History
History
From Startup Almere to Startup Flevoland
2015
The Foundation of Startup Almere
Startup Flevoland builds on a foundation that was laid years earlier in Almere. Around 2015, the initiative emerged there to create stronger connections between startups, entrepreneurs, businesses, education, government and investors. Almere was a young city with plenty of room for innovation, entrepreneurship and a pioneering spirit, but its startup ecosystem was still in its early stages. There was a need for a place where ideas, entrepreneurs, knowledge, capital and opportunities could come together.
During that phase, Valerie Bos, Martijn de Vries and Menno van Dam were important driving forces behind Almere’s startup ecosystem. Valerie brought her organisational talent, creativity and experience in community building. Martijn played an important role in the development of the brand, the network and the connection with partners through strategy, marketing and entrepreneurship. Menno, as a fellow driving force, was closely involved in the development of Startup Almere and contributed to building the community, connecting stakeholders and advancing the initiative. Together, they built a platform that made entrepreneurship more visible, connected entrepreneurs with one another and positioned Almere more strongly as a city for startups and innovation.
2016
Launch and Growth of the Community
From January 2016 onwards, Startup Almere played an active role in shaping and maintaining the startup community: an engaged group of entrepreneurs, organisations, residents, students, experts and partners who came together to enable new innovation and business activity.
Startup Almere became a movement within the city. Through events, meetings, conversations and collaborations, a network gradually emerged of people who wanted to contribute to a future-proof and productive economy. Its strength lay in connection: entrepreneurs with one another, startups with experts, ideas with opportunities and local ambition with regional impact.
The events focused on inspiration, learning, action and networking. Under the motto “Show, Don’t Tell”, entrepreneurship was not only discussed, but above all made visible, active and tangible.
Events were organised with many visitors and a large online reach. Hundreds of people were brought together around themes such as entrepreneurship, innovation, technology, growth, funding and community building. The events gave entrepreneurs a stage, helped new ideas move forward and connected people who might otherwise not have found each other so easily.
Examples included hackathons, where participants worked on new ideas, digital solutions and innovative concepts in a short period of time. At that time, this was truly new for the city. During the Kick Off Startup Almere, experienced entrepreneurs, including SpeakApp CEO and co-founder Erwin Vlist, shared their experiences. Afterwards, people with a business idea were given the opportunity to present it during a workshop by doon.nu and develop it further together with other participants.
There were also practical sessions such as Toomba Code Coaching, where startups working on programming their digital service, such as a website, platform or app, could ask questions to senior developers from Toomba. During Startup Night Almere, one of the central themes was The Internet of Things. Participants listened to speakers on topics such as customer development, technology and startups, while startups were given space to pitch their idea or company to the community.
With Startup Saturday, startups were given the opportunity to share the lessons they had learned in an interactive session. At the same time, they could present their challenges to the participants and discover what knowledge, contacts or support the community could offer. Workshops on Virtual Reality kept the community informed about new technological trends and showed which applications were possible in sectors such as healthcare, construction, education and training.
In addition, Startup Almere organised Pressure Cooker sessions, in which creative, eager-to-learn and curious residents of Almere, as well as participants from beyond the city, worked on challenges from specific sectors. Organisations could submit a question or theme through Startup Almere. In a short period of time, participants worked from different perspectives on radical, innovative and sometimes disruptive solutions.
These events made Startup Almere concrete. They created opportunities for meeting, knowledge sharing, collaboration and visibility. In doing so, they became an important driving force behind the growth of the community and the trust in Almere’s startup ecosystem.
2016 to 2017
Partners, Board and Regional Alignment
In 2016 and 2017, Startup Almere grew into a recognisable platform with a broad network of committed partners, board members, entrepreneurs, experts and organisations. It was precisely this combination that made the initiative strong. Startup Almere was not a standalone project, but a network in which various parties contributed their knowledge, experience, facilities and reach to further develop Almere’s startup ecosystem. During this period, the Startup Almere Foundation was also established.
Startup Almere was also supported by a strong board and network in terms of content and expertise. Wouter ten Brink of Elements was involved from the perspective of entrepreneurship and innovation. Robin Schuil, co-founder of Marktplaats, contributed his experience as a serial entrepreneur, software developer and startup coach. He helped build the community through his knowledge and experience and emphasised the importance of a place where entrepreneurs can exchange ideas, lessons learned and contacts. Niek van der Voort, Serial Entrepreneur & Startup Ecosystem Expert, was involved as an adviser, drawing on his experience with incubators, startup communities, software companies and innovation programmes.
In addition, several partners actively contributed to the development of Startup Almere. Simon Stunnenberg, Corporate Business Development Manager at USG People, was involved from the belief that innovation should be a structural part of organisations. USG People made HR expertise, knowledge of innovation management and its network available to help build Almere’s startup climate.
Kay Lagerweij, entrepreneur and co-founder of Places to Work, contributed an entrepreneurial environment through Places to Work, where facilities, office hours, events and meetings came together under one roof. The location provided space for various events and made entrepreneurship practical and accessible.
