Tech Funding Roundup: More Innovation & Growth

April 1, 2025

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Welcome back! 

The tech funding ecosystem is buzzing once again with innovation and growth. From AI-powered digital marketing to groundbreaking clean energy solutions, companies across the Netherlands are making waves with fresh investments.  

Missed last month’s roundup? Check it out here.

Here’s a roundup of some of March’s funding successes 👇 

📈 €3 Million for AI Digital Marketing Optimisation 📈 

Following an impressive 700% growth in 2024, Billy Grace is poised for further expansion this year. With a €3 million investment secured in a funding round led by Fortino Capital, the company aims to enter new markets, including the UK and Germany. 

♻️ Withthegrid Secures €3.5 Million to Advance Energy Asset Control ♻️

Utrecht-based cleantech company Withthegrid has raised €3.5 million, with €2 million from Move Energy and the rest through debt financing from Rabobank. As the world shifts towards renewable energy, Withthegrid remains committed to tackling challenges in energy infrastructure. A big development in the cleantech world! 

🔋 Moonwatt Scores €8 Million in Seed Funding 🔋

A significant milestone for Moonwatt as they raise €8 million to drive innovation in solar power with their sodium-ion battery systems. The funding will accelerate the deployment of their technology and contribute to a cleaner, more sustainable future. The round was co-led by Daphni and LEA Partners, with participation from Founders Future, AFI Ventures, and Kima Ventures. 

Conclusion

It’s inspiring to see these companies push boundaries and lead advancements in their  respective fields. With strong backing and clear visions, the future looks bright for these innovative startups. Stay tuned for more tech funding updates next month! 

Data & AI Report – AI Remains Center of Attention

March 10, 2025

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Welcome back! 

In January’s Data & AI Report, we highlighted the growing emphasis on AI – and this month is no exception! 

AI remains the center of attention, and we’ve gathered some of the top stories for you. Dive in below! 👇 

🔔 AI Action Summit raises alarms 🔔

The summit in Paris showed a collective understanding amongst global leaders, industry experts & academics to address AI’s challenges & opportunities.  

Key themes include: 

  • Governance & Regulation: leaders stressed the urgency of unified global AI guidelines to ensure safety, ethics, and fairness-
  • Workforce & Inclusion: experts emphasise upskilling workers for an AI-driven economy to ensure AI benefits extend beyond Silicon Valley to all communities 
  • Public Interest & Bias: academics advocate for AI development that serves the public good, tackling bias and pushing back against big tech’s dominance
  • Evaluation & Ethics: calls for systematic AI evaluation to balance innovation with ethical considerations

The summit marked a crucial moment in shaping AI’s future, with a strong focus on equity, transparency, and responsible innovation. 

💸 Big Tech’s Big Investments 💸

2025 is set to witness the largest AI investment in history, with tech giants Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and Meta committing a staggering $320 billion to AI infrastructure – a 30% increase from 2024. 

Last month’s Data & AI Report touched on the DeepSeek saga, which challenged the notion that developing advanced AI requires sky-high costs. However, big tech is showing no signs of scaling back.

The message is clear: the AI revolution is in full swing, and only the biggest players with the biggest investments are leading the charge. 

🤫 Meta’s Rumoured $200 billion AI Data Centre 🤫

Rumors are swirling about Meta’s potential $200 billion AI data center project, adding to its already massive investment in AI infrastructure. Reports suggest they’re exploring locations in Louisiana, Wyoming, or Texas, with site visits allegedly underway. 

However, a Meta spokesperson has denied these claims, stating that aside from its previously announced $65 billion investment, no additional projects are in the works. 

With speculation still lingering, we’re watching closely to see how this story develops. 

🛵 DeepSeek AI Revolutionising China’s Trasport Sector 🛵

DeepSeek’s AI technology is rapidly transforming China’s transportation sector & major car and e-scooter manufacturers are integrating it into their products. Initially adopted by EV giants like BYD and Geely, the technology is now making its way into electric two-wheelers.

