Eline de Haan in Quote Magazine

📉 Of the €28 billion in business financing issued in the Netherlands in 2024, only 14% went to female entrepreneurs. A striking number—especially in a country where nearly 40% of all entrepreneurs are women. Quote magazine asked our colleague Eline de Haan to reflect on this imbalance.

Her response: “Shocking.” But she also pointed to a deeper cause. If we want to shift these numbers, we need to start much earlier—by making the process more transparent and accessible.

“We need to start earlier in the funnel—inviting women in, showing them what paths are open, and what investors are really looking for.”

It’s a conversation that’s far from new—but one that still needs to be had, until the numbers finally start to change.

It’s encouraging to see so many organisations working actively to change that picture. Initiatives like Code-V Vrouwelijk Ondernemerschap, Diversity VC, Playfair’s open office hours, and HearstLab are all helping to shift the system—by creating spaces where female founders feel informed, welcomed, and taken seriously from the start.

And it’s starting to show. At this year’s NN Social Innovation Startup Award, half of the finalists were teams with female founders—working on everything from AI-driven dementia care to menstrual health and mental resilience. It’s one of many signs that more women are stepping forward with bold ideas and the ambition to scale them.

📰 Curious to read the full (Dutch) interview? Click here.