The story of Daan Meijer

At Invest-NL, Daan works as an Investment Associate in the Capital team. This means he is part of the investment team and conducts research into companies that Invest-NL may invest in. As a result, he is daily involved with the latest techniques and developments that could be important for sustainable transitions.

In his work, he has lots of contact with entrepreneurs to explore how Invest-NL can assist them. Daan: “I write investment proposals to gain approval for an investment. I do all this together with a deal team: a temporary team working on a specific investment. Because we collaborate across different deal teams, you get to know many colleagues well in a short period of time.”

Daan has very consciously chosen Invest-NL: “I have been following Invest-NL since its inception, through my previous job and the news. It already seemed to me then to be an interesting organisation with a mandate that I believe is very necessary in the Netherlands. I see the climate crisis as the greatest challenge humanity faces and wanted, through my work, to contribute my part. And that is making an impact from the financial sector. Additionally, I find investing just very interesting work because it’s always a complex numerical puzzle that needs to be solved.”

Invest-NL is a young organisation with its own culture. Daan: “I believe that, overall, smart and driven people work at Invest-NL. The people come from very different backgrounds but also have a lot in common. Everyone wants to contribute something positive to the world. This creates a strong collective passion. I get a lot of energy from that every day. In my experience, it is an open culture where people say what they think. To give an example; you can easily walk in to talk to managers about things. That suits me well.”

Invest-NL has a clear mission in the world of sustainable investment, according to Daan: “We do our best to make a difference. We try to give the right initiatives a chance, where other investors haven't yet or dare not to. Making financeable what seems unfinanceable. That clearly sets us apart from other parties in the market.”

And of course, it's not always easy. Progress often comes in waves. But that's exactly why everyone needs to take an extra step. Daan: “We need to try to achieve a huge change in our thinking, our society, and our way of collaborating within a short period to reverse the climate crisis. I see it as my duty to contribute something from my talents. This role feels like a ‘perfect match’. I have always been someone who enjoys understanding how things work and following new developments. I am always looking for new knowledge, and learning is something that gives me a lot of energy. Helping entrepreneurs who are working with groundbreaking technologies is therefore something that suits me well.”