Bored of the same old routine? Want to put your skills to good use at a growing company? Join one of Europe’s exciting new startups, which are hiring for a range of positions including content writers, marketers, managers, software developers, engineers, and social media experts across the continent. Check out EU-Startups job board for a listing of over 400 startup jobs throughout Europe. Here’s a small sample of positions that are currently available:

The Mirror Bay is looking for a Marketing Manager to be part of its London Team. The Marketing Manager will be responsible for creating and coordinating marketing activities with the startup’s marketing team and maintaining day-to-day communication with its partners. The right candidate should have a strong communication skills, and experience in iGaming, online marketing and e-commerce.

Growth Tribe, “Europe’s first Growth Hacking Academy”, is currently hiring for Technical Marketing Trainers & Coaches at its office in Amsterdam. Trainers will be expected to provide coaching for high-value products and clients, and contribute to the ongoing discovery, development, and delivery of scalable training and coaching products for startups and traditional businesses.

Berlin-based YAS.life supports health insurance companies and companies with digital solutions in health prevention. Its YAS app uses gamification to motivate users to have a healthy and active lifestyle, and is marketed as a white-label solution for businesses. YAS is looking for a Junior Business Development Manager to work closely with its founder and managing director to strategically develop the business. Candidates should have a strong command of both German and English.

Berlin-based Trip.me brings together travellers and travel experts to organise personalised travel experiences. The startup is looking for a Senior PHP Developer with DevOps skills to work in many areas including backend programming, database optimisation and system architecture, as well as frontend tools. Candidates should have experience developing scalable projects with PHP frameworks, server administration, and most importantly, a constant drive for learning and improving. German is not a requirement, but candidates should speak conversational English.

Software development startup k3b GmbH is hiring a Senior Software Developer to work at its Berlin office. The company uses machine learning to create solutions for its clients in high tech industries. The right candidate will design, develop, test, debug, deploy, maintain and optimise software as part of an agile team.

By the way: If you’re a startup CEO and also looking for some rockstar employees for your company, make sure to publish a job opening with us now. While basic job ads are free, the standard option of Featured Job posts is available for just €49 and provides you with additional visibility.

Solease‘s vision is to cover all the rooftops in the Netherlands – and eventually the world – with solar panels. But not everyone can afford to install their own solar panels on their roofs.

Instead, the Utrecht-based company leases solar panels to homeowners and businesses for a fixed monthly amount, which includes the costs of the purchase, installation, insurance and repair. This way, homeowners and businesses can immediately install solar power without any upfront investment – and at a price that is often more affordable than current electricity costs. Solease says that on average, its customers save two tons of CO2 per year – equivalent to 20,000 car kilometers or the annual absorption of 100 trees. The startup hopes to install an additional 150,000 solar panels in the next five years.

Founded in 2011, Solease just raised €3 million from the New York-based Arosa Capital Management. This comes just a few weeks after the company raised €2 million via crowdfunding. So far, Solease has raised a total of €17 million from investors, regional energy funds, and crowdfunders.

With the new investment, Solease plans to further expand its team and operational capacity to meet the rapidly growing demand from Dutch home owners and companies for rental solar panels – allowing everyone to participate in the transition to renewable energy.

Roderick van Wisselingh, co-founder and CFO of Solease, said:“Arosa brings a lot of experience in financing energy companies in America. This knowledge and experience is very valuable, because Solease aims to provide 150,000 solar panels for the next five years – thus investing €1 billion in the Dutch energy transition. For this we also need banks, pension funds, insurers and other large long-term investors. We need to think big, act quickly and work well together. In addition, we also see good opportunities to expand our offering with other sustainable solutions, such as heat pumps and home batteries, as well as to expand abroad. “

Till Bechtolsheimer, CEO of Arosa, said: “We have experience investing in residential solar energy suppliers in America, and see our investment in Solease as a natural extension of our belief that renting solar panels is attractive for homeowners. We are particularly excited about cooperating with its strong management team, and are confident that Solease can contribute to a fast-growing market in the Netherlands.”

Many Dutch office workers are dissatisfied with their work environment – because of cold, lack of fresh air, bad furniture or noise nuisance. A bad work environment in turn can cause stress, productivity loss, and physical and emotional problems.

Amsterdam-based Healthy Workers aims to make office environments more comfortable and improve employee well-being with its smart building technology. The startup has just raised €1.5 million, led by Cairn Real Estate, with participation from Dura Vermeer, Impact Vastgoed, Eddy Smit, and real estate developer Daan van der Vorm. The startup previously raised €500k in 2017.

Founded in 2015, Healthy Workers’ software platform makes office buildings more intelligent using objective sensor-data as well as subjective data from employees. Its sensors measure things like the indoor climate and CO2 levels, while employees can share their opinion on their work environment and their well-being in Healthy Workers’ app. They can, for example, share how they experience the facilities, whether they are able to concentrate, and if they have any physical problems.

The platform collects this data and shares insights with facility managers and employees, advises interventions, gives smart notifications, and produces reports as to how to improve the environment for workers. Companies pay a fixed fee per month per square metre for the service. Healthy Workers currently covers 75,000 square metres of office space in the Netherlands.

Healthy Workers founder Boy Lokhoff stated: “We are honored that, in addition to Cairn, companies like Dura Vermeer, VORM Ontwikkeling and MVGM are expressing their confidence in our product. The Netherlands has over 54 million square meters of office space. It is our mission to make those healthier and more productive. Employees should have an optimal workplace experience at the office every day.”

Daan van der Vorm (VORM Ontwikkeling) added: “Our stake in Healthy Workers emphasizes our ambitions to create healthy buildings for our clients and to also keep the indoor climatic conditions of those buildings optimal.”

Another European mobility startup has raised a large financing round, as e-scooters and e-bikes take off across the continent, offering a green alternative to cars and urban transit.

Amsterdam-based dott, a startup taking a local-first approach to micro-mobility, has raised €20 million in an early stage funding round to finance the launch of its uniquely designed e-scooters and e-bikes in European cities. The round was co-led by the EQT Ventures fund and Naspers, with participation from Axel Springer Digital Ventures, DN Capital, Felix Capital, FJ Labs, U-Start Club and angel investors.

Dott was founded by French duo Maxim Romain and Henri Moissinac earlier this year to offer all cities and citizens safe, green, flexible and affordable mobility solutions. The startup’s dockless e-scooters are built with safety, sustainability, and sharing in mind. Unlike other European players in the space, dott has designed its own sturdier e-scooters, with 10” wheels for reliable road grip, wider decks for optimized center of gravity, double brake system for safety, a speed cap at 20km/h, and a longer charging autonomy. dott vehicles will also be 100% repairable, with all parts replaceable when damaged.

When it comes to working with cities, dott is developing a local approach: it will rely on locally recruited teams to collaborate with the municipalities to develop the best solution for each city. Dott has also come up with a list of ten commitments the company will adhere to, including “city approval first”, “safety by design”, “top notch maintenance”, “green footprint” and “user privacy”. To ensure user safety, dott will not rely on the gig economy like most other players but on dedicated, trained workers who will recharge, clean and maintain dott’s vehicles on a daily basis.

The company’s first e-scooters will be launched in a pilot at STATION F, the world’s biggest startup campus, in early 2019.

Maxim Romain, CEO and co-founder of dott, said: “We believe we can significantly reduce the number of cars in cities if we make green vehicles such as e-bikes and e-scooters an enjoyable and practical experience for city residents. This is why we focus on well-designed vehicles, safety, and sustainability – so we’re still operating in cities in 20 years. Our ‘locals with locals’ approach fully empowers local teams to tailor their operations to the specific needs of each municipality.”

