The association announced its launch on February 7th and is the voice for Netherlands-based start-ups. The new outfit lobbies for policies that are advantageous to start-ups and is the central point of contact for stakeholders. Pieter Veldhuizen will act as director of the association, with Roland Sars taking on the role of president.
In a press release, the Dutch Startup Association (DSA) notes that until now, the Netherlands was one of the only countries in Europe that lacked its own independent start-up organisation. The release stressed the need for more extensive action regarding policy; mentioning regulation, paying people in shares in lieu of wages, and fiscal stimulation of venture capital and other forms of investment as areas in need of policy proposals.
Don Ginsel, CEO of Holland FinTech and DSA board member, made the following remarks on the need for the DSA:
“It is great to finally have an organisation that focusses specifically on start-up interests. As start-ups operate very differently than traditional companies, this means that they run into all kinds of issues with regulation and laws that were made for larger companies. By starting a continuous dialogue between policy makers and start-ups, the Dutch Startup Association can have a big impact on driving entrepreneurship and innovation forward. This impact will positively affect fintech companies.”
Google, as a founding partner, was instrumental in providing funding for the association. Messagebird was the other partner that was critical in supporting the DSA. In the press release, the association also mentions Ticketswap, Peerby, Springest, Simplicate, Moneybird, Yellenge, Ace & Tate, Bux, Mollie, Rockstart, Treatwell, Wonderkind, Blanco, Bunq, and The Next Web as amongst the group of founding fathers that have assisted them in their inception. Other organisations that helped support the DSA include StartupDelta and ONL.
Currently, the DSA is looking for entities to endorse, support and fund its activities, board members who will be active, and of course, new members.
