Startupbootcamp ends Dutch operations as two sister firms go bankrupt
Startupbootcamp, a prominent accelerator that has supported early-stage tech start-ups in the Netherlands for 15 years, has stopped its Dutch operations after its sister companies A-ccelerator and Innoleaps were declared bankrupt. Curator Nienke Bobbert confirmed the collapse to the RTL, saying, “There is no realistic prospect that all creditors can ultimately be paid.”
The bankruptcies end Startupbootcamp’s role in guiding new start-ups in the Netherlands. Director Marc Jellema said the organization will now focus only on managing its existing portfolio of equity stakes, not on running new accelerator programs.
A-ccelerator managed Startupbootcamp’s Dutch programs, while Innoleaps advised major companies including Unilever, FrieslandCampina and Philips. Both had strong reputations but saw their finances deteriorate.
Innoleaps employed 9 full-time staff last year, down from 17, and A-ccelerator had 30. Director Jellema previously linked the decline to the 2022 death of co-founder Patrick de Zeeuw and a worsening investment climate.
Bobbert is now reviewing what happens to the dozens of start-up equity stakes collected over 15 years. If those holdings fall into the bankruptcy estates, they could be sold to pay creditors. She said she is also working to ensure employees receive their salaries quickly.
The collapse contrasts sharply with Startupbootcamp Netherlands’ upbeat Instagram post five days earlier, which announced “Our Next Chapter,” highlighted 1,600+ accelerated startups and 900+ investments, and outlined a global reorganization taking effect in January 2026. The post said the Amsterdam headquarters would shift to portfolio management and that Dutch accelerator cohorts would continue “as planned.” It did not mention any risk of bankruptcy.
Startupbootcamp was founded by Ruud Hendriks and Patrick de Zeeuw, offering start-ups modest seed funding, intensive mentoring, and taking 6–8 percent equity, ANP press release shows.
The Amsterdam program launched in 2011 with backing from Vodafone, Boer & Croon, and investors including Kees Zegers, Derk Haank and Willem Middelkoop, supported by more than 100 mentors and global partners such as Techstars and Chinaccelerator.
