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We not only provide capital but also knowledge. With our legal, financial, and technical expertise, we resolve issues and give key sectors perspective. We are happy to share our insights!

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Onera Health announced its €30 million Series C funding today, with Invest-NL contributing a follow-on investment of €5 million. This investment in Onera Health supports the accessibility of healthcare and enhances the quality of life for patients with sleep disorders. Additionally, Onera Health's solution is set to reduce healthcare costs for hospitals and clinics.

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The future of Dutch healthcare is under significant pressure due to increasing demand for care and a severe shortage of staff. Invest-NL investigated how cross-domain networks in healthcare, which bring together care professionals from different sectors, can be funded. A social business case identifies all stakeholders and opens the door to collaboration and funding, which is crucial for a sustainable and affordable healthcare system.

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How is blended finance applied today and what can we learn from it? With these questions in mind, we conducted an exploration of the blended finance market. We are pleased to share a summary of this exploration, including practical insights on the effective use of blended finance instruments for transition and innovation goals.

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How is blended finance applied today and what can we learn from it? With that question, we conducted an exploration of the blended finance market. We are pleased to share a summary of this exploration, including practical insights on the effective use of blended finance instruments for transition and innovation objectives.

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Entrepreneurs, after the startup and scaleup phases, often rely on private equity, debt financiers, or an acquisition through M&A advisors. However, the characteristics of companies with a circular business model do not always align well with the practices of these parties, while the entrepreneurs are insufficiently prepared for this financing phase. According to research conducted by Route Circulair on behalf of Invest-NL, financiers, policymakers, and companies with a circular business model must collaborate to make follow-on investment and financing possible. The report, titled "Closing Loops, Opening Opportunities," provides an extensive analysis of the current state of circular economy investments and identifies critical factors influencing the financeability of sustainable and innovative enterprises.

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How can we make green hydrogen a key energy carrier in the Dutch energy transition? What is needed for this? Eduard de Visser (Director of strategy & innovation at Port of Amsterdam) and Dolores de Rooij (senior business development manager at Invest-NL) share how their research can develop into a catalyst for the Dutch and European energy transition.

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To make Europe less dependent on other parts of the world for the energy transition, Invest-NL in collaboration with TKI Urban Energy and Roland Berger has mapped out the costs and strategic challenges of a European solar industry. The report Solar Panel Manufacturing Cost Comparison demonstrates what is needed to establish a strong European foundation for the production of solar panels and to achieve strategic independence. In the accompanying vision document, Invest-NL emphasizes that smart investments, effective government policy, and European cooperation are essential to build a sustainable and competitive solar industry. The study is a follow-up to the earlier research on the opportunities for the solar industry in the Netherlands and Europe.

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Smartphones, laptops, displays and small household appliances: this small consumer electronics are the fastest growing e-waste stream. Research by Invest-NL conducted by nlmtd shows how these material flows are managed and what steps are necessary to achieve the circular ambition for 2050.

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The Netherlands can and does not need to compete with the United States and China in the race for increasingly larger and more expensive AI language models, nor should it seek to copy that approach. This is evident from a new deep dive study by Invest-NL in collaboration with ROM Nederland. The research shows that the Netherlands is particularly strong in those parts of the AI chain where qualitative data, energy-efficient technology, reliable infrastructure, and specialized knowledge are decisive. To capitalize on this position, investments and a robust AI industry policy are necessary.

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Invest-NL has commissioned research from CE Delft into the market potential of seasonal heat storage. The reason for this is that we are seeing the emergence of various companies offering heat storage techniques, but they find it difficult to establish a foothold in heat projects and consequently struggle to attract financing. And this is happening while the heat transition is in full swing.

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Smartphones, laptops, screens and small household appliances: this small consumer electronics is the fastest growing e-waste stream. Problematic, because these products contain valuable and critical raw materials. Research by Invest-NL through nlmtd shows how these material flows operate and what steps are necessary to achieve the circular ambition by 2050.