Lars Jörnow, partner and investment advisor at EQT Ventures, said: “Due to environmental and congestion concerns, last mile transport in cities has to get smarter and it’s no surprise that eScooter adoption is rapidly increasing. The team was impressed by dott’s dedication to a locals with locals approach and its mission to make micro-mobility more efficient and environmentally friendly. We look forward to working closely with Maxim and Henri over the coming years.”

Martin Tschopp, COO, Naspers Ventures, said: “Naspers invests in companies that address big societal needs in markets where we see the greatest growth potential. This will be our first investment in mobility in Europe, a dense region that is ripe for disruption in short, inner city commuting. The dott team has experience in local mobility like no other team we have seen in Europe tackling micro-mobility.”

The HR industry is undergoing major transformation, and a Dutch startup is well-positioned to play a leading role in this process. Harver’s AI-powered platform pairs job and candidate profiles in an unprecedented way, eliminating the lengthy processes of selection and hiring. Big names like Netflix, Uber and Booking.com are already using the platform. With a recently raised Series A round and a brand new office in USA, there is plenty of work ahead. To learn more about the company’s history and future plans, we did an interview with Harver’s founder and CEO Barend Raaff.

Barend, please tell us about the beginnings of Harver, and where does it fit now in the current HR landscape?

We started Harver back in 2013 because we saw that recruitment as it was done back then was fundamentally broken. People were applying for random jobs and got hired or rejected for the wrong reasons or no reason at all. In the meantime, in other sectors, data-driven decision making and the use of AI were already standard practice. The presence of this broken process on the one hand, and innovative technology that could be used to fix it, was what moved us to create Harver.

In short, Harver is an AI-powered, pre-employment assessment platform that helps recruiters from companies of all sizes make data-driven hiring decisions. Initially, we tested the software with a select few companies, but once we saw the impact it had on both recruiters and candidates, we decided to turn in into an actual platform. This was around 2015 and from there on out, things accelerated rapidly. Nowadays we serve hundreds of amazing brands like Zappos, Netflix, Uber and Booking.com from our offices in Amsterdam and New York, and there are no signs that things are slowing down. In fact, we’re only speeding up. This year especially, demand from the market has grown exponentially. More and more organisations now see that this data-driven hiring thing can give you a significant competitive advantage and that it’s here to stay.

The role we play in the HR landscape is that we’re an integral part of the recruitment process of our clients. We offer our software as a SaaS solution (Software as a Service) that sits between the sourcing and the onboarding phase in the recruitment process. Meaning that, from the moment a candidate applies, up until they’re either hired or rejected, Harver plays a role. We’re dedicated to improving the selection process of our clients by giving recruiters the data necessary to make well-informed hiring decisions on the one hand, and candidates a fun and engaging experience on the other.

Give us an overview of the Harver’s matching magic.

The ‘magic’ of Harver starts with defining desirable applicant profiles per job family by looking at a company’s top performing employees. We combine this with our own proprietary industry data and public industry benchmark data. Based on the resulting candidate profile, we build an engaging hiring experience within Harver. The platform comes equipped with, what we call, a flow builder. Which is a drag and drop editor where you can construct an assessment experience using videos, images, assessments, and situational judgment tests. Fully branded and customized to your organization and hiring needs. Once the hiring profile and the assessment funnel are in place, you can invite candidates for the experience. While they learn about your organization, see what the job is like and go through the assessments, Harver matches a candidate’s scores to the ideal profile that was set up earlier in the process. Based on this, the system calculates a ‘matching score’ that you can use to make a data-driven hiring decision. But it doesn’t end there.

Making hiring decisions based on data a huge step forward from the resume. But the real magic happens when you keep track of your hiring decisions and feed the data back into the initial hiring algorithm to improve it. We give clients the option to share performance feedback data with us and with it, we can improve the hiring algorithm again and again. This way, the system gets ‘smarter’ over time, presenting you with better data and empowering you to hire better. This ‘continuous improvement’ aspect of the system, that’s where the real magic happens.

What are the most distinctive features of the platform?

With Harver, we fix the recruiting process on three domains. Firstly, we provide recruiters with the best data possible to enable them to make hiring decisions based on data instead of a CV and gut feeling. We can do this because we only use scientifically validated assessments in our platform. We don’t scrape information from social media profiles and we don’t scan CVs for keywords. This way, we can assure our clients that the data that feeds into the algorithm is valid, unbiased, and trustworthy.

Secondly, we maximize recruiter efficiency. We do this by taking out the laborious, repeatable parts of the process. No more endless CV screening or profile checking. With Harver, we provide recruiters with an overview of candidates that ranks them from ‘least fitting’ to ‘best match’. Whether you have a hundred or a hundred thousand applicants a year, they all flow into the system automatically and get graded based on their performance in the assessments and not on how well they’ve written or designed their CV or social profiles.

Lastly, we provide an amazing candidate experience with the way the process is set up. By implementing videos in the process, explaining to them exactly what the job is going to be like and by presenting them the assessment scores after they finish an application, we keep them satisfied with the overall process. After applying, we give candidates the opportunity to provide feedback on the process, to make it better and better along the way. With Zappos.com for example, this resulted in 97% of applicants being happy with the process, even after rejection.

Why would a company choose Harver over other recruitment platforms? What is your secret ingredient?

What we see is that companies choose Harver over other recruitment platforms because they believe in the mix of Data, Process and Candidate Experience that we offer. A decisive factor in this is the fact that we only use validated data sources, which guarantee a bias-free hiring algorithm – something we are really strict with. Other than that, the customizable nature of the platform plays a factor. Many companies use Harver because they really care about their candidates and want to give them an experience that is smooth, entertaining and in line with their culture. Companies like Zappos.com, Netflix, Booking.com all have a distinct culture and get thousands of applicants a year.

To make it even more challenging, there’s a big chance that these applicants are also customers of these companies. The last thing the organizations want is to give their applicants a bad experience and push them to a competitor. Implementing a branded and fun experience shows candidates these companies care, which leaves them fulfilled, even after rejection. So to wrap it up, “the secret ingredient” is the high-quality data first and foremost but the candidate experience definitely is too.

From the US to Sri Lanka, how does the platform adjust to the cultural and social differences when it comes to personnel recruitment?

We have a team of highly skilled IO psychologists that helps clients across the globe with building their assessment experiences. During the first stages of the implementation phase, we work together with the client’s project team to make sure that the way the platform is set up, adheres to local social values and aligns with cultural norms. In the end, the Harver platform is the facilitator of everything necessary to construct a hiring experience but the content makes it special. Because the content is implemented by the client’s project team and our assessment experts we can ensure a setup that is completely in line with social and cultural differences in personnel recruitment.

Netflix, Zappos, Booking, they are already confident that Harver will get them the best candidates. What benefits does Harver bring to the companies?

In general, we help our clients optimize their recruitment process in a number of ways. We improve Quality of Hire because we give recruiters the opportunity to make data-driven hiring decisions. Other than that, we decrease Time to Hire by automating large parts of the recruitment process. We improve Candidate Experience and Candidate Satisfaction numbers because we make the process more engaging, fun and easy for applicants. We eliminate bias from the decision process and we improve recruiter team-efficiency overall because we provide a single source of data (or truth if you will) for all to work with.

The HR industry is moving from a human-driven to a more data-driven approach and Harver is one of the companies that enable this shift. What do clients say, how is their feedback?

We do not necessarily think of it as human-driven vs data-driven. We believe the goal of the data is to make the process more human. The data we provide recruiters with helps them to better match companies and candidates. Fewer mismatches, improved time to hire, an improved candidate experience and better communication between recruiter and candidate. All these things make the process more human-driven. And we see that in the feedback of our clients as well. Furthermore, we provide clients with the option to collect feedback from candidates. So the data helps applicants to get the most out of their application, even if they don’t get the job.

