Invest-NL: “Put your startup in the spotlight”

The deadline is looming for the chance to win a place at the Draper University Hero Training Program. This five-week entrepreneurship program takes place in the heart of Silicon Valley and includes intense learning modules, speaker sessions, workshops and team activities.

Invest-NL’s Deep Tech Fund is one of this year’s competition sponsors and it’s not hard to see why. The fund invests in startups and scale-ups working on new disruptive technologies. These technologies strengthen the existing deep-tech ecosystem in the Netherlands and are important for future economic development and growth.

Events like this are one of the ways Invest-NL keeps its ear to the ground on the best of the best technologies coming out of the Netherlands.

“By joining the event, we will learn a lot ourselves. We will see ideas and technologies that are being developed and we will have the possibility to meet the founders, startups and co-investors,” said Senior Investment Manager René Brama.

The Netherlands has many initiatives focused on startups and technology and is always working together with companies, investors and foreign countries. On top of that, European cooperation on technology investments is accelerating quickly. But Invest-NL will be quick to point out the importance of expanding a startup’s point of view.

“The Netherlands is a small country and U.S. developments are very important to Dutch startups. The U.S. is still leading and will always be a very important partner,” says René.

That’s why Invest-NL sponsors this opportunity for startups to experience the scene in Silicon Valley for five weeks and learn a lot in the process. The startups even get the opportunity to pitch and network with American venture capital firms that they wouldn’t otherwise have access to.

Invest-NL encourages startups to join Draper’s Silicon Spring Pitch Prize not only to broaden their perspective, but also to make connections.

“Join the event and you will meet a lot of experienced people and founders. Learn their tips and tricks.”

But even more than this, Invest-NL believes this pitching event is the perfect opportunity for startups to be bold.

“Put yourselves in the spotlight,” says René. “Be convinced of your idea, initiative and company. There will always be interesting people who can support you and your company in many ways.”

If your startup is looking for more ways to be bold and expand the company’s horizons, join Invest-NL and LUMO Labs at this year’s Draper’s Silicon Spring Pitch Prize. The deadline of March 23, 2023 is approaching quickly. Submit your application today and put your startup in the spotlight.