BYD plans to incorporate DeepSeek into its software platform, enabling self-driving capabilities across multiple models without increasing costs. Meanwhile, e-scooter brands are leveraging AI for rider assistance, voice interaction, and personalised services. 

Industry experts predict that by 2025, two-thirds of new cars in China will feature autonomous driving capabilities, highlighting the technology’s growing impact on mobility. 

Read more via DeepSeek here. 

Conclusion 

AI continues to dominate headlines, shaping industries and economies worldwide. From global policy discussions at the AI Action Summit to record-breaking investments by tech giants, the momentum behind AI innovation is undeniable.  

As we move further into 2025, one thing is clear: AI is not just the future – it’s the present, evolving at an unprecedented pace. Stay tuned for next month’s update as we continue tracking the latest developments in this ever-changing landscape! 

Data & AI Report – Trends from January 2025

February 17, 2025

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Welcome back! Our previous Data & AI report highlighted significant AI advancements, and our January round-up is no different. 

AI continues to evolve at a rapid pace, with new developments emerging constantly. We’ve compiled the top stories from January below – take a look 👇   

🤖 DeepSeek vs OpenAI 🤖

The AI landscape saw a major shake-up this January! 

Chinese startup DeepSeek launched its AI chatbot, quickly soaring to the top as the highest-rated free app in the U.S., surpassing ChatGPT for the number one spot. 

What followed, however, has turned into a full-fledged battle of the bots. OpenAI, along with U.S. government officials, has accused DeepSeek of replicating responses from its models, alleging that this allowed the company to develop its chatbot at a fraction of the cost.

Yet, no concrete evidence has been presented. We’ll be watching closely to see how this unfolds! 

💻💄L’Oréal & AI – a merging of two worlds 💄💻

January marked an unexpected fusion of beauty and AI. L’Oréal announced a partnership with IBM’s GenAI technology to revolutionize its innovation and development process. 

With a focus on sustainability and product quality, the custom AI model will be built on a vast database of cosmetic formulas. This will streamline new product creation, enhance existing ones, and accelerate crucial tasks. 

If successful, L’Oréal and IBM could lead a broader industry shift, demonstrating AI’s transformative power even in unexpected sectors. 

Check out more on IBM’s website here.

🚫 Alterya & Chainalysis on the fight against scammers  🚫

The AI-powered fraud detection solution, Alterya, identifies scammers before they can act. They already work with top cryptocurrency exchanges & fintech’s, currently monitoring more than $8 billion in transactions per month. 

The acquisition means Chainalysis can double down on their strategy to invest in the prevention of fraudulent transactions. Integrating Alterya technology with the Chainalysis blockchain data platform will strengthen their effectiveness, creating network effects across blockchains and digital payment systems while enhancing Alterya’s capability to identify fraudulent activity. 

This could be a powerful acquisition to continue fighting scammers! 

Read more via Chainalysis here. 

🧠 Human AI data “exhausted” says Musk 🧠

Elon Musk has claimed that AI companies have run out of data for training their models. Human knowledge has been exhausted. 

What does this mean for the building of new systems? 

Well, AI firms are going to have to look toward synthetic data (that created by AI models) if they want to further develop their models. This isn’t all that new, though. Some of the giants including Meta, Microsoft & Google have already used synthetic data in their developments. 

As the developments progress, as does the skepticism around the ethics of AI. OpenAI openly admits that it would be impossible to create tools without access to copyrighted material, which is presenting challenges from the creative & publishing worlds. 

How this unfolds is something we’ll be keeping an eye on! 

Conclusion 

That’s it for this month’s Data & AI Report. From industry shake-ups to groundbreaking partnerships and ambitious national strategies, AI continues to redefine what’s possible. Whether it’s a battle for dominance in the chatbot space, beauty brands embracing AI-driven innovation, or how AI is going to gather data, one thing is clear—this technology is moving fast, and the stakes are higher than ever. 

