interview Constantijn van Oranje
Ronald Wielinga is Manager of Entrepreneurship at WaterCampus Leeuwarden. He recently interviewed Constantijn van Oranje, Special Envoy at Techleap. They spoke about his role in the Dutch startup ecosystem, the developments of the Dutch startup climate, the challenges he sees and his take on the entrepreneurial opportunities in the international water sector.
CONSTANTIJN VAN ORANJE images Inge van Mill
Techleap plays a crucial role
scaleup ecosystem. I make
We are making progress on all
in the Dutch start-up and
connections and help
fronts, to be honest. The least
scaleup ecosystem. Can you
determine the organization’s
progress was made in terms
tell us a little more about
strategy. In short, I keep the
of diversity. The proportion of
the organization?
project on track. I am also
highly educated, white men is
Techleap is 100%
involved internally on an
still very high. Apart from that,
government-funded.
operational level.
there is more capital, and we
We work to connect and
The great part of my job is
are more attractive to talent.
professionalize the tech-
working in an optimistic,
There is also much more
ecosystem and reduce
positive world. We work with
attention to entrepreneurship
barriers in capital, market,
start-ups and scaleups with
in places like universities,
talent and technology. Our
a focus on opportunities and
for example. In short, tech
goal is to produce more rapid
possibilities. It is tremendously
is really breaking through.
growers who can contribute
stimulating, and I get to flex
This is reflected in the AEX
to the development of the
my creative muscles.
index [stock exchange with
Dutch economy and society.
with recent additions such
You have been appointed
a key role in the Dutch
as Adyen and Takeaway and
Special Envoy at Techleap.
startup ecosystem, and
more mature companies like
It sounds nice, but can you
that you have been part
ASML. The more traditional
explain what your role
of it for a long time. What
companies are struggling
entails, exactly, and what
developments have you
to transform in a rapidly
makes your work fun?
seen in this area in recent
changing world, while the
As Envoy, I tell the story
years?
scaleups are far more flexible.
of the Dutch start-up and 12 |
the largest Dutch shares], It is clear that you play