Wired named Harver as one of ‘Europe’s Hottest 100 Startups’ in 2018. With a Series A funding round, and a new office in the US, what is next line for Harver?

Our main focus is to continuously improve our matching engine and provide recruiters with the best data possible. Besides that, we’re actively working on optimizing candidate communication. Matching candidates and jobs is one thing, but accurate and consistent communication is another and has a huge impact on candidate experience. Optimizing both these data and communication components of the hiring process are stepping stones towards a new reality where we will help rejected applicants in finding better matching vacancies using the same AI technology that exists in the platform now. Once we’ve achieved this, we’ve closed the loop for applicants applying at companies using Harver. Instead of rejection being a dead-end street it’ll be a crossing where, after rejection, a candidate can choose a number of paths forward to jobs that are just as, or even more likely to suit this candidates skills and preferences.

Amsterdam-based ScanMovers is a platform that helps you arrange your move. It has received a new investment of €750k from angel investors, which it will use to develop an app to make moving stress free. The largest moving platform in the Benelux, ScanMovers has now raised a total of €1.25 million.

ScanMovers was founded at the end of 2016 by Maurits Koopman and Boyan Nijpels and has been live since 2017. The platform provides insight into the prices, reviews, and different service levels of movers.

Next year, the startup will also launch a new sharing platform for workers and trucks. With movers, orders and a fleet accessible in the cloud, it will be possible to operate more flexibly. In theory, a freelancer could even start a moving company on their own, with access to a flexible fleet and workforce.

Boyan Nijpels, founder of ScanMovers, said: “We solve a concrete problem: the price differences between movers are enormous, but more expensive movers are not always better. We will use this investment to help the moving sector to innovate even further and to make moving easier for everybody. This new group of investors shares our vision that this removal sector can be organised more efficiently by using the same principles from the sharing economy. This flexibility benefits both the mover and the end consumer.” 

Nijpels added: “Moving is in the top three of the most stressful life experiences. As a result, you do not always have an eye for everything that needs to be prepared. Our app to be released next year will take the consumer and mover through all the steps that need to be taken. This makes every move run smoothly: no one forgets the parking permit for the moving van or arranging an external lift. This saves the consumer and mover a lot of worries, frustration and time.”

The holiday season is here, and shopping mania has begun. If you’re still searching for the right presents for your loved ones, look no further. There are plenty of European startups that make ultra cool products which are a perfect alternative to traditional Christmas gifts. Here is a list of 10 of them:

Click & Grow:  Have you ever thought of growing vegetables in your kitchen? Well, it is possible. Click&Grow is a self-watering system that helps anyone grow fresh food, flowers, & herbs in a quick and effortless manner, without GMOs, pesticides, insecticides, or other harmful substances. The winner of the Estonian Innovation Award in 2009, Click & Grow sets are available online for €99.95.

Dodow: Do any of your friends have trouble falling asleep? This sleeping aid device will do it in 25 minutes. Dodow is a metronome with a light system that teaches you how to fall asleep naturally, no pills necessary. How does it work? Using a pulsing night light, which the user is meant to follow along with their breathing, a reflex is activated that causes heart rate and blood pressure to decrease. Available online for €49.

Mitte: This German startup develops the first of its kind smart home water system that not only purifies your water but also provides customized mineral enhancements (alkaline, balance and vitality cartridge). It also comes with a mobile app to help users dispense water at pre-selected temperatures and keep tabs on water quality and consumption quantity. Join the waiting list if you are interested.

Photon Robot: Here’s one for your friends with kids. Photon is an educational robot and a coding coach for children between the ages of 5 and 12. Combined with a mobile device and an app, kids have to use creativity and logic to teach the robot with 200 challenges and tasks, as they become familiar with technology and learn basic programming. Available online for €185.

Skarabeos: Have you ever had your bag stolen or forgotten it somewhere? This will not be the case anymore. Skarabeos is an alarm-protected bag connected to an app, designed by Wolfgang Langeder from Austria. Equipped with smart sensors and connected with your phone or watch, Skarabeos offers the highest level of protection for your personal belongings. Available to pre-order for €199.

Spyra: Remember how much fun it was to be a kid? Well, a German team is redesigning a toy that was definitely part of your childhood, the water gun. Spyra One features electronically triggered water bullets, 25 powerful water bullets across up to 40 feet, automatic refill with the push of a button and a digital display showing tank and battery status. Sound fun? Available online for €115.

Uvisio: We all have a friend who is super sensitive to the sun. Now they can better take care of themselves with Uvusio, a self-care and prevention tool for safe sun exposure developed by Startupbootcamp alumni from Eindhoven. It is a small wearable UV dosimeter that measures an individual’s sun exposure over the day, and warns them before their daily sun dose is exceeded through a mobile app. Enjoy the sun stress-free.

Waynabox: For the travel enthusiasts, here is a perfect gift. This Spanish startup allows you to book a weekend in more than 50 possible destinations for a fixed-price starting at €150, including round-trip flights and two nights of accommodation. The secret: destination unknown. The travellers will not know the destination until 48 hours before taking off. Let yourself be surprised. 

Y-brush: What if you could brush your teeth perfectly in 10 seconds? With Y-Brush you can. Developed by dentists, Y-Brush uses Bass method sonic vibrating technology to automatically deep clean your teeth, removing 15% more plaque than a conventional toothbrush. The electronic toothbrush comes in four different sizes and with three modes of vibration. Available to pre-order for €109.

Goodio: For chocolate lovers, look no further. A Finnish chocolate company produces handmade organic raw chocolate, sourcing all of its ingredients directly from farmers to ensure quality, ethical production and fair prices. The result: 12 flavors of bars including coconut, chai, licorice and sea buckthorn, ginger and lemongrass, wild blueberry, sea salt, cranmary, mint, coffee, pure national and cafe ubuntu. Available for order online.

Amsterdam-based interior design platform Cafedeco is the ‘Shazam’ of furniture. Imagine you’re looking at photos on Pinterest, and you see a beautiful piece of furniture and you want it for yourself. Cafedeco lets you upload a picture of the furniture to its platform, where a team of interior specialists will identify it and find out where it’s sold.

In addition to its Shazam-like service, the platform offers a quiz called ‘Stylematcher’ to identify your style preferences, and a ‘Lookbook’ where you can browse design ideas to inspire you.

The idea for Cafedeco began in 2015, but the startup was just launched this year by Anne de Jongh, Peter Bijsterveld, Leon de Haas and Liesbeth Veen-van Adrichem. It has now raised €300k from three private investors: Herman Veenendaal, Mike Zwolle, and another investor who wishes to remain anonymous. Each invested €100k in the company in exchange for a 10% stake.

Co-founder Anne de Jongh said: “With my previous company, I was bootstrapped, without investors and shareholders. Now we want to scale very quickly, both in the Netherlands and abroad. If you want to do that, you need a good start. You have to sit comfortably in your jacket. Working together is very important for that. We wanted ‘smart money’ because you are going to fly with people like that (investors with market knowledge, etc.).”

The company plans to invest the new capital in online marketing, developing its platform, and growing its workforce. At the moment, in addition to the three founders, Cafedeco employs two part-timer workers, and is now looking for two to three full-time marketers.

Cafedeco charges a commission for every product sold through the platform through a referral, and also plans to launch a service where users can directly book interior designers.

To many of our readers, this will come as a surprise: Delivery Hero, the world’s biggest online food delivery firm, stated yesterday night that it is going to sell its German food delivery operations to Netherlands-based Takeaway.com for €930 million.

This means, Delivery Hero will sell its German food delivery businesses Lieferheld, Pizza.de and foodora in return for a cash and equity stake in the Dutch company. The deal value includes €508 million in cash and 9.5 million shares in Takeaway.com worth €422 million. Headquartered in Berlin, Delivery Hero will use this fresh capital to further accelerate the expansion of its international food delivery operations outside of Germany. The company already operates in 40+ markets around the globe.