As sustainability, ethics, and innovation collide, the coming months will be crucial in shaping the future of AI. Who will lead, who will adapt, and who will be left behind? We’ll be watching closely. Stay tuned! 🚀 

January Tech Funding Roundup: a strong start!

February 3, 2025

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Welcome back! 

The first month of 2025 is in the books, and the tech funding landscape is off to a strong start with 18 investment rounds across the sector! 

We’ve highlighted some of the most exciting funding rounds, offering a glimpse into what’s ahead this year. Take a look 👇 

💻 Workwize secures an impressive €12.6 million 💻

Big news for Amsterdam-based Workwize, as Klass Capital leads a major investment round to help scale their platform for managing office equipment for remote teams. 

With a client list that already includes Adyen & HelloFresh, this funding will accelerate their plans – including a U.S. expansion in 2025! 

📲 €6 million to power Klearly’s in-person payment revolution 📲

Klearly is transforming smartphones into card terminals—a game-changer for small businesses! 

Backed by Global PayTech Ventures, alongside Antler, Elevate, and Shapers, this €6M seed round will fuel their growth into new European markets. 

🥸 Ver.iD raises €2 million to enhance ID verification 🥸

Ver.iD’s SaaS platform is simplifying ID verification, reducing fraud risks, and streamlining onboarding. 

With €2M in angel funding, they’re set to expand across Europe and continue improving security in the verification space.

🍃 Leafcloud gains backing for sustainable cloud computing 🍃

The Sharing Group has acquired a minority stake in Leafcloud, aligning with their mission to drive positive environmental change. 

With this strategic partnership, Leafcloud is well-positioned to scale its eco-friendly cloud services while pushing sustainability forward! 

Conclusion  

With a strong start to 2025, these funding rounds signal an exciting year ahead for the tech industry. As these startups scale and expand into new markets, we’ll be keeping an eye on their progress—and on what’s next in the world of tech funding. Stay tuned for more updates! 🚀 

Trump, Power & the EU Tech Scene

January 29, 2025

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History has repeated itself & Trump is back in…

Trump has made a return to power, and the front row of his inauguration featured some of the most influential figures in big tech. But what does this mean for the European tech scene? 

His previous presidency had a significant impact on Europe’s tech landscape, and we might witness similar trends this time around. 

What happened last time?

During his last term, trade disputes—particularly with China—disrupted global supply chains. As a result, EU tech firms reliant on transatlantic partnerships faced higher import costs, logistical delays, and stricter compliance requirements. These challenges made it increasingly difficult to meet US market demands. 

Could history repeat itself, this time with even greater complications due to Trump’s “America First” agenda? We might see policies designed to further restrict European tech companies from entering the US market, including import limitations, regulatory barriers, and challenges in key sectors such as AI and 5G, where competition is fierce. 

Taking another look at the front row of Trump’s inauguration—could this signal future challenges for European tech firms? Speculation suggests that government support for US tech giants could intensify, potentially widening the competitive gap between American and European companies. With possible tax breaks, increased federal spending on companies like Microsoft and Amazon, and a more relaxed regulatory stance, efforts to level the playing field through existing regulations may be hindered. 

However, it’s not all doom and gloom.

Trump’s presidency could also present opportunities for the European tech scene. 

If the US market becomes less accessible, the EU might shift its focus towards strengthening internal markets and fostering regional collaboration. This could result in the development of more integrated ecosystems across sectors like fintech, healthtech, and AI. 

Additionally, a decline in US investment—should Trump push his “America First” strategy to the extreme—might prompt European firms to explore alternative funding sources within the EU. This could lead to expansion and self-sufficiency within the region. Furthermore, there’s potential for increased investment from Asian markets, offering new avenues for growth and deeper transatlantic relationships. 

While Trump’s return brings uncertainty, it also provides a unique opportunity for the European tech industry to innovate, adapt, and strengthen its position on the global stage. We will be keeping a close eye on the developments! 

December Tech Funding Roundup: Promising Signs for 2025

January 8, 2025

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Welcome back to our monthly funding roundup! 

