Make the most of Delta Collaboration

Europe is one of the fast-growing regions in the world and is steadily overcoming the effects of the worldwide recession and evolving as an important region for start-ups and job seekers in the region. Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, is one of the stepping stones for Europe’s success and growth as a prominent player in the global startup ecosystem creating a vast job market for startup jobseekers.

Moving to Amsterdam can be a game changer for your career in many ways. The latest collective effort in the region to help startups grow in the Netherlands region is the Amsterdam-Startup Delta programme. It is a collaboration between the important innovation hubs, the start-up community, and various economic, social and cultural government agencies in the region to provide a conducive base for startups.

Why move to Amsterdam?

Amsterdam, unlike several other European cities, has hardly any language barrier. The city is largely bi-lingual, and that is why expats here have no issues living and working in Amsterdam even if they don’t speak Dutch.  The Netherlands was ranked number one for work-life balance in the world, according to the 2018 OECD Better Life Index.  The cost of living in Amsterdam is also lower than its American counterparts like Silicon Valley or Los Angeles. 

Notable sectors

The Amsterdam — Startup Delta collaboration has especially helped drive the sales of the many tech startups in the region. The main sub-sectors of the ecosystem that are doing exceptionally well are AgTech & Food, Health & Life Sciences, and Fintech.

Government support for start-ups and immigrants

The Netherlands welcomes entrepreneurial spirits with open arms. Unlike many ecosystems, the private sector also matches pace with government support and funding, thereby making the Netherlands a crowdfunding leader in Europe, raising €223 million in 2017. 

The government has an Ambitious Entrepreneurship Action Plan that helps start-ups moving to Amsterdam get better access to all the resources conveniently. It aims to help businesses connect to the right capital, knowledge, and consumer market.

The Start-up Visa allows exceptional entrepreneurs from outside the EU, EEA or Switzerland to stay and to work as an entrepreneur for a maximum of one year in the Netherlands. You can apply for an extension at the end of year one or get a visa under another scheme for a self-employed individual.

Besides the start-up visa. You can apply for an orientation year visa or, if you are working as an employee, take benefit of the highly skilled migrant scheme. For investors, there is also a special investors scheme too.

There is ample support for new companies, with relatively easy access to loans from various agencies. Netherlands Enterprise Agency encourages entrepreneurs in sustainable, agrarian, innovative and international business. 

— Yostartups, a global pre-accelerator for startups & entrepreneurs. 

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