Takeaway, the leading food ordering service in the Netherlands, now seems to have won an expensive fight for dominance in the German market with Delivery Hero. According to Takeaway, orders grew by 40% in the German market in this year’s third-quarter.

Takeaway has reportedly secured committed debt financing of €680 million for the cash portion of the transaction. Once completed, the equity portion of this deal will represent a stake of about 18% of Takeaway’s total shares.

It’s a time for cheer and merriment. Play games, cook, host a party – whether you’re spending time with friends and family, or planning to take some out time for yourself, here are 10 ideas for fun things to do over the holidays, brought to you by European startups.

Pamper yourself 

With all of the stress of the holidays, and a little extra time off, you could probably use a little pampering. The UK-based startup Blow offers at-home beauty services, including massages, manicures, makeup, or facials. Perfect to just relax, or perhaps prepare for that big holiday party. In France, PopMyDay offers similar services.

Cook with family and friends 

There are tons of food delivery apps out there, but many restaurants – not to mention supermarkets – will be closed during the holidays. But don’t fret! You can have fun and make great healthy, vegetarian dishes using the ingredients you already have in your kitchen using the Plant Jammer app. Based in Copenhagen, the startup uses machine learning to tell you what delicious recipes you can make from the ingredients you already have in your fridge – and how to make them. Whether you’re spending the holidays alone, with a partner, or with extended family, don’t worry about having all the ingredients to make the perfect meal – and never settle for a simple pasta dish again.

Send flowers

Whether you forgot to send a gift, want to thank someone for theirs, or show a little extra affection to a lonely friend or family member, flowers are a universally accepted sign of love or appreciation. Giving is a gift in itself, and flowers will help you and the recipient feel special all day. Several European startups have popped up over the years offering flower delivery services, including the Spanish startup Colvin, UK-based Bloom & Wild and Florismart, Dutch startups Bloomon and Floraccess, and the French startup Bergamotte.

Spend time with the kids

The Barcelona-based startup Youmekids offers a huge collection of things to do with the little ones, from trips to activities to do at home. In the UK, Hoop also offers a selection of kid-based activities through its mobile app.

Play games together

Dutch Bounden is a whimsical dancing game for two players, with choreography by the Dutch National Ballet. Perfect for couples.

In the Icelandic game Triple Agent! each player works for an intelligence agency or plays a double agent. The double agents know who is on their team, but the other players have to find the traitors, while completing their own unique operation.

With French app Just Dance Now you can turn your living room into a dance floor using a smartphone and a screen connected to the Internet. It features over 300 songs, and you can play with an unlimited number of players.

Host or attend a party

French startup ExcuseMyParty helps you organise parties in your own home, or find private house parties to attend. Make new friends, and host a free event or set a price for attending your house party through its web platform. If you’re not into hosting your own event, you can find tons of events in cities throughout Europe on the Spanish Fever app.

Save and share those special moments

Whether you’re having a small get together with friends and family, or attending a big New Years Eve party, try WeGlue, a collaborative app out of Spain that lets you and your friends record your experiences at events and parties, and merge your collective photos and videos into a movie.

Discover your strengths

Swiss startup Karmagenes helps you unlock your potential by analysing your personality through your DNA. Karmagene’s algorithm matches specific genetic patterns to personality traits, such as spontaneity, risk-taking, confidence and self-awareness. Using this information, the startup helps you develop your potential, and the parts of your personality crucial for your personal and professional advancement. You can buy a full report of 14 modern personality traits based on genetic and psychometric analysis on their website for €174.95.

Go skiing

Skioo gives you access to over 50 ski resorts throughout Switzerland. Using a keycard, you can avoid lines, and you can avoid high fees by just paying as you ski. Don’t know how to ski? With Vienna-based checkyeti, you can book courses and ski instructors at over 500 ski resorts throughout Europe.

Redecorate your home

Download the 2D/3D Lithuanian app Planner 5D to plan out your dream home, or just see how it would look if you just want to move around your furniture. And if you’re looking for inspiration, check out the new Dutch startup CafeDeco, the ‘Shazam for furniture’, or design your own custom furniture through platforms like French HobFab or Mobibam.

New year, new you. The new year always presents an opportunity for us to start over, shed bad habits and build new, better ones. January 1st is a day we like to set resolutions for the new year to be a healthier, smarter, or happier person – but too often, these resolutions are forgotten by February.

Here are 10 European startups that will help you keep your promises to yourself and stick to self-improvement throughout the year.

Get fit!

Get in shape in 2019 with the app Fitwell. Founded in London in 2014, Fitwell is a smart fitness and nutrition coach that helps you achieve your weight loss and fitness goals. With personalised meal and workout plans, the app helps you to build better habits. Just like a personal trainer, Fitwell tracks your progress and keeps you motivated to maintain a healthy lifestyle on a daily basis.

If you’re looking to join a gym in the new year, Berlin-based Urban Sports Club offers a single membership that will give you access to over 3,000 gyms across Germany, France, and Italy. In Sweden, Fitness Collection provides similar services.

Reduce stress

If meditation remains a challenge for you, try FlowVR, a virtual reality meditation app out of Reykjavik that combines beautiful landscapes and audio in an immersive experience. You can use the app with a Samsung Gear VR headset or Oculus Go.

If you’re an employer, you might want to invest in the startup’s corporate wellness subscription model, as meditation has been shown to significantly reduce stress and distractions – leading to healthier, happier, and more productive employees.

Speaking of reducing stress on the job, Resilio is a Danish startup founded in 2016 that aims to improve mental well-being at work. The startup claims that one-third of employees suffer from stress, which is in turn causes an increase in sick days, lower performance, and high turnover. Resilio’s app helps employees to reduce burnout, improve job satisfaction, and increase productivity through personalised training, gamification, and webinars. Currently only available on iOS, the startup plans to launch on Android soon.

Save money

There has been a proliferation of banking apps which help from everything from budgeting and tracking spending to refinancing loans. London-based Emma is one such banking app designed especially for millennials. Emma helps consumers avoid overdrafts, find and cancel subscriptions, track debt, and save money. The company raised a seed round of £500k in July 2018 led by Kima Ventures, and recently launched a cyrptocurrency feature that allows users to track their crypto investments.

If Emma doesn’t yet support your bank, try Paris-based Bankin’, which connects with banks in France, the UK, Germany, and Spain.

Learn to cook healthy food

Learn how to make healthy, vegetarian dishes using the ingredients you already have in your kitchen using the Plant Jammer app. Based in Copenhagen, the startup uses machine learning to tell you what delicious recipes you can make with the food you already have, and how to make them.

If you’re too busy to make regular trips to the supermarket, consider having fresh ingredients and recipes delivered right to your doorstep from one of Europe’s many recipe delivery startups. Berlin-based Marley Spoon is one such startup, which allows users to choose from over 20 new recipes each week, and has expanded its operations to Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, the US and Australia. We interviewed Marley Spoon’s CEO Fabian Siegel in November about the startup’s fast growth.

Just go fucking do it!

There’s nothing quite like a financial incentive. Amsterdam-based Go Fucking Do It gives you the motivation and chutzpah to just ‘fucking do it’ – whether ‘it’ is losing 10 kilos, writing a book, quitting smoking or drinking, or launching your own startup. It works like this: you set a goal and a deadline, assign a friend or family member to act as a ‘supervisor’, and set an amount to be charged to your credit card if you don’t reach your goal. On your deadline, Go Fucking Do It will send an email to your supervisor asking whether or not you’ve reached your goal. If you have, nothing happens. But if you don’t reach your goal, your credit card will be charged.

