Twoodo was recently selected for Startupbootcamp Amsterdam 2013. From our initial application to the finals, the selection process lasted over 3 months. Within this process we had to make the big decision of which accelerator program we wanted to join. This would have a huge impact on where we would set up the company. There are a large amount of attractive options in Europe, the USA and the rest of the world. The atmosphere, location and tax/law regimes of Amsterdam took a huge part in our decision making. Here’s a list of reasons why Amsterdam is a great place to launch your startup.
1. Everyone speaks good English here
Twoodo was created by 3 frenchmen. Now although 2 of them also have American passports, we are French nonetheless. We were looking to set up our startup in Paris at first but we really didn’t feel like pitching in French, building a demo in French or having investor meetings in French. English seems much more natural as a business language. So the high level and spread of English speakers in Amsterdam is a huge plus. It’s not just good for business, it also great for everyday life.
2. The Netherland’s local market is small and tech savvy, they think globally
Holland has quite a small market. The total population is a little under 17 million people and the population of Amsterdam is a little under a million. Amsterdammers are very tech-savvy and the city is the host to Europe’s biggest web conference. The startup community is a very intimate and interconnected one. According to Patrick de Zeeuw “The Dutch market is a very compact market with a very critical and tech savvy audience. It is actually a great pilot market. The audience is very adaptive and open to new technology. If you get your company going in The Netherlands, the jump to Germany or the UK is not that big but the market potential there is 10 times bigger.” So that’s one great thing here, everyone kind of knows each other, you can make connections fast. The basic strategy is to make connections fast and test your product locally. Once you’re ready… you’ve got the right recipe to attack the global market.
3. Dutch tax law is extremely attractive
The Dutch holding company regime is one of the most popular and most attractive in the world. No wonder Google and Facebook have a holding company here. The main reason for this popularity is tax efficiency (mostly 0% tax). On top of that you have a highly flexible corporate tax lax and relatively low costs of company creation (approximately 750€ for a Dutch BV). On top of the fiscal regime, there’s also an extremely solid legal and financial legal infrastructure here. Oh and did we mention all your lawyers and accountants will speak great English?
4. Eindhoven: The smartest city in the World
A few hours away from Amsterdam is Eindhoven which has recently been dubbed the smartest city in the world. According to Udnet “the region is home to a raft of knowledge-intensive companies and institutions such as the Eindhoven Technical University. It produces half the Netherlands’ patents each year, has generated 55,000 jobs in the past decade and accounts for a quarter of the Dutch economy.” It’s a buoyant technology hub full of human and technical resources within arms reach of Amsterdam.
5. Nice place to work, nice place to live
Basically put, Amsterdam is a nice place to live. Apart from the high housing costs (that force you to get a little creative), food, drinks and general living costs are quite low. There’s also tons of available office space. The artsy vibe of the city will inspire you to get creative with your offices. We also love the fact that you can bike anywhere. On top of giving us daily exercise, this also helps reduce transport and commuting costs. When you’re a startup you’re happy for every penny you save (in this case every Euro cent). The city is very international, vibrant and filled with stuff to do. It’s a great place to be with one of Europe’s highest high quality of living.
Here are a bunch of cool startup oriented resources and events for anyone looking to startup in Amsterdam (thanks to @HannahVera_ for the tips)
The Next Web Conference: Europe’s biggest web conference
Appsterdam: The best place in the world to be and become an App Maker.
Pitch.rs: A monthly event to pitch problems, ideas and challenges and we help tackle them using our resources. Startups & community together building a pay it forward ...
Venturespace: Your entrepreneurial ecosystem in Amsterdam (@venturespace)
Hackers and Founders: Are you building something? Is it awesome? Shiny enough to show to other people and possibly found a company on? Please come hangout with us. We need more of those people in our lives.
Tech and Web meetups in and around Amsterdam: Trending web technology meetups near Amsterdam
Bouncespace: BounceSpace is the place for entrepreneurs, professionals and creatives looking for an inspiring & professional place to work and meet in Amsterdam.
Startupbootcamp: Europe’s largest startup accelerator program
Rockstart: Another great startup accelerator program in Amsterdam
Amsterdam Startup Weekend: No Talk, All Action. Launch a Startup in 54 hours. Startup Weekend is a global network of passionate leaders and entrepreneurs on a mission to inspire, educate …
Dutch Startup Map: Dutch Startupmap brings all the dutch startups together in one map!
Gidsy Amsterdam: cool things to do in Amsterdam with special deals
Startup Digest Amsterdam: local events and startup related meetings (thanks to @donritzen)