Entrepreneurship in Bloom: Groningen’s Annual Startup Festival celebrates 2nd edition

The Startup Festival was organized by NOM, the Investment Fund Groningen, Cottonwood Technology Fund, Founded in Groningen & Founded in Friesland and the province of Drenthe.

Packed program

The festival unfolded as a melting pot of ideas and insights, where attendees had the opportunity to listen to inspiring speakers and make valuable connections. Whether you are a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting to explore your business ideas, this festival provides a valuable opportunity to learn, network and grow.

A number of visitors we spoke to underline the usefulness of the festival, including Björn Poort of Ter Bron Groep in Emmen ”last year I was there too, then there were a few more presentations. Now we as visitors are actively invited to participate in all kinds of activities. I think that development is really super to see. After lunch there is a pitch competition, I’m pretty curious about that!”

The day began for the earliest birds at nine in the morning, all of whom, after a brief introduction with a steaming cup of coffee, had the chance to watch the documentary “The Startup Kids,” a short film about well-known and lesser-known startup founders (known: Vimeo, Soundcloud, Dropbox) sharing their ups and downs. The inspiring film was followed by two rounds of workshops, with topics along the lines of “How to not get screwed over by investors when signing a term sheet?” and the Google caravan climate/tech panel session. A jam-packed morning was followed by a well-deserved lunch and a pleasant opportunity for networking.

Over lunch, we meet Antony, owner of VerSi-watertech, who informs us that he is looking for a co-founder. He has developed a technique that allows specific minerals and salt to be separated from water. ”Through Founded in Friesland I came on the trail of the Startup Festival and of course I can’t miss this opportunity. I have already spoken to many interesting people, but unfortunately I have not yet met my potential co-founder or partner!”

Inspirational Speakers and Experts

One of the highlights of the Startup Festival in Groningen is the lineup of inspiring speakers and experts participating in the event, such as Alain le Loux of Cottonwood on success in Silicon Valley and Wendy van Ierschot with a master class on HR in start-ups and scale-ups. These pioneers will share their personal stories of success, failure and perseverance, offering valuable insights that can help others on their own entrepreneurial journey.

Speakers range from seasoned entrepreneurs who have built multiple businesses to technology pioneers who have pushed the boundaries of what is possible. Participants will have the opportunity to learn from the best in the industry and learn valuable lessons that can help them overcome challenges and achieve success. A notable partner of the Startup Festival is Google. This company will offer an addition to the Startup Festival with a delegation in the form of an interactive workshop and panel session. ”Promising things are happening in Groningen! We from Google have a big focus on sustainability, one of the biggest challenges of our time. And we also realize that we cannot solve this huge problem on our own. Therefore, we are constantly looking for new ideas towards the future. An interesting name that came by today was SeaQurrent, a startup focused on extracting energy from the currents of the sea. From Google, we organize startup programs and accellerators ourselves, so we find it interesting to see how we can insert at the existing infrastructure like a Startup Festival.”

Some visitors were also able to test their presentation skills themselves on the big stage. Before lunch there was the opportunity to attend a workshop titled: The building blocks for a successful pitch deck, making fundraising a no brainer! This knowledge was put into practice right after lunch during the Pitch Competition. About four start-ups had their pitch put to the test by a seasoned jury and critical audience. The goal? To deliver the most convincing pitch about their own startup. The following ambitious entrepreneurs took to the stage: Okke de Jonge of boxo.nu was the first to pitch, Ivan Ilin of Iki.Ai followed, then Lusanne Tehupuring of Enatom gave her pitch and the finale came from Marios Souroulla on behalf of Powerchainger. After four convincing rounds of pitches and a questionnaire from the jury on ‘cost per unit’, ‘cost equity’ and ‘current and future business models’, it was time for both the audience and the jury to cast their votes. The room was on the same wavelength, as most of the audience chose the same direction as the jury: Enatom emerged as the winner. The result: two tickets to Slush in Helsinki, another leading startup and investor conference. Lusanne Tehupuring is overjoyed and hopes the trip will bring even more potential collaborations and investment and growth for the company.

Networking and Collaboration

One of the most valuable aspects of attending the festival is the opportunity to network and collaborate with like-minded individuals. The Startup Festival in Groningen offers numerous opportunities for this. Whether you are looking for investors for your startup, looking for potential partners or just want to brainstorm with other entrepreneurs, this festival provides the ideal environment to do so. We speak to Jelte Steur who is hoping to find an investor or co-founder for his new product ”RiserEatCup is really my passion. I believe in this product, but I know I can’t make it on my own. I don’t have enough time or quite the knowledge for that. The Startup Festival offers me a lot of inspiration and opportunities to meet like-minded people.”

Thriving Startup Hubs in Northern Netherlands

The success of the Startup Festival in Groningen is no accident. Cities such as Groningen, Leeuwarden and Emmen have developed into thriving startup hubs in recent years. Groningen, for example, is home to numerous innovative companies and technology startups operating in various fields, including healthcare, energy, agrotechnology and more. The presence of the University of Groningen and Hanzehogeschool Groningen contributes to a vibrant knowledge community and provides access to talented students and researchers.

In addition, the city of Groningen has built a support ecosystem that helps startups obtain funding, mentoring and business opportunities. This has led to a growing stream of innovative companies choosing the city as their base of operations.

The Future of Entrepreneurship

The Startup Festival is not only a celebration of the present, but also a look to the future of entrepreneurship. It demonstrates that innovation and creativity are the drivers of economic growth and social progress.

As the world becomes increasingly complex, startups and entrepreneurs will play a crucial role in coming up with solutions to the challenges of the 21st century. Whether it is finding sustainable ways to use natural resources, developing new health technologies or creating innovative artificial intelligence applications, startups will continue to innovate and change the world.