Happy New Year! The holidays are a time for reflection, and you may be thinking about a fresh start at a new job. If you’re interested in joining a team in Europe’s growing startup scene, the EU-Startups Job Board is a good place to start, with over 400 listings. Many startups offer perks like opportunities for growth and innovation, international teams, flat hierarchies, and team parties. Here is a short list of some of the jobs available:

commercetools, which developes e-commerce solutions, is looking for a Marketing Manager to join its team in Amsterdam. The Marketing Manager will be responsible for creating and executing B2B marketing campaigns together with its partners and marketing team, and for planning all online marketing activities for the BENELUX market. The right candidate should have experience in digital marketing, event management, and PR.

evan GmbH is a new initiative to create a European blockchain, especially for IIoT enterprises. It is looking for a UI/UX Designer and a Blockchain Architect to join its team in Dresden, Germany to help get its platform off the ground. Perks include being able to work with the latest technologies, petting the office cat, drinking competitions, and ping-pong matches.

Cologne-based Homelike is a leading online marketplace for long-term business accommodation, with over 45,000 high-quality apartments in 100 cities. Homelike is hiring for several positions including an E-Mail Marketing & Retention Manager, Online Marketing Manager, Social Media Marketing Manager, Product Owner, UX Designer, Key Account Manager, and a Senior Key Account Manager.

Barcelona-based adtech startup Marfeel was named 16th out of Europe’s 1000 fastest-growing companies by the Financial Times in 2018. It is currently hiring for several positions to join its already international team representing 27 nationalities, including a Strategic Partnership Executive, a Technical Writer, an Engineering Manager, and many more. Some of the benefits of working for Marfeel are flexible working hours, a sunny terrace to enjoy, free beverages, ping-pong and foosball tournaments, free language and yoga classes, and transportation tickets.

Proptech startup Clicpiso is looking for an HR Manager to help grow its talented team in Madrid. The HR Manager will be responsible for managing end-to-end recruiting including research, sourcing, candidate assessment and management, offer recommendation, negotiation and acceptance. Candidates should thrive in an ambiguous environment, love startup culture, and be able to adapt to the changing needs of the business as it scales.

By the way: If you’re a startup CEO and also looking for some rockstar employees for your company, make sure to publish a job opening with us now. While basic job ads are free, the standard option of Featured Job posts is available for just €49 and provides you with additional visibility.

The world will soon have 30 billion connected devices – which require a lot of energy, and now typically rely on limited battery power. The Delft-based startup Nowi is developing a chip that enables IoT devices, such as smart watches and sensors, to live forever.

Founded in 2015, Nowi has received €1 million in funding from RVO, which it will use for the commercialisation of its ‘Energy Harvesting’ technology to provide lasting power sources for IoT devices. The company previously raised €1.5 million from the Disruptive Technology Ventures fund in 2018.

Nowi CEO Simon van der Jagt explains: “Instead of needing to continously bring energy to your device in the form of batteries or power cables, Nowi technology enables companies to use the energy that is already readily available around the device. This can be light, heat, movement or even radio waves. There is energy all around us that can now be used to power IoT devices.”

With Nowi’s patented technology, it is becoming possible to effectively use these sources to power devices.

van der Jagt added: “The additional funding from RVO enables Nowi to make its technology market-ready. Nowi is translating its leading technology position in low-power energy harvesting technology into a small chip that can be used in a wide range of devices. As the Internet of Things begins to mature it is becoming clear that there are hundred of millions of so called smart-devices that need to become ‘Plug & Forget’. From smart watches to sensors and asset trackers, all of these devices have started to incorporate energy harvesting technology in order to significantly increase their lifetime and reduce the need for cables and battery changes.”

Winter has come! And a cold, arctic wave is swallowing Europe. While the Old Continent battles the crippling freezing weather, many of us have chosen to stay safely inside and to enjoy the coziness of their homes. For those lucky ones, we here suggest 10 startups that have mastered the art of making your home more comfortable and cozy with just one click!

In the list below, we feature all kinds of companies making your life easier at home: from those offering more energy-efficient appliances, to the ones adding the IoT and ‘smart’ touches to your home, from door-to-door and peer-to-peer services that allow you to put your feet up and relax, to manufacturers of downright cool and innovative home essentials!

Miummium – Founded in 2015 in Glasgow, Miummium is the ultimate on-demand chef service that  is revolutionizing the in-home dining experience. The largest personal chef marketplace on the web, Miummium, allows you to explore menus, research chefs and book unparalleled at-home culinary experiences. The booking process is rather simple: the client picks a date, chooses a menu and invites his/her guests over for a meal. The rest is up to Miummium’s little helpers so that there are no shopping, no preparation, no clean-up and no stress involved for the clients. For as little as $ 23.00 /guest, you could get your own personal chef experience. Options and prices may vary depending on the fanciness of your menu of choice!

Simba Sleep – Simba Sleep is a mattress e-commerce startup founded in 2015 in London. The company produces what they call ‘the most advanced mattress in the world’ made of a unique combination of 2,500 conical pocket springs and responsive memory foam. As they very eloquently put it, this mattress is ‘the one you’ve always dreamed of’. Entering its 4th year of activity, the company already boasts an incredible success and sky-high sales. The quality of their product is not their only selling point, though. The company has, in fact, an innovative approach when it comes to social media and has managed to shake its sleepy industry up with insightful use of behavioral metrics and highly engaging Facebook and Instagram campaigns. Finally, Simba Sleep has also managed to raise a whopping total of $75.7 million in funding over seven rounds.

Picnic – Picnic is an online grocery platform and application that enable its users to find and order grocery through their mobile phone. The products sold on Picnic are vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, sweets, snacks, drinks, dairy, bread, but also non-food items that you can find in any supermarket. The platform offers delivery services in cities throughout the Netherlands. Finally, the startup boasts an incredibly efficient and sustainable food marketplace with 100% electrical delivery vans, no food waste, the lowest prices in the market and free delivery. Picnic was founded in 2015 by Joris Beckers, Michiel Muller, and Frederik Nieuwenhuys and has raised a total of €100 million in funding in just one round.

ProntoPro – This online platform allows its users to hire professionals for home-related services: anything from a hairstylist to a plumber. ProntoPro was founded in 2015 and has its headquarters in Milan, Italy. The startup, founded by Marco Ogliengo and Silvia Wang, has grown esponentially over the years and counts now more than 100 employees. Their investors include Immobiliare.it as well as high-profile angels who work at Google, Facebook, eBay, McKinsey and Unicredit. In 2018 the compnay went international by launching its platform in Austria and Switzerland. ProntoPro has raised a total of €10M in funding with its latest funding round for €6 million.

Havr – Havr was founded in 2017 by Simon Laurent and Alexandre Ballet, two software engineers based in Compiègne, France. The startup has developed the ‘Bright Lock’, the first smart lock opening with light signals. The lock is a patented and safe solution that functions without a bridge or Bluetooth, but with a code encrypted in the flash of your Smartphone. Safe and easy to use, the Bright Lock gives you control of your home and even allows you to share access with your other users, friends, and family. With its new smart lock technology, Havr will make your home safer and high-tech all while making the use of regular keys obsolete. Their electronic door lock and digital key along with with their app and the online dashboard, represent the ultimate mixture of flexibility and security. For the production of their innovative product, the French company has amassed a total of €1.3 million in funding.

Yeti – Also known as Netbeast, Yeti is an app that connects all your smart devices to simplify the control of your home. The app also allows you to activate and monitor all your smart devices from anywhere, anytime. It supports a wide range of smart home devices from lights and wireless speakers to heating and security solutions, offering you comfort and security. The versatility of Yeti’s app makes home automation easier and smarter than ever. The company founded in Sevilla, Spain, in 2015 has ammassed a total of €223.2k in funding.