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The protein transition is essential for a sustainable and CO₂-neutral food system. Fermentation technology plays a key role by providing innovative protein solutions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and resource use. However, investments remain limited due to high development costs, complex scaling, and strict regulations. To break through these barriers, Invest-NL and Wageningen University & Research developed an assessment framework that helps investors make strategic decisions and thus promote growth within the sector.

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The European industry faces a massive sustainability challenge. This requires significant investments that demand a stable market for sustainably produced products. New research from Deloitte shows that demand creation – actively generating demand for more sustainable alternatives – can play a decisive role here. It not only makes the industry more sustainable but also stronger and more competitive.

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For the first time, the benefits of heat storage in district heating networks have been quantified in detail. Research by Invest-NL and Energy Storage NL shows that heat storage not only reduces the cost of delivered heat from € 0.70 to € 3.20 per gigajoule but also alleviates overload on electricity grids. Combining heat storage with district heating networks is essential for an affordable and feasible energy transition.

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New research shows that not only the supply, but also the demand for green hydrogen must be stimulated to get the market off the ground. Green hydrogen plays an important role in the transition to a sustainable energy system because it helps reduce the industry's CO₂ footprint. Despite its potential, the development of green hydrogen lags due to high production costs and a lack of stable demand.

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The European industry faces a significant sustainability challenge. This requires substantial investments that demand a stable market for sustainably produced products. New research from Deloitte shows that demand creation – actively generating demand for more sustainable alternatives – can play a decisive role here. It not only makes the industry more sustainable but also stronger and more competitive.

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Invest-NL leads a €16 million funding round in Thorizon, a Dutch deep-tech startup working on the development of advanced modular molten salt reactors. Invest-NL contributes €10 million and utilises the InvestEU guarantee scheme of the European Commission for the research component. Additionally, Thorizon recently received €4 million in funding through the Province of North Brabant, bringing the total financing to €20 million.

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The transition 'From Care to Health' is necessary to keep the Dutch healthcare system affordable and accessible in the future. It represents nothing less than a fundamental shift in mindset and approach. Across the entire Dutch healthcare ecosystem (including healthcare providers, health insurers, policymakers, research institutions, local authorities, and patient representatives), there is a strong focus on innovation and renewal; from data-based technologies and service concepts to new network-oriented collaborations and hybrid financing models.

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Achieving a climate-neutral energy system requires substantial investments. A preliminary study on the year 2023 by SEO Economic Research, commissioned by the Netherlands Sustainable Energy Association (NVDE), Rabobank, Alliander, Gasunie, and Invest-NL, shows that at least €25 billion has been invested in sustainability. Although these efforts are promising, there remains uncertainty about the total investment required. Better monitoring is essential to gain a complete picture of the necessary investments towards a climate-neutral Netherlands in 2050.

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The mechanical recycling sector in the Netherlands is under significant pressure. Bankruptcies are stacking up, while European legislation such as the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) calls for increased use of recycled plastic. Without intervention, crucial infrastructure for a circular economy will disappear, along with the Netherlands' leading position in Europe regarding circular plastics. New research by Copper8, SD&Co, Verpact, and Invest-NL shows that structural cost reduction is necessary to make the recycling sector both viable and future-proof.

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Thermal storage is profitable and relevant. Previous Invest-NL research - Opportunities in thermal storage systems - estimates a market potential of 45 PJ in 2050. Until 2035, this represents a market value of €500 million. It also results in significant social benefits: adding buffers reduces the use of gas-fired peak boilers and makes district heating networks more flexible and future-proof.

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The transition to sustainable energy is in full swing, with thermal storage technologies playing a vital role in efficiently utilizing renewable energy. Cellcius, a pioneer in this sector with their development of a salt thermal battery and storage system, and Invest-NL have jointly executed a First Time Right project. From this, substantive insights have emerged regarding financial, legal, and (commercial) positioning challenges. The findings of this research have been made available to all market parties as of today.