Investments certainly didn’t slow down too quickly in December. We saw 11 companies secure tech funding – not bad for the last month of the year!  

We’ve rounded up some of the notable investments from December to see out our monthly roundups for 2024 👇 

💰 Recall’s $1.5 million pre-seed funding round 💰 

Recall, an Amsterdam-based AI tool, has secured $1.5 million in pre-seed funding. The round was led by Jason Calacanis, with participation from Blockchain Founders Capital, Rocket Capital, and Digital Virtues. The funding will help the company advance its mission to revolutionise how we consume, organise, and retain online knowledge. 

🏠🪴 Next Sense equipped to keep cutting carbon emissions 🪴🏠

Next Sense, a smart building platform provider, has secured €11.5 million to advance its mission of creating climate-neutral buildings using AI control. The investment was led by ABP and ETF Partners, with additional support from Edge, SHAPE Capital, and Timeless Investments. This funding marks a significant step toward reducing buildings’ 40% contribution to global CO₂ emissions. 

♻️ Orbisk & AI to tackle food waste ♻️ 

Orbisk, a Dutch scaleup tackling food waste with AI, has raised over €8 million in an oversubscribed Series A funding round. The round was led by Regeneration.VC and co-led by PeakBridge, with support from Kost Capital, DOEN Participaties, Brabant Development Agency (BOM), and EIT Food’s AgriFoodInvest. The funds will be used to improve AI technology, enhance operations, expand customer integrations, and grow their global team. 

🤖 Agricultural robots are on the up! 🤖

Odd.Bot, a Lelystad startup specialising in autonomous agricultural robots, has raised €2 million in pre-Series A funding to advance its sustainable robot and launch new versions.  

Led by Iconic Ventures & with contributions from PolKa Capital Management, Horizon and regional farmers and private investors, the funds are sure to enable the growth of the agricultural robot! 

Conclusion 

It’s clear that innovation across industries shows no signs of slowing down & these investments highlight the diverse and impactful ways technology continues to shape our world. 

It was an exciting close to 2024 and a promising preview of what’s to come in 2025. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue tracking the latest trends and breakthroughs in the tech funding landscape! 

Data & AI Report – Data Trends in October 2024

November 13, 2024

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Data trends in October saw impressive investments, cleantech advancements, AI assistants and most excitingly, robots! 

We’ve delved into the most exciting news from the month – check them out below 👇

European Innovation Council to Boost Deep Tech Innovation with €1.4 Billion Investment in 2025 

The EIC has announced an impressive €1.4 billion investment: a huge boost to deep tech research and strategic technology start-ups across Europe for 2025. This increase represents a massive €200 million boost compared to 2024, underscoring the EU’s commitment to nurturing high-potential tech ventures that will shape Europe’s technological future. 

By improving access to capital, the EIC is actively working to bridge the funding gap that often limits the growth of Europe’s tech pioneers and hinders their global competitiveness. This offers a critical opportunity from European startups – we’re excited to see what this brings! 

Read more about the 2025 EIC programme here. 

Lunar’s AI Voice Assistant to Handle 75% of Customer Calls, Revolutionising Fintech Support 

Danish challenger bank Lunar takes major step forward in customer service by launching a voice assistant powered by AI. Aiming to handle  75% of customer calls, Lunar’s AI assistant promises a seamless 24/7 experience. Accessible answers even in the middle of the night!

Lunar’s move echoes a growing trend among fintechs (including Klarna and Bunq) who are using AI to streamline customer support without cutting jobs. With its forward-thinking approach and a valuation of $2.2 billion, Lunar is positioning itself at the forefront of fintech innovation in the Nordics, aiming to enhance customer service without sacrificing the personal touch. 

See Lunar’s press release here. 

Cleantech Companies Secure a Huge €13.2 billion in Funding in First Three Quarters of 2024 

Cleantech companies are at the forefront of Europe’s drive for sustainability: they are spearheading efforts to reduce carbon emissions and transition toward a circular economy. Their innovative work in renewable energy, sustainable materials, and resource management is not only crucial for environmental resilience but also fuels job creation and economic growth across the continent. 