Mindful Chef  – Mindful Chef is a health-focused food box service. The company was founded in 2015 and has already delivered over one million meals across the UK in the form of recipe boxes. Their own recipe for success includes high quality ingredients: they use 100% grass-fed heritage beef, free range chicken, and the UK landed wild fish. The startup is a B-Corp, and for every meal sold they donate a school meal to a child living in poverty. The London-based company  has raised a total of £9.3 million in funding.

Butternut Box – Just like Mindful Chef, Butternut Box delivers food to your doorstep – however it has a completely different target: pets. Butternut Box is about as luxurious as a pet brand can get. The British startup, in fact, cooks and delivers boxes of fresh dog food to homes across the UK. All the food is cooked-to-order in weekly batches and tailored to suit the needs of each individual dog. The people at Butternut Box have made quality and freshness their distinctive features: ‘Putting the food back into dog food’ is their motto. Founded in 2016, this startup has secured an impressive figure of £6.2 million across three rounds of funding.

Onlock – Onlock is a smart lock ecosystem compatible with most of the lock systems on the market. It allows users to lock and unlock their doors with just one click in the mobile app. However, Onlock does not replace your current lock system and allows you to keep using your regular physical keys. This solution simply adds another layer of security to your regular lock and allows you to limit your guests’ key usage within a certain date and time, and to get notified of lock/unlock activities. This lock is designed for those who want to enjoy the perks of remote control, but are not entirely ready to give up on physical duplicates just yet. The company, founded in 2016, has raised a total of $120K in funding.

Happy Helper – This startup is the leading Danish platform for on-demand home services, connecting over 12,000 households looking for home cleaning services, with more than 3,500 top-quality, pre-screened independent cleaners – or as they call them “helpers”​. With an easy booking process, secure payment, and a 100% money-back guarantee, this startup is the most convenient way to book cleaning services in the country. However, you shouldn’t be fooled by their passion for cleanliness, Happy Helper is not a cleaning enterprise – it is actually a technology company. They have in fact developed an “AirBnB-like”​ online marketplace, matching customers with cleaners. Since it was founded in 2015, Happy Helper has raised a total of $7.9 million in funding.

Amsterdam-based travel startup Polarsteps allows travelers to share their trips in real time with their closest friends and family. The startup just announced that it has hit the one million user mark, and raised €3 million in a Series A round. The round was led by INKEF Capital, brings Polarsteps’ total funding to date to €4.6 million, after previously raising a €900k seed round in 2017.

Founded in 2015, Polarstep’s platform allows travelers to create their own personal photo albums, and to explore inspiring trips of others, with titles such as, “Around the world in an ambulance“, “Nepal on a Royal Enfield“, and “Exploring Iceland by bicycle“. Polarsteps makes money by letting users buy their special “Travel Books”, which are instant photo albums of trips that can be ordered at the push of a button.

Polarsteps’ one million registered users have collectively traveled over 52 million days on the app – shown on a heat map that the company published today. The map exposes the most popular travel routes across the globe.

The company currently has 10 employees and plans to use the new funding to rapidly expand its team.

Polarsteps co-founder and CEO Koen Droste said: “Being avid travelers ourselves, we founded Polarsteps because we want to inspire and connect people through travel. We believe that the best way to do that is by creating a place where the entire travel experience is combined within one platform. From the very first inspiration on where to go, to remembering your trip years after it has ended. That’s why we’ve been working behind the scenes on our next big challenge: to re-invent the way in which travelers plan their trips. In the coming year, Polarsteps will become the place to go to for planning, tracking and remembering all your trips.”

Kyang Yung, Investment Director at INKEF, commented: “The two things that stood out to us about Polarsteps were the virality of the product and a company business model that is global from the get-go. The growth they have been able to achieve with basically zero paid marketing is remarkable, to say the least. We were equally impressed with the team’s overall vision, and their laser-focus on building a product that consumers love. The Polarsteps team has the potential to create something truly disruptive in the travel space, and we’re excited to join them on their journey.”

Many game studios struggle to create a stable infrastructure required for multiplayer sessions. Recognising this problem, Rotterdam-based Gameye began developing technology to optimise and simplify the infrastructure of PC and mobile multiplayer games to improve the gaming experience.

“We’ve heard of too many studios facing the same problem,” said Sebastiaan Heijne, CEO of Gameye. “With Gameye we’re hoping to give our customers piece of mind that they are getting the most cost-efficient and effective hosting solution available so they can focus on creating great games. We want to see more games make it to market and more opportunities to grow the competitive gaming scene.”

Gameye develops solutions for game servers, creating matchmaking capabilities across their global network, and giving gaming companies the tools to launch multiple titles via the same API, reducing the need to build custom solutions and infrastructure internally each time a new game is implemented onto the platform.

Founded in 2017, Gameye has just raised a €1.4 million seed round, with investment from Makers Fund, Seedcamp and Niccolo Maisto, CEO of the gaming platform FACEIT.

“The gaming industry is booming and rapidly moving to the cloud,” said Sia Houchangnia, Seedcamp Partner. “Gameye perfectly fits our thesis of investing in pick-and-shovel businesses that will play a central role in this transition. The opportunity ahead is massive and Gameye has a truly passionate team of experts that are perfectly positioned to size it.

The Dutch clean-tech startup ViriCiti today announced a new funding round worth €6.25 million – led by Energy impact Partners (EIP), Mainport Innovation Fund II (MIF II). Founded in 2012, ViriCiti provides an online telematics platform for electric and mixed bus fleets.

The fresh capital will be used to accelerate product development of ViriCiti Smart Charging, and growing ViriCiti’s team, offices, and existing customer base in North America.

ViriCiti offers an online platform to support transit operators with real-time insights into their fleet. By combining charging infrastructure with electric and non-electric vehicles in one platform, the company is streamlining the transition to all-electric fleets and working to drive the global transition to zero-emission transport.

ViriCiti CEO Freek Dielissen stated: “As we are right in the middle of energy and infrastructure services, Energy Impact Partners is the perfect partner for us to strengthen our ties with the US market and utilities. We will use this investment to open additional offices and to grow our team to ensure outstanding customer service, and to build up our sales network.”

Since 2015, ViriCiti has been a market leader in electric bus telematics in Europe and the United States, serving over 50% of the electric bus market. Stanford University in California was one of its first customers in the US. ViriCiti’s recent customers include New York City Transit, Toronto Transit Commission, as well as a large technology company in Silicon Valley that placed an order for 500 systems. All US customers are being served from ViriCiti’s office in South Carolina and Support Center in southern California.

For transit authorities, high capital costs for electric buses is still an obstacle in the transition to zero-emission fleets. Lowering grid power demand and charging costs is important for scaling electric fleets and speed up their return on investment. When electric fleets are growing, energy demand charges are increasing, leading to high charging costs and expensive grid connections for operators. Charging smart, with the right amount of energy at the right time, reduces demand charges and avoids peak time-of-use so that electric buses are kept in service where they belong.

ViriCiti’s company headquarters is in Amsterdam, and ViriCiti LLC is represented by two offices on the West Coast and East Coast of the United States. ViriCiti aims to lower emissions and accelerate the adoption of zero-emission vehicles on a global scale by offering an all-in-one solution.

The forward-thinking and technology-driven Netherlands nurtures a long tradition of innovation and entrepreneurship. International talent, top-notch educational institutions and impeccable work-life balance have placed the Netherlands high on the list of startup havens. According to public sources, Dutch startups raised more than €500 million in 2018, demonstrating the enormous potential of the ecosystem. The Dutch capital, Amsterdam, is Europe’s 4th biggest startup hub.