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The Netherlands faces a significant and urgent housing construction challenge, with pressure on the housing market in many Dutch municipalities already being high for a long time. This pressure on accommodation highlights the need to speed up the building of homes. It increases the demand for a structurally adaptable flexible housing stock that can absorb fluctuations in demand and supply. Currently, however, flexible homes are often difficult to finance due to the temporary nature of a location. Research, carried out on behalf of Invest-NL, shows that the business case for flexible homes improves when the circular residual value is taken into account.

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The mechanical recycling sector in the Netherlands is under significant pressure. Failures are piling up, while European legislation such as the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) calls for increased use of recycled plastic. Without intervention, crucial infrastructure for a circular economy will disappear, along with the Netherlands' leading position in Europe regarding circular plastics. New research by Copper8, SD&Co, Verpact, and Invest-NL shows that structural cost reductions are necessary to make the recycling sector profitable and future-proof.

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The Netherlands is home to all kinds of pioneers who are committed to accelerating the energy transition by launching fully developed technological innovations. But these innovators often face a wide variety of challenges in setting up their first commercial projects. Challenges that in many cases fall outside an innovative company’s core expertise. With these companies in mind, Invest-NL has developed the First Time Right (FTR) programme.

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As Invest-NL, we promote innovation and enable financing for businesses and projects that accelerate the transition to a circular economy. An important part of this is the good use of materials available to us, and the development of sustainable alternatives. In this context, we support the development and introduction of environmentally friendly, biobased, and biodegradable materials.

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The societal added value of biobased building is still insufficiently recognized in property valuations. To change this, Invest-NL, together with Envalue, Copper8, Alba Concepts, and Impact Institute, launched a study into incorporating circular performance into property valuations. The result is a clear framework that gives circular performances such as reuse, disassembly, and healthy materials a place in financial valuations.

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Invest-NL focuses on making investments financially feasible for the energy transition. One of the key areas is the Agrifood sector. Wilco Schoonderbeek is the Team Lead for Scale-ups and Innovations at Invest-NL, but also has many years of experience in the Agrifood sector. Wilco explains what Invest-NL aims to achieve with a focus on the Agrifood sector.

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Invest-NL is set to participate as a new investor in the € 15 million series A investment round in E-magy, a Dutch company that develops battery technology. E-magy's nanoporous silicon anode material results in an improved battery with 40% higher energy density and faster charging capacity.

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Invest-NL Vision on Water - Water in Transition

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Agroforestry, an advanced regenerative farming practice, can play a significant role in addressing biodiversity loss, climate change, and landscape restoration. Although its potential is enormous, the practice remains small-scale in the Netherlands for now. Only about 500 farmers apply agroforestry on relatively small plots. To further grow this sector, a solid business model is needed that is attractive to financiers.

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Hello Tomorrow, the leading platform for deep tech innovation that addresses the most urgent global challenges, is proud to announce that the annual Global Summit will take place in Amsterdam from 2026. With this strategic move, Hello Tomorrow highlights the growing role of the Netherlands and Europe in groundbreaking innovation. This reinforces the mission to build a truly global and open platform for deep tech startups and scale-ups, as well as for investors and companies from around the world.

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Bottlenecks for deep tech scale-ups in Climate and Energy Transition

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The Netherlands aims to be circular by 2050. The path to a circular economy faces many hurdles, which Invest-NL helps to overcome. Ultimately, it is nothing less than a societal transition.

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The energy transition is our highest priority here and now. But there is more to come.

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The route to enhancing climate performance

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Assessment Framework Fermentation

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Integration of sustainable sources at sea

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Offshore wind is the powerhouse of the energy transition in the Netherlands, but do the space and infrastructure currently used for offshore wind have even more value?