These investments highlight the strong momentum behind green technologies and signal continued interest in sustainable growth from investors. With support like this, Europe is laying the groundwork for a cleaner, more sustainable future, one that aligns environmental priorities with economic opportunity. 

Check out a few of the companies that were involved in raising the funds: 

Northvolt // Avantium Technologies // BioBTX 

Starship and Bolt Team Up for Robot Grocery Deliveries in Tallinn 

Make way for the robot! 

Estonian-founded tech leaders Starship Technologies & Bolt have joined forces to launch Europe’s first robot-powered grocery delivery service – a huge push forward! 

This groundbreaking service combines Starship’s autonomous delivery robots with Bolt’s popular delivery app. Starship’s robots, consume minimal energy—about the amount needed to boil a kettle for a cup of tea. The robots offer a more sustainable option to usual deliveries – we have no doubt this will quickly spread throughout the rest of Europe! 

Conclusion

Europe is rapidly advancing through strategic investments, cutting-edge AI applications, and innovative green solutions. It’s setting a strong foundation for future growth in high-impact sectors and the developments signal a promising era of sustainable innovation, economic opportunity, and technological leadership across Europe. 

Check back to see what data trends we see develop next month.

Data & AI Report – Data Science Trends September 2024

October 9, 2024

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September trends in data science saw introductions into advanced search engines, internal developments & data protection from potential AI threats.

We’ve covered some exciting news from some big names.

Read on for more on all these exciting developments!

Vinted migrate to Vespa – how the online second hand shopping phenomenon is keeping up with the growth & complexity of data

After hitting the limits of their previous search engine, Vinted were on a mission to find a more scalable alternative.

Introducing Vespa: an open-source search engine & vector database. Vespa supports vector and keyword search and searches within structured data, all in one query. It also integrates machine learning which enables real-time AI insights from their data. It’s proven to handle thousands of queries per second, making it the top-runner for managing large & complex data.

Already used by others including Spotify & Yahoo and with continuous application improvements being delivered, will we continue to see increased use of Vespa?

Read more about Vinted’s migration here.

QueryGBT – allowing easier and faster data analysis for Uber

Uber’s data platform handles a huge 1.2 million interactive queries each month. The idea of QueryGBT is to better manage real-time data analytics & to query massive datasets. A combination of Presto (open-source SQL query engine) and Apache Hudi, which has the capabilities for handling upserts and managing large volumes of data in a cloud-based or distributed environment.

The system is part of Uber’s broader efforts to handle large-scale, real-time data streaming and querying – integral to its data-driven approach to decision-making. It’s said to minimise generating reliable queries from 10 minutes down to 3 which is a massive productivity gain for Uber.

Using advanced AI, QueryGPT fits smoothly into Uber’s data system, cutting query time and increasing accuracy to handle their complex data needs.

Read more about the advancements here.

Dropbox & Lakera Guard securing LLM’s

In a blog posted this September, Dropbox delved into how they’re using Lakera Guard to protect their LLM’s from potential security threats posed by AI.

Citing the importance of maintaining the trust of their millions of users to protect their content, Dropbox talk about how they chose Lakera Guard last year to protect user data & uphold the reliability and trustworthiness of their intelligent features, as outlined in their AI principles.

What were Dropbox looking for in their quest for protection? Their considerations concluded that it has to be deployable on their existing infrastructure, have low latency, strong confidence scores and scope for continuous improvement.

Dropbox have since invested in Lakera Guard, proving their strong belief in it’s abilities. Furthermore, they’ve also collaborated with the teams to develop improvements on the software itself. Working closely with Lakera, Dropbox have been able to help them meet their requirements whilst achieving their own security goals, too!

Read the full blog here.

Conclusion

In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, companies like Vinted, Uber and Dropbox are navigating many complexities. Vinted’s switch to Vespa demonstrates the importance of scalable search engines as companies grow. Uber’s QueryGBT highlights the need for faster and more accurate data analytics. Meanwhile, Dropbox’s partnership with Lakera Guard emphasises the need to secure AI systems to ensure data remains protected as AI technologies advance.

