s dreams for the future?
Links mentioned:
- People: Charlotte Melkert, Fleur Melkert, Jaap Haagmans, Rinke Zonneveld
- Companies: Equalture, InnovationQuarter, 4impact, Recruitee, Usabilla
- Media: Finder, Charlotte's blog
Keep an eye on our LinkedIn channel for upcoming guests!
This episode features Jan van der Tempel, Founder and CEO of Ampelmann.
Jan is the inventor, co-founder and CEO of Ampelmann, the global leader in motion compensated offshore access systems and services, used on vessels all over the world. Jan is also the co-founder and director of DOB-Academy and in 2018 he was awarded as an honorary member of the Royal Netherlands Society of Engineers, for his domestic and international contributions to the offshore industry.
In this episode, we'll talk to Jan about:
- How do you balance your company between innovation and growth?
- What is it like to step out of the company you founded, and then step back in again?
- The other organisation that Jan is involved in: DOB-Academy.
Links mentioned:
- People: Jan van der Tempel, Peter Paul van Voorst tot Voorst, Mina Nacheva, Elon Musk
- Companies: Ampelmann, DOB Academy, Lehman Brothers, TU Delft, Skoon Energy
- Media: The Founders Mentality, Microsoft Teams, Danny Vera - Rollercoaster
Keep an eye on our LinkedIn channel for upcoming guests!
This episode features Kars Veling, Founder and CEO of LessonUp.
In 2000 Kars founded strategic internet agency Q42, where he was the CTO and is still on the board of advisors. In 2014, he started LessonUp where he is now CEO. Kars is also a Co initiator of Future NL, the foundation focused at bringing digital literacy to the classroom; and until last year he was a member of the Economic Board of the Hague.
In this episode, we'll talk to Kars about:
- How the corona lockdown accelerates the growth of LessonUp;
- Falling in love with your co-founder;
- What his dreams for the future hold and how an elderly home in Portugal fits into this story.
Links mentioned:
- People: Kars Veling, Janneke Plaisier
- Companies: Lessonup.com, Working at Lessonup.com, Q42, Peak Capital, FutureNL
- Media: Living Darfur - Mattafix, Slack
- Other stuff: Commodore64, MRR
Keep an eye on our LinkedIn channel for upcoming guests!
This episode features Hans Scheffer, Founder and CEO of Helloprint.
He started his first business at the age of 19. Today, he is disrupting the Print Industry by Creating Earth's Largest Platform for Printed Products, Next to that, he is Founding Partner of WeTechRotterdam, an initiative to strengthen the tech community.
In this episode, you'll learn:
- How do you build a company culture for fast growth?
- What do you do when a crisis turns your business upside down?
- And, what drives him on a more personal level?
Links mentioned:
- People: Hans Scheffer, Melissa Ablett, Reindert Kriek
- Companies: Helloprint, Drukzo, Flyerzone, WeWow
- Media: What a wonderful world, Hello-X with Astronaut, Helloprint Strategy week 2019
- Books: Rockefeller Habits
Keep an eye on our LinkedIn channel for upcoming guests!
This episode features Judith Eyck, Founder of vakanties.nl and Managing Director of Zoover.
Judith founded online travel agency Vakanties.nl in 2017 with Sunweb founder Joost Romeijn as investor. In the following two years Judith led Vakanties to grow rapidly. She was nominated for Loey Talent Awards 2019 and Rotterdam Business Woman Awards 2020. In the summer of 2020, in the middle of the corona pandemic, she successfully acquired Zoover, of which she is now co-owner and managing director.
In this episode, you'll learn:
- What does it take to grow a tech company in the travel industry?
- How do you integrate two teams after an acquisition?
- … what is Judiths’ most memorable holiday experience?
Links mentioned:
- People: Judith Eyk, Joost Romeijn,
- Companies: Vakanties.nl, Zoover, Sunweb Group, ISM Ecompany, Sana Commerce, PetBnB.nl, BlueCity010, 42Workspace
- Media: Up!Rotterdam video; The Long Way Up, Run Boy Run.
Keep an eye on our LinkedIn channel for upcoming guests!