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More sustainable heat through seasonal storage

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Invest-NL invests € 5 million in AMT Medical, a Dutch medtech innovator developing revolutionary technology for heart bypass surgery. The investment is part of a € 22 million Series B funding round, led by Bender Analytical Holding with investments from Oost NL, the European Innovation Council (EIC), and a group of angel investors.

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Mobilizing consumer demand for green hydrogen-based products

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Dutch National promotional institution Invest-NL has signed a new guarantee agreement with the European Investment Fund to cover a lending portfolio to innovative Dutch SMEs. This new guarantee enables Invest-NL to further enlarge its financing activities for innovative SMEs, a market segment that appears to be hard-pressed by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

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That’s how Mariana Mazzucato is sometimes described. Is it because she’s not afraid to challenge all kinds of comfortable truths? Or because it’s still unusual to see a woman take her place among the men-in-dark-suits brigade with such authority and style?

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Exploring nanocoatings in sustainable energy solutions

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Invest-NL, the national financing and development institution, has today published its annual report and financial statements for 2023. This news article also features the foreword from CEO Rinke Zonneveld.

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The Dutch circular textile sector is full of innovation, but many initiatives face challenges in scaling up and securing funding. In collaboration with Route Circulair, Invest-NL investigated how private equity can accelerate the transition in this sector. The report Closing Loops, Opening Opportunities (2025) shows that private equity, with capital and strategic guidance, can contribute to investable, scalable solutions in the textile sector.

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Financial residual value of modular homes: sustainable solution to an urgent problem

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From operating room surgeons to students at the ROC: more and more people are opting for a healthy meal or snack. Anouk Snelders of Health Food Wall has noticed this in the increased interest in her smart refrigerators. She fills it with vegan food, but does not market it as such. “We are mainly concerned with quality.” Competition is now increasing. How does it sustain itself as a start-up?

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Water is a fundamental need for all life on Earth. However, the water cycle is disrupted, and around the world, water-related issues such as flooding, drought, and pollution are increasing. In the Netherlands, less than 1% of our surface water even meets the European quality standards. To change this, a water transition is necessary, but funding is a bottleneck. Invest-NL has conducted a scoping project on freshwater to map out the issues, explore solutions, and define its role in financing the water transition.

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Sirius Medical is an example of how Dutch innovation, combined with boldness and social engagement, has a global impact. Their technology, Pintuition, offers a patient-friendly and sustainable alternative to traditional methods of localizing tumours. Bram Schermers (co-founder and CEO/CTO of Sirius Medical) and Vera Ederveen (investment analyst at Invest-NL) share the story behind this medical breakthrough.

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Invest-NL is committed to a sustainable and innovative future for the Netherlands. One of the themes that Invest-NL focuses on is deep tech. Through our own Deep Tech Fund, we specifically invest in companies operating in key enabling technologies.

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Improving access to finance for Dutch offshore wind supply chain

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Just before the end of 2022, the Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy informed the House of Representatives of the main insights and conclusions following Invest-NL's interim assessment. Invest-NL's performance in its first three years of existence was generally assessed as positive. At the same time, the assessment report identifies a number of improvement opportunities that Invest-NL can implement in order to contribute to the key social transitions in the Netherlands.

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The demand for affordable housing in the Netherlands is urgent. Flexible housing offers a solution: it can provide swift and efficient living spaces in locations where permanent construction is not immediately feasible. Moreover, it contributes to the transition towards a circular economy. However, financing these housing solutions remains a challenge. To stimulate the development and financing of flexible housing, Invest-NL and PwC have developed a model that assesses the likelihood of various future scenarios for flexible housing. Combined with the circular residual value for each scenario, this represents a significant step towards profitable and circular housing solutions.

Portfolio

Provides nanotechnology for cost-efficient microchip production.