In the beginning of this year we took a closer look at the Dutch startup ecosystem, in order to introduce you to some exceptionally promising companies. Below you’ll find 10 Dutch startups, all of them not older than 2-3 years, that will be making headlines in 2019:

Amber Mobility – This Eindhoven-based electric car and bicycle-sharing startup is convincing the Dutch that sharing is the new owning. As reliability and convenience are becoming a priority in the transportation sector, Amber is currently providing a fleet of 140 fully electric BMWi3 vehicles, so far servicing 2,200 active users in nine cities in the Netherlands. Currently, they are piloting a business car sharing service in Eindhoven.

Convious – The global heavyweight winner of Get in the Ring Startup Competition 2017/18 uses AI to deliver personalised price offers for online visitors, by measuring, predicting, improving, machine learning, designing and iterating every part of their journey. With Convious’ ‘willingness to pay’ algorithms, it is easy to recognise customers’ buying intents and win their interest back.

Digital Insurance Group – Claiming to be the next generation technology partner for insurers, banks and brokers, this insurtech company is providing fully customised mobile-first insurance experiences at record speed for its customers via its data-driven insurance platform. It was founded in 2017 as a combination of the world’s first digital insurance broker Knip and the leading Dutch insurtech startup Kompar.

Felyx – This startup is another riding the e-scooter wave in disrupting urban mobility – however unlike the other e-scooters we’ve seen cluttering our city sidewalks, these resemble motorcycles and are meant to be ridden on the road. Locals in Amsterdam and Rotterdam can easily locate, reserve and activate e-scooters through the Felyx app. Founded in 2016, Felyx has already raised €4.1 million in funding, has over 50,000 registered users and is planning an expansion to the Hague. The new green shared way of transport is sure here to stay.

Hiber – Less than 10% of the globe is covered by IoT-ready connectivity, and Hiber is trying to change that via their nanosatellite-powered solution. Since 2018 two HiberBand nano-satellites have been flying over the earth’s poles 16 times per day and the equator twice a day, bringing IoT connectivity to the vast majority of the world. The winner of the Accenture Innovation Award for 2017, Hiber will certainly bring endless opportunities to both people and planet.

Light year – A group of Solar Team Eindhoven alumni is in the process of developing the first consumer electric car with integrated solar cells capable of driving 8,000 to 10,000 kilometres per year on solar energy. Lightyear One is expected to be driven on Dutch roads in 2020. Until then, they are collecting funds ($6 million Series A), partnering (automotive engineering company EDAG) and picking up awards (Climate Change Innovator Award at CES).

ScanMovers – Aimed to provide the best moving experience possible, ScanMovers provides an online platform where customers can receive quotes by moving companies, compare them and select the most appropriate one for them. In 2018 they partnered with insurance broker Meijers and launched a brand new moving insurance for both private and company moves, and in December they raised a €750k seed round.

Shypple – As a digital forwarder, Shypple’s mission is to make global trade virtually frictionless. Known as the “Booking.com for sea freight” Shypple provides its customers with an easy-to-use dashboard to book freight shipping directly, quickly compare sailing times and price quotes, and track shipments in real time. Royal Textile, Flow products and TWF Europe have already reduced hassle, communication effort and costs thanks to them. Who is next?

Wonderkind – Second year in a row, the Amsterdam-based startup finds its place on own list. As one of the fastest-growing HR-tech companies in the country, Wonderkind matches passive talent and employers combining artificial intelligence and hyper-targeting via apps, websites, social media and email, helping corporates and staffing agencies to reach quality talent that otherwise would have been missed.

Factris – Founded with the goal to help European SMEs, Factris is handling their invoices, so they can concentrate on the real work. Factris is an online invoice factoring platform providing working capital to businesses by buying their unpaid invoices, in exchange for 0.5% fee per invoice. Backed by Speedinvest, Factris is turning invoices in cash in 24 hours, leaving behind happy customers.

By the way: If you’re a corporate or investor looking for exciting startups in a specific market for a potential investment or acquisition, check out our Startup Sourcing Service!

The Dutch capital is a true magnet for startups and the 4th most active startup hub in Europe. It is home to renowned tech giants and world-class home-grown companies, a high quality of life, an enviable work-life balance, international tech talent, government-supported startup visa, and unmissable coffee culture. These advantages have also made the city an attractive investment destination, with reports stating that the Dutch tech companies raised €750 million in 2018. So if you are thinking about relocation, think no more. Here is an overview of the Amsterdam’s startup scene:

The City’s top startup hubs

B.Amsterdam – With the aim of building the biggest startup ecosystem in Europe B.Amsterdam offers 40,000 square metres of office and coworking space, event or meeting rooms, lounge area, gym, cinema, and a rooftop restaurant. It brings freelancers, startups, creatives and corporates together, to innovate, learn and grow through educational programs, interesting events and networking opportunities.

Epicentar – With a vision to establish Epicenter Houses of Innovation in key digital hotspots of the world, they have turned to Amsterdam. The membership-based space provides a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs and companies to meet, collaborate, learn and grow their businesses, supported by the fastest growing digital companies through various types of initiatives, hackathons, workshops, etc.

Merkspace – With two locations in the city, Merkspace is bringing the coworking scene to another level. Open desks, conference rooms, cinema hall, advanced equipment, in-house restaurants, gym & spa facilities, tennis courts and tailored workshops, lectures and industry leading experts on demand. Did we mention unlimited beer?

Rent24 – The German co-working and co-living concept is thriving in the city with two locations, in the most exciting neighborhoods, known for its creative and international vibe. Excellent coworking space, meeting rooms and lounge area, coupled with an extensive network of mentors to provide all types of services to interested parties. All together a feel-good environment, with coffee free of charge.

TQ – The heart of the Amsterdam startup community, TQ offers everything you need to grow your startup, from services, rooms, and technology to yoga, massages & haircuts. Founded by TNW, this tech hub is the central destination for success in the city. Big plus: after-work beer, yoga class or barbecue on the balcony with the TQ community.

Top 5 of the city’s up up-and-coming startups

Bunq – Calling itself the “Bank of the Free”, Bunq offers an alternative to traditional banking. Known for being one of the first fintech startups to remove the need for IBANs, Bunq allows users to easily make payments to each other, or even share a single account as a group, but it also operates as a full-fledged bank, processing payment requests and transfers to other banks, accessible via an app.

Felyx – Felyx is offering shared electric scooters as a new urban mobility concept in the Netherlands. 100% electric and powered by green energy, Felyx e-scooters provide a fast, efficient and sustainable way of moving around the city. With the Felyx app it is easy to locate and activate an available scooter and then park it at any destination. With €4 million in funding raised so far, they will for sure make your daily commute seamless.

Hiber – The startup provides global and affordable Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity via Hiberband nano-satellites to remote, unconnected areas of the world. Founded in 2016 by a team of satellite experts and tech entrepreneurs, split between Amsterdam and Delft, Hiber is pushing the boundaries and making life better for everyone.

Picnic – Picnic is an online supermarket offering groceries for the lowest price, accompanied by a free delivery service to your home. Founded in 2015, it quickly became recognized as one of the fastest growing tech companies in Europe, receiving a €100 million in Series B investment in 2017. If things continue this way, Picnic will put an end to the traditional supermarket.

Polarsteps – Imagine you are travelling and someone could be your shadow blogger, taking notes of all the places you visited, create stories out of it and publish that online. Polarsteps does exactly that. The travel tracking platform automates your travel blogging and allows your friends to follow your adventures in real time. Currently tracking journeys in over 180 countries, the startup is set to grow even more with its latest €3 million Series A investment.

The city’s most active VCs

Anterra Capital – A spin-out from Rabobank, the global leader in food and agricultural banking, Anterra Capital became a specialist venture firm in 2013, mainly focusing on companies which can make the global food supply chain safer, more efficient and more sustainable. If your product ranges anywhere from novel agro inputs and precision farming to smarter logistics and consumer safety, this is the place to go.

