Green startups in Netherlands now employ 135,000 people; Up 7.6%

While tech giants like Meta and Twitter are implementing mass layoffs, Dutch startups focused on innovation in sustainability and energy are taking on more people. The number of jobs at green tech startups in the Netherlands increased by 7.6 percent to 135,000 in the past year, NRC reports based on the Dutch Startup Employment Report 2022.

Despite a looming economic crisis, venture capitalists have invested 1 billion euros into green Dutch startups so far this year. That is slightly lower than the record year 2021 and over twice as much as in 2020. Of every 3 euros invested in tech companies in the Netherlands, 1 euro now goes to a green startup.

Green startups are valued higher than companies that are not focused on climate solutions, the researchers found. “One of the trends we see is that investors now really want to go green,” Techleap director Maurice van Tilburg said to NRC. His organization participated in the study. “And due to the gas crisis, companies that focus on energy saving are also becoming very attractive economically.”

According to the researchers, adjustments to the Dutch tax rules for startups will eventually create tens of thousands of additional jobs. In June, parliament passed a law that makes it easier for startups to pay their staff in shares. This allows employees to participate financially in a company’s future success, while employers can attract top talent without immediately offering high salaries. The Senate will discuss the law next week.

About a tenth of startup employees in the Netherlands work for a company that focuses on the energy transition. These companies are mainly active in Zuid-Holland, Gelderland, and Noord-Brabant.