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Paving the way for biobased materials

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Smarter organization and funding of educational accommodation are necessary to achieve climate goals

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Impact of circular nutrients

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Today, Climate Minister Rob Jetten received the TNO study on Energy from Water (EuW) from Rosan Knocken, chair of the Waddenfonds and deputy of North Holland. This report underscores the possibilities for the Wadden Sea area to become self-sufficient in electricity production through innovative water technologies.

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Closing Loops, Opening Opportunities: The rise of circular economy in private equity and debt finance

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The Netherlands faces a major challenge in the energy transition, and geothermal energy plays an important role in this. However, the development of geothermal energy remains behind in the Netherlands, especially given the government's ambitions in this area. Invest-NL has taken the initiative to accelerate the application of geothermal energy in the Netherlands by drawing valuable lessons from the experiences of our neighbouring countries.

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Invest-NL is investing € 10 million in the imec.xpand II fund. All of imec.xpand's portfolio companies are deeply rooted in unique technology that gives them a global competitive advantage in the fields in which they are active.

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The Dutch impact investor Invest-NL, launched in January 2020, publishes its first annual report today. It has been a turbulent year, partly due to the coronavirus pandemic, requiring priorities and strategic plans to be adjusted. The highest priority is now given to financing the transition to a carbon-neutral, circular economy. Here are a few key points from the annual report.

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The costs and benefits of heat storage in district heating networks

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To secure the technological leadership of the Netherlands in the semicon sector, focus needs to be placed on three strategic technology areas: heterogeneous integration, metrology & inspection, and new IC architectures based on chiplets. This is evident from the report 'Semicon Deepdive: Setting New Ambitions' which is being presented today by Invest-NL at the TNO Semicon Event in Eindhoven.

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Financial Accounting in the Circular Economy Coalition Circular Accounting (CCA)

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The partnership between Techleap and Invest-NL aims to accelerate and increase funding for innovative entrepreneurs in the Netherlands. It involves exchanging and sharing expertise, developing joint programmes and advising the government on matters such as policy and regulation for start-ups and developing companies.

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Today, Invest-NL, as the National Promotional Institution, publishes the annual report and financial statements for 2024. We provide insight into our activities, financial results, and the social impact we have achieved together with our partners. Our mission, to build a more sustainable and innovative Netherlands, is central to this.

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Biodiversity exploration project impact widening Invest-NL

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The harmful effects of microplastics on our environment are becoming increasingly clear. As a result, there is growing attention to replacing fossil-based plastics with biodegradable alternatives (such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA)). Investors are also showing increasing interest in these biological alternatives. However, to truly understand the business case and make it financeable, it is important to compare the benefits of bio-plastics against the full range of disadvantages associated with fossil plastics.

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Daan is known as a walking encyclopedia. He is ambitious, eager to learn, and eager to be there for others. He sees the climate crisis as the biggest challenge facing humanity. He likes to contribute in his own way through his work.

General

The InvestEU programme is designed based on the Investment Plan for Europe, also known as the Juncker Plan. This programme combines the efforts of the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) and 13 other EU financial instruments that operated from 2014 to 2020. The overarching aim of the InvestEU programme is to support sustainable investments, promote innovation, foster social inclusion, and create jobs across Europe.

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Invest-NL…impact investors. This is how we portray ourselves. It is also how we motivate many of the people who work for us, as well as those who are keen to join us. But what, precisely, are we aiming to convey?

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Climate investments in European AgrifoodTech offer enormous opportunities according to the recent report published by Agfunder, 'Climate Investing in European AgriFoodTech in 2022'. The report, produced in partnership with Invest-NL, highlights the good news that the total investment volume is increasing significantly. However, the segments with the highest climate impact in the sector showed a decrease in the total invested amount in 2021.

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Invest-NL has teamed up with the European Investment Fund to launch the Dutch Future Fund (DFF). Tim van Vledder, Business Development Manager at Invest-NL, talks about this exciting new resource.

