The Netherlands is filled with traditional
slow-paced towns and cities. Among them is Rotterdam, a hub for ultra-high tech
lifestyles and structures. Startups thrive in this city. Businesses are
steadily emerging from other large cities like Amsterdam and Delft, but the
last years show Rotterdam pulling ahead.
According to the experts at lawyersimmigration.com, WeTechRotterdam is a cooperative initiative to promote the intermingling of tech start-ups in Rotterdam. This is among the support the startups are receiving from the Cambridge Innovation Center. Out of all the innovative technology startups in Rotterdam, let’s look at our top 5, and the amazing thing they’re doing for the technological world around them.
Coolblue
Coolblue is all about consumer electronics.
They have an online platform with more than 350 individual shops. Physical
retail stores are scattered in various cities in the country, but their
customer reach is only the Netherlands and Belgium. For the Ductch, the company
is a heavy competitor to Amazon Prime.
Coolblue was founded in 1999, with a series
D round funding totaling more than 140 million euros. This was a trade from HAL
investments who received 20% of the startup.
MetrixLab
MetrixLab supports brand and customer
relations. They do marketing research which in the long run, helps companies
understand their customer base better. They use all the big data from surveys
and studies, or even social media habits, to actual deliverables that companies
can act upon. Companies have more innovative thought in the
process, and are comfortable in a cohesive brand.
Rotterdam is its founding headquarters,
with another set up in San Francisco. Smaller offices around Europe, the US,
and Asia total to around 15. Including all rounds of funding, the startup has
raised 75 million euros.
Helloprint
Helloprint
is all about printing. They boast themselves as the continent’s largest growing
printing service. They are found all across Europe and sport a 30 million euro
evaluation. The company began to spread its wings in 2013, and has already
risen to that evaluation. Their growth rate was at 3% for the last three years.
Speaking on Helloprint’s funding, it has received a total of 3 million euros,
but that number could be higher because of two other undisclosed rounds.
Housing Anywhere
Like the name implies, Housing Anywhere is
a renting platform. This makes sublets available to foreign exchange students
to rent, or travelers. The company began gaining traction in 2010, and their
work with University students helped spread the word from there. The app began
in Rotterdam, but now has spread to 20 other countries.
To help create the international reach of
their product, they performed well in their series A round, receiving 5.9
million euros from Real Web. Real Web is a force in Italian real estate, and is
a platform-based company as well.
Sensara
Elderly people do not want more assistance,
but the correct assistance. Those at Sensara are dedicated to giving
independence to senior citizens, but in a safe way. This includes alerts and
advice to families depending on the person. Their self-learning algorithms aid
caregivers and anyone who needs access to the report via their app.
Sensara is a spin off of TNO which is a
primarily research-based organization. This startup is using their 3.8 million
euro investment to continue scaling and innovative development on their product.
They hope to open up their customer base to other countries.
A startup is only as successful as the hard
work and innovation a team puts into it. In Rotterdam there are a surplus of
companies ready to mix-up the tech world. Their innovative ideas and
collaborative nature is igniting a “Boston of Dutchland.” Their advances grow
with each new idea, and as a hub for tech entrepreneurs, Rotterdam is truly
starting to stand out.