Data Jobs in the Netherlands

Interested in a new adventure within the data world?
For information on data jobs in the Netherlands, get in touch.

Data & AI Report – Data Science Trends July 2024

August 5, 2024

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Trends in data science have brought a fresh wave of excitement to the data and analytics landscape this July. We’re seeing major moves towards scalability, efficient governance, and AI capabilities. Additionally, Dr. Randy Olson shows us just how far creative data use can take you—literally! Turns out, data science isn’t just about numbers, it can plan one epic road trip too! 

Firstly, discord’s transition to Dagster and dbt for data orchestration 

This month, Discord announced a major overhaul of their data orchestration infrastructure, moving from their in-house system, Derived, to a combination of Dagster and dbt. As their platform and user base expanded, the need for enhanced self-service capabilities and robust observability became evident. This decision was driven by the necessity for declarative automation, a modern unified interface, reliability on Kubernetes, and seamless integration with existing tools. 

After evaluating open-source options like Argo and Prefect, Discord chose Dagster for orchestration and dbt for data modeling. This transition has enabled them to support over 2,000 dbt tables, enhancing their ability to deliver seamless service and insightful data analytics while scaling efficiently. 

Read about it here

Meta unveils Llama 3.1 

This month, Meta introduced Llama 3.1, a massive leap in open-source AI. The Llama 3.1 405B model brings unmatched flexibility and state-of-the-art capabilities, unlocking new workflows like synthetic data generation and model distillation. Additionally, Meta is enhancing the Llama ecosystem with new security tools and a reference system. Over 25 partners, including AWS and Google Cloud, will offer services from day one. 

 

Llama 3.1 models feature expanded context lengths to 128K, multilingual support, and strong performance across benchmarks. Upgraded 8B and 70B models enhance capabilities in general knowledge, tool use, and translation. 

Read Meta’s full update

Building a data-driven analytics team at DoorDash 

Jessica Lachs, DoorDash’s VP of Analytics & Data Science, shares insights on what it means to be truly data-driven and how to structure an analytics team. Having joined DoorDash as the first General Manager in 2014, Lachs has built the analytics team from the ground up and now leads global analytics, including the Wolt Analytics team post-acquisition. 

Not only does Lachs highlight that the term “analytics” can be ambiguous, encompassing data science, business intelligence, product analytics, machine learning, and BizOps. She also emphasizes that to build a data-driven organisation, founders should focus on desired outcomes rather than semantics. At DoorDash, the role of analytics has evolved with the company’s growth, shifting from gut instinct decisions to data-centric strategies. Initially, DoorDash used quasi-experimental methods due to limited data, but as the company matured, they invested in scalable data models and advanced experimentation capabilities, expanding their analytics scope to drive better decision-making. 

Read the full post here

Databricks’ migration to unity catalog for data governance 

In a recent blog post, the Data Platform team at Databricks shared insights into their migration to Unity Catalog for enhanced data governance. As the company grows, establishing secure, compliant, and cost-effective data operations has become a priority. With thousands of employees analysing data, consistent governance standards are essential, making the migration to Unity Catalog a top priority. 

The blog outlines the challenges and benefits of migrating from the default Hive Metastore (HMS) to Unity Catalog. While HMS lacked fine-grained access controls, lineage support, audit logs, and effective search integration, UC provided these features out-of-the-box. Therefore, the team chose a transformational approach, selectively migrating datasets to establish a structured governance framework. This strategy required more effort initially, but enabled clear data ownership, naming conventions, and intentional access, setting the stage for future governance policies.

Read the blog

Finally, some creative Data use!

Dr. Randy Olson, a full stack data scientist and AI researcher, utilised his expertise in machine learning to develop an optimal search strategy.  

He approached this task using the Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) algorithm, which aims to find the shortest route that visits each city exactly once and returns to the starting point.  