HenQ Investments – Henq is primarily targeting young technology companies active in ICT, New Media, Mobile and Software sectors. Since its inception in 2004, it has grown out to be one of the main Dutch venture capital funds. Notable investments: Mews, Zivver, Studytube, Energyworx, Cronofy, Mendix, Insided and more.

Inkef Capital – Inkef Capital’s focus is on ICT/Fintech/New Media and Healthcare and it covers multiple investment stages but focuses mainly on Series A investments. Since 2010, Inkef has supported more than 25 companies with financing, business strategy and expertise. Notable investments: EclecticIQ, Polarsteps, Onefit, Castop, Night Balance, Bloomon and more.

Peak Capital – Founded by experienced entrepreneurs in 2007, Peak Capital provides growth capital and pro-active hands-on support to startups active in marketplaces, software, IoT, edtech, fintech, and data. Notable investments: OneFit, Media Distillery, InvoiceFinance, StuDocu, Catawiki, Iens, Flinders, Radionomy, Peecho, Tradecloud, CheapCargo, NPEX.

Prime Ventures – As one of the leading venture capital and growth equity firms in Europe, Prime Ventures was founded in 1999 by Sake Bosch, with offices in Amsterdam and Cambridge, and a current base of over half a billion Euro in committed capital. Notable investments: Codenomicon, Slimpay, Zappi.io, Almotive and more.

Most active business angels

Arthur Kosten – Arthur Kosten is a Dutch angel investor, known as the co-founder of Booking.com. He is a technology investor interested in late stage marketplaces, having invested in Catawiki, Healthecare.com, 3D Hubs, Planday, Festicket, 8fit, Deskbookers and more.

Hans Janssen –  Mostly known as the founder of WoodWing software, today Hans is a co-founder of BFly Ventures, an early stage venture capital company. As an angel investor and startup consultant, he is active with the following startups: Sowiso, Freshfolds, Pr.co, Tiqets, Digital shefs, Revue and more.

Martijn Rozendaal – The former co-founder Just Eat & Treatwell is now active with Finneir Capital, an investment vehicle focussing on seed and pre-series A investments in healthcare technology startups. His previous investments include Medvine Limited, Grab, Fixico, Industrious, Tradono, Hiber, Polarsteps and more.

Thijs Gitmans – Thijs Gitmans is Partner at NBI Investors & Fund Manager of Mainport Innovation Fund, as well as an Angel Investor via DHG Communications Network and also a mentor at StartupBootcamp and Rockstart Accelerator. A dedicated Startup coach, with investments in Catawiki, Box, CheapCargo, Blazemeter and more.

Wouter Kneepkens – Wouter is a serial entrepreneur with a strong background in business and finance, having worked previously in investment banking, hedge funds and private equity. Besides being an angel investor, he is also managing Vandersluys & Caelen, an investment advisory & management firm and is an investor through VNTRE Fund, a seed stage investment firm.

Important Accelerators and Incubators

Ace Incubator – Named as the top incubator in Netherlands in 2018, the Amsterdam Center for Entrepreneurship is a university incubator of UvA, VU, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, and Amsterdam UMC which offers training, business support and access to an extensive network of mentors to their students, young researchers, university professors and alumni.

Booking Booster – Booking Booster is a three-week accelerator program for social startups building technology-driven solutions to sustainable travel challenges, consisting of lectures, hands-on workshops and coaching sessions by a personal Booking.com mentor, culminating in a final pitch for the prize of €500k. Best part: work directly with Booking.com on innovation initiatives.

Collider – Collider is fuelling the next generation of marketing and advertising tech startups via their 12 weeks accelerator programme with the possibility to win 50 or 100k€, receive mentorship and access to the Collider network for life. If your product can help corporates find, understand, engage, sell to and retain customers, then this is the place for you.

Marriott TestBed – Powered by Marriott Hotels, this 10-week accelerator programme wants to transform the future of travel and hospitality by providing startups support, expert advice and the perfect test bed. The startup needs to provide a product/service that enhances the entire hotel guest experience and they will provide an opportunity to test it within an operating Marriott Hotel.

Rockstart – Rockstart is one of Europe’s first multi-vertical startup accelerators, currently offering capital and expertise to startups working in the fields of energy, health, agrifood and emerging tech. The intensive acceleration program is coupled with office space, highly specialized knowledge, and access to a broad network of international mentors, partners and investors. Over 150 companies have been supported so far and counting.

The city’s most popular startup/tech events

Amsterdam Eweek – As one of Europe’s biggest festivals for digital media, e-business, online marketing, e-commerce and technology, Amsterdam Eweek is a week-long festival offering meetups, workshops, parties, dinners, conferences and gatherings at various locations throughout the city. Next edition: 9-16 October 2019

Hackers and Founders – Since 2011, every first Thursday of the month, Café De Doffer hosts the biggest meetup group of technology entrepreneurs and developers in the Netherlands. The meetup is open to anyone interested in technology or startup scene and wants to hear great speakers and meet like-minded people. Join their Slack channel for more info.

React – React is a full-day, two-track conference gathering front-end and full-stack developers from all over the world for a training day, workshops on advanced React, GraphQL as well as a crash course on React Native. The most exciting projects of the past year are recognized with React Open Source award. Next edition: 10-12 April, 2019

The Next Web Conference – Since 2006, TNW Conference has been a must-attend for tech enthusiasts and companies. The two-day technology festival brings the community together to network, do business, and learn about the latest trends in technology, surrounded by top-notch speakers and best networking parties. Next edition: 9/10 May, 2019

Amsterdam Capital Week – Held annually in the last week of September, the Amsterdam Capital week is all about bringing the whole ecosystem together through different events. Early-stage startups pitch their ideas, scale-ups discuss international scaling strategies, venture capitalists, and investors and business angels find new investments and launch long-term partnerships.

Looking for a new challenge? Consider joining Europe’s growing startup community. The EU-Startups job board has a listing of over 400 jobs from up and coming startups across Europe, which are hiring for a variety of positions including project managers, marketers, software engineers, and more. Here’s a small sample of some of the positions available in Europe’s exciting startup ecosystem:

EU-Startups is looking for volunteers for our EU-Startups Summit in sunny Barcelona on May 2-3! This is EU-Startups’ annual flagship event, and we’re expecting about 1,200 entrepreneurs, startup enthusiasts, corporates, angel investors, and VCs to join us. A great opportunity for networking, you’ll get to meet all kinds of interesting people from the startup world, have fun and receive a free EU-Startups polo shirt.

Holidu is building a search engine for vacation rentals, to make finding and booking the perfect rental finally easy. Based in Munich, the startup is hiring an Online Marketing Manager to generate leads via online advertising, and manage social media accounts, website and the company’s online presence. The right candidate should have a university degree in business administration, marketing or a related field, and be fluent in English. The startup offers a flat hierarchy, responsibility and freedom to develop your own ideas.

Automation Squared is hiring for a Senior Full Stack / Junior Developer to work at its office in Horsham, UK. The position presents an opportunity to develop your skills across a broad range of emerging technology including Progressive Web Applications, Blockchain, AI, AR, VR and IoT. Applicants should be eager to learn new technologies, and be enthusiastic to adopt the right tech-stack for the job.

Araido is a software security consultancy company based in Amsterdam. It is looking for a DevSecOps Engineer/Consultant to automate security checks and help development teams to find security issues at an early stage. The right candidate should be a team player with strong analytical skills, with 1-3 years of experience in software security development.

TIOLI, which stands for Take It Or Leave It, is an application for people with food intolerances. The small team composed of two engineers and a physicist is currently looking for an App Developer. The position is in Brunswick or Osnabrück, Germany, and perks include flexible working hours and regular team events.

By the way: If you’re a startup CEO and also looking for some rockstar employees for your company, make sure to publish a job opening with us now. While basic job ads are free, the standard option of Featured Job posts is available for just €49 and provides you with additional visibility.