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We have nearly reached the end of another year; 2021 was an eventful one, including for Invest-NL. Not least, of course, because we, just as everyone else, had to struggle through the pandemic. Fortunately, our work lends itself perfectly to working from home. However, something that will stay in my mind is how nice it felt to be back in the office again in large numbers in the autumn: we got to see one another, catch up with each other at the coffee machine and have lunch together again. Stopping by colleague’s rooms for a chat was just a little bit easier than pressing the Teams button. Here's hoping 2022 will be a better year in that respect!

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Mineral fertilizers are essential in our agricultural system; they support life and enable crops to grow. Unfortunately, the use of synthetic fertilizers or manure has a negative impact on soil, air, and water. Recycling minerals from sources such as manure, sewage sludge, and wastewater can reduce environmental impact and offers benefits. Invest-NL, in collaboration with three scale-ups and in partnership with consultancy and engineering firm TAUW, investigated the reasons why circular minerals are not being used as a sustainable alternative to animal and synthetic fertilizers.

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The annual report published today shows that Invest-NL significantly increased the supply of venture capital for innovative Dutch SMEs in 2021. The impact investor itself has committed over half a billion euros. Many times this amount has been made available through European partners such as the European Investment Fund and private (national and international) investment funds.

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With an investment of € 10.75 million in Qblox, Invest-NL today announced its first investment in quantum technology. This investment is part of a € 23.7 million Series A funding round led by Quantonation. The funding enables Qblox, a leading provider of scalable and modular quantum control stacks, to accelerate the development of their solution, thereby advancing the Dutch quantum industry to the next phase.

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Nearfield Instruments (NFI), the leading semiconductor scanning probe metrology equipment scale-up, today announced that it has additional funding from Invest-NL, Innovation Industries and TNO. This investment supports Nearfield Instruments to advance series production capabilities to cater the market needs and to further strengthen the company’s product portfolio. Invest-NL commits € 11 M from it’s Deep Tech Fund.

General

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Invest-NL co-leads the € 16.9 million investment in BYBORRE, the Dutch textile innovation company that has a strong focus to increase sustainability and circularity in the textile industry. The series B round was co-led by VP Capital and included existing investors SHIFT Invest and Amsterdams Klimaat en Energiefonds (AKEF). A group of angel investors also contributed and Rabobank’s scale-up banking team provided a long term loan and a machine lease facility.

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Eyeo is developing a technology that makes image sensors up to three times more sensitive to light. This breakthrough could transform devices such as smartphones and security cameras. The Deep Tech Fund of Invest-NL is investing €5 million to help scale this innovation in the Netherlands.

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The societal added value of biobased construction is still too little recognized in property valuations. To change this, Invest-NL, together with Envalue, Copper8, Alba Concepts, and Impact Institute, initiated a study into incorporating circular performance into property valuations. The result is a clear framework that allocates a place for circular performances such as reuse, disassembly, and healthy materials in financial valuations.

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TNO, Techleap and Invest-NL have announced a strategic alliance. They are combining their efforts to bring tech-related innovations to market more quickly, help startups scale better, and make them more competitive. The three organizations announced this today at the tech event Hello Tomorrow in Paris. To safeguard the competitiveness and future earning potential of the Netherlands and Europe, accelerating technological innovation and scaling up tech startups is crucial.

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The added value of a guarantee fund for corporate Power Purchase Agreements

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Start-up Rival Foods is working hard on the next generation of meat substitutes. No alternatives to processed and unhealthy meat products such as burgers and chicken nuggets, but alternatives to whole cuts such as salmon fillets and roulades. "We want to offer the meat eating experience without the disadvantages of meat," he says.

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Today, Invest-NL, the Dutch national financing and development institution, has published its annual report and financial statements for 2022. Since its inception in 2020, Invest-NL has been focused on financing and accelerating major societal transitions in the Netherlands - such as the transition to a carbon-neutral and circular economy, to affordable and accessible healthcare, and Deep Tech - and on increasing the amount of risk capital for innovative SMEs.