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Dutch Prime Minister Vows Support for Tech Startups Amid Slowing Growth

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Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof announced plans to strengthen the Netherlands’ technical startup sector, aiming to attract more venture capital following industry concerns about slowing growth.

Speaking at TechLeap’s annual event in The Hague on Wednesday, Schoof highlighted his government’s intention to cut regulatory red tape and increase investments in artificial intelligence. However, he did not provide specific details on the proposed measures.

“The alarming thought, of course, is that as Europe, we are let down, and we cannot keep up with the United States and China. We have to do something about it,” Schoof emphasized. “We have to make sure that … we create an environment in which venture capital is going to invest.”

The Dutch economy, particularly reliant on chip equipment manufacturing and home to ASML—the world’s largest chip equipment maker—has benefited significantly from the technical startup ecosystem concentrated in Eindhoven. The city has helped bolster the economy amid economic challenges in neighboring Germany.

TechLeap’s latest research indicated that venture capital investments in Dutch startups rose by 47% to 3.1 billion euros in 2024, positioning the Netherlands as the fourth-largest market in Europe behind Britain, Germany, and France. However, the U.S. remained far ahead, with $190 billion in investments according to DealRoom data.

Despite the rise in overall venture capital, the number of Dutch startups receiving significant funding declined, with only 104 companies securing investments of over 100,000 euros in 2024, down from 172 in 2023. The majority of this funding came from foreign investors.

Two Dutch companies achieved unicorn status in 2024, attaining private market valuations exceeding 1 billion euros. These firms were Mews, a hotel software developer, and DataSnipper, which uses AI to automate auditing functions.

Founders Fund in Talks to Back Anduril Industries at $28 Billion Valuation

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AI-powered defense startup Anduril Industries is negotiating a new funding round that could elevate the company’s valuation to $28 billion, sources revealed on Friday. Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund is expected to lead this funding round, which could raise as much as $2.5 billion. This follows Anduril’s last funding round in August, where the company raised $1.5 billion at a $14 billion valuation.

Founders Fund has supported Anduril since its inception in 2017, and one of Anduril’s co-founders, Trae Stephens, is a partner at the firm. Despite the significant backing, Founders Fund declined to comment on the details of the latest round, which was first reported by CNBC.

Based in Costa Mesa, California, Anduril develops autonomous weapons and sensors, including drones, for military applications. The company has also announced plans to build a large-scale weapons manufacturing facility in Ohio to enhance its production capabilities. Additionally, Anduril launched the Lattice for Mission Autonomy in 2023, an AI-driven software for coordinating autonomous systems in human-supervised missions.

Anduril’s founder, Palmer Luckey, is well-known for creating Oculus VR, which was acquired by Facebook in 2014 for $2.3 billion. U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who previously worked as a venture capitalist, has invested in Anduril and holds stakes in the company. Thiel, a long-time Republican donor and co-founder of Palantir Technologies, has backed multiple conservative political figures, including President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign and Vance’s 2022 Senate bid.

Israeli Cybersecurity Firms Raise $4 Billion in 2024, Driven by Cloud and AI Security Demand

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Israeli cybersecurity companies raised a record $4 billion in 2024, more than double the amount raised in 2023, fueled by increasing demand for cloud protection and artificial intelligence (AI) security solutions. According to YL Ventures’ latest State of the Cyber Nation Report, cybersecurity has rapidly become one of Israel’s fastest-growing sectors, contributing significantly to the nation’s economy, which depends heavily on high-tech industries. The sector now represents 20% of Israel’s economic activity, 16% of jobs, and more than half of its exports.

Despite geopolitical challenges, YL Ventures projects that Israel’s cybersecurity industry will continue to expand globally, with Israeli cybersecurity startups gaining recognition as dominant players on the world stage. The report highlighted that 2024 saw 89 funding rounds in Israel’s cybersecurity sector, with 50 of those rounds in early-stage (seed) funding, totaling $400 million. Global venture capital firms more than doubled their funding rounds compared to the previous year.

In the growth stage, which includes Series C and higher rounds, 16 rounds raised $2.9 billion—an increase of 300% from the $888 million raised in 2023. Overall, Israeli cybersecurity firms raised $1.89 billion in 2023. YL Ventures’ Andy Ellis believes that 2024’s funding activity signals a positive trend for 2025, with greater access to funding in early (A and B) rounds, larger investments in later (C and beyond) rounds, and a continued increase in seed-stage funding.

Ofer Schreiber, senior partner at YL Ventures, attributes Israel’s cybersecurity success to the country’s military intelligence expertise, which fosters a practical, results-driven entrepreneurial culture. However, the outbreak of war in October 2023, following an attack by Hamas militants, forced many tech founders into military service, creating operational challenges. Schreiber noted that cybersecurity founders had to adapt quickly to ensure business continuity amid uncertain economic conditions and a concerned customer base.