Dr. Olson applied three specific restrictions:  

  1. The trip must stop in all 48 contiguous U.S. states 
  2. Only visit National Natural Landmarks, National Historic Sites, National Parks, or National Monuments #
  3. Be taken entirely by car without leaving the U.S. 

Want to take the trip? The route spans 13,699 miles and requires 224 hours (or 9.33 days) of driving, assuming no traffic. You can find the full itinerary here. 

Dr Randy Olsen used Data to design the optimum road trip across the U.S. Showing how useful data can be. Data science trends really are everywhere!

Olsen’s epic road trip

To conclude 

July highlighted several key trends in data and analytics. The push for scalability is evident in Discord’s adoption of Dagster and dbt, and Databricks’ migration to Unity Catalog for better data governance. The importance of building effective data teams was underscored by DoorDash’s approach to analytics leadership. Another notable trend is the growing emphasis on enhanced self-service capabilities and robust observability in data platforms. These themes point towards a future focused on scalable infrastructure, efficient governance, structured teams, and innovative AI applications.

If you’re interested in how we can help scale your data team, get in touch.

International Girls in ICT Day – Breaking Barriers

April 25, 2024

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Today, technology drives almost all innovations that shape our world. Yet, behind the scenes lies a harsh reality – in the Netherlands, only 16% of technical roles are filled by women. (Teamrockstars) This International Girls in ICT Day, we’re shining a light on the challenges faced and the opportunities for progress within the Dutch Tech space. 

International Girls in ICT Day was set up by the United Nation’s specialised agency, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), to encourage girls and young women to pursue STEM education and careers.  

Infographic showing some of the statistics mentioned above.

The Numbers

  • 0,8% of all investments since 2008 went to startups with only female founders. (Techleap)
  • Only 15% of students taking technical courses in the Netherlands are women.(Teamrockstars)
  • Start-up companies run by women typically obtain approximately 20% less investment than those by males. (OECD)
  • 3% of females say a career in technology is their first choice. (PWC)
  • 78% of students can’t name a famous female working in technology. (PWC)

The Impact of Homogeneity 

A lack of diversity doesn’t just have a negative impact on the image of a company, it can also be detrimental to the output of a company. 

With around 84% of the Dutch tech workforce being male, there’s a likelihood that a large majority of that have come from similar backgrounds and/or have similar experiences, and perspectives. This can lead to a narrow approach to innovation or problem solving.  

Obviously it’s not as black and white as this, and as it goes, the Dutch tech scene is incredibly diverse in other areas. But there is still work to be done… 

We’ve got to start somewhere! 

Alarmingly, without intervention, the share of women in tech roles in Europe is projected to decline by 2027 (McKinsey) 

There are lots of organisations & communities aiming change that, here are a handful: 

S#E (pronounced She Sharp)  

An Amsterdam based non-profit foundation that makes it easier for all women and non-binary people to enter, stay, and grow in the Tech industry. 

They have a large community on Slack, run events, and offer funding for people within the community to develop through training & courses.  

Women in Tech  

A global charity, with a Netherlands-based chapter, supporting women and girls in ICT & STEM and closing the digital divide. They donate computers & laptops to schools, establish learning centres, and provide digital literacy courses for girls in places like India, South Africa and Brazil. 

Tech She Can  

An European charity, working together with industry, government, and schools to improve the ratio of women in technology roles. Educating, equipping and inspiring young people, especially girls, to study technology subjects and choose a career in technology. 

How can I help? 

As an individual, the most important thing you can do is advocate, but here are a few other ways you or your company could help:  

  • Volunteer to become a mentor 
  • Join or support the organisations, donate to their causes and help fund training to encourage more young women to pursue a career in tech. 
  • Work with your company to set hiring targets, and communicate those to your chosen recruitment partner. 
  • Set up links with communities that work with women in ICT, so that women can find new roles. 
  • Look for opportunities to speak and inspire others to get into a career in tech. 

Hiring for your team? Get in touch with us to discuss your requirements, and gain access to our diverse talent pool. 

contact our team.