Myrthe Zwaan, Innovation Team Coordinator at the Accenture Innovation Awards, connected Startup Almere to a broader innovation network. Through the collaboration, interested participants could come into direct contact with the programme, while Accenture was able to share its knowledge in the field of innovation with the community.
The Flevoland Development Agency was also involved from the very beginning. Ineke Mastenbroek, its director, saw Startup Almere as a network in which innovation was central and from which new business activity could emerge. The Flevoland Development Agency supported the initiative, among other things, by providing project leaders, knowledge of financing instruments and help in building smart collaborations.
The Municipality of Almere worked closely with Startup Almere from the launch meeting in September 2015, which was initiated by the Municipality of Almere and the Flevoland Development Agency. Based on the belief that pioneering is part of Almere’s DNA, the municipality supported the development of the startup community.
Education was also actively involved. Windesheim Flevoland promoted Startup Almere’s events among entrepreneurial students and collaborated on projects in the fields of entrepreneurship and innovation, such as AppRuption. In addition, members of Startup Almere gave guest lectures on entrepreneurship.
Lennart Lachmeijer, initiator of The Things Network Flevoland, contributed knowledge around the Internet of Things and LoRaWAN technology. Through Startup Almere, this knowledge could be shared with the startup community and new applications could be explored, including through events such as hackathons.
Connection to the wider startup ecosystem was also important. Michel Splint, Manager Ecosystem Development & Cloud Consultant, emphasised the importance of connecting with developments in Amsterdam and StartupDelta. Ruben Nieuwenhuis, Program Director of StartupAmsterdam, saw Almere as part of a broader region that could be positioned more strongly on the international stage. StartupAmsterdam provided advice, promotion, support and programmes that Startup Almere could connect with.
Financing and capital were also part of the network. René Krijger and Gert Bulthuis, from the management of MKB Fonds Flevoland BV and Technofonds Flevoland BV, were involved as partners and sounding boards for entrepreneurs who wanted to start, grow, enter new markets or develop innovative products. Rabobank was also involved as a partner through its role in entrepreneurship, financing and regional economic development.
Together, these people and organisations formed a broad ecosystem around Startup Almere. They brought together knowledge, networks, locations, financing, education, technology, innovative capacity and administrative support. As a result, Startup Almere was able to grow into more than a local initiative: it became a platform in which entrepreneurs, businesses, education, government, investors and social partners worked together on new business activity and innovation.
2018 to 2024
From Local Experience to Provincial Ambition
In the years that followed, Startup Almere grew into a recognisable platform for entrepreneurs who wanted to start, grow and scale. It gave founders a stage, connected entrepreneurs with knowledge and networks, and helped position Almere more strongly as a city for startups and innovation.
At the same time, Valerie and Martijn saw up close how much potential existed in Almere and the wider region. There were many entrepreneurs with ideas, many organisations with knowledge and resources, and many initiatives that each contributed to innovation and business activity in their own way.
Yet it also became clear that, despite much effort, many initiatives and good attempts, this potential was not yet being used to its full extent. There were many separate networks, events and programmes, but connection, visibility and structural support could be stronger.
That was precisely where they wanted to use their experience to play a role. The lessons from Startup Almere, the network that had been built, the experience with events and community building, and the knowledge of marketing, strategy and ecosystem development formed the basis for a next step.
After years of building in Almere, it became clear that the need for connection did not stop at the city boundary. In Lelystad, Dronten, Zeewolde, Noordoostpolder and Urk, too, entrepreneurs are working on new ideas, technology, sustainability, health, the circular economy, water, smart agriculture and other future-focused themes.
The experience gained in Almere therefore became the foundation for a larger movement. What began locally could continue to grow at provincial level.
2025
The Step Towards Startup Flevoland
In 2025, this development took on a new form with Startup Flevoland. The platform emerged from the shared mission of Valerie Bos and Martijn de Vries: to build a strong startup ecosystem for the entire region.
Startup Flevoland is not a standalone new initiative, but a logical next step. It builds on the experience, network and community approach of Startup Almere. From that foundation, Startup Flevoland aims to connect entrepreneurs, startups, scale-ups, experts, investors, hubs, educational institutions, governments and partners across the province more strongly with one another.
Startup Flevoland focuses on ambitious and innovative entrepreneurs throughout the province. The platform connects startups, scale-ups, experts, investors, hubs and partners. It organises events, shares knowledge, offers support and builds a community in which entrepreneurs help each other move forward.
The mission is clear: to make better use of Flevoland’s potential by structurally increasing the visibility and strength of entrepreneurship, innovation and collaboration.
What began with local ambition in Almere is now growing into a provincial movement. Startup Flevoland stands for a region where entrepreneurs find, strengthen and support one another. A region where ideas can grow, startups become visible and collaboration leads to new business activity, innovation and impact.