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September 17, 2025

South Holland: A startup powerhouse

The Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Index 2025 confirms what founders and investors already know: South Holland is one of the most powerful startup regions in the Netherlands.

The hotspots driving growth

  • Delft-Westland (Rank #1 nationwide) – Powered by TU Delft, TNO, and a dense network of research and corporate partners, this ecosystem leads the country in knowledge intensity.
  • Leiden-Bollenstreek (Rank #3) – Anchored by Leiden University and LUMC, this is the heart of health and life sciences innovation.
  • Rotterdam & Groot-Rijnmond (Rank #14) – Home to Erasmus University and Europe’s largest port, but still catching up on network strength and startup culture – a gap full of opportunity for founders and investors who want to shape its future.

South Holland scores high on financing and infrastructure, making it one of only two provinces in the Netherlands above average for funding access. But many areas, especially around Rotterdam, need stronger connections, networks, and culture – the factors that help founders turn ideas into scale-ups. Looking at the above – South Holland is already going strong. And we want to make sure that Rotterdam ranks even higher in next year’s report. There are already so many positive things happening but we want to give the region the extra push and make sure that Upstream contributes more. You can read the entire report here.

Remember to be part of it and pre-register for Upstream 2026.

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