Funding opportunities in the Rotterdam region

We4Sea is an innovative frontrunner with its roots in the Rotterdam region. The company can monitor the performance of any seagoing vessel remotely without the need to go aboard. Funding and help from the Energiiq energy-innovation fund meant they could turn their idea for making shipping more efficient, cleaner, cheaper and sustainable, into reality.

Different funds for different solutions

Energiiq is a € 35 million energy-innovation fund provided by the province of Zuid-Holland. The fund regards entrepreneurs as key players in the transition to clean and sustainable energy. It has a wide range of (financing) instruments available to create the right conditions for maximizing growth opportunities for innovative companies.

Capital-intensive companies can seek funding from the Rotterdam Energy Transition Fund. This € 100 million fund was established by the City of Rotterdam, whose ambition is to be fully carbon-neutral and circular by 2050. Sustainable companies and projects aimed at clean energy, alternative fuels, waste minimization or reducing the use of raw materials in the Rotterdam region, can apply for funding. Quentin van Driel (Investment Analyst at Energiiq and the Energy Transition Fund): "With these two funds we try to maximise growth opportunities for companies like We4Sea and other sustainably focused companies."

Fast-growing companies with aspirations that help develop the port of the future can also apply for funding from the Rotterdam Port Fund. This fund is eager to help groundbreaking companies on their way by providing capital, knowledge and network to realize further growth and long-term activity.

Grow your business in Rotterdam

Alongside these three examples, there are many more funding opportunities to help grow your business in the Rotterdam region. You can find an overview in the UP!Rotterdam database.

Check out the scal-up climate

Springboard to the international market

Rotterdam has plenty to offer start-ups and scale-ups seeking growth opportunities. The regional innovation ecosystem is unique, especially when it comes to innovations that are or might be attractive to the maritime industry. The network of potential partners, investors and clients is just around the corner, with an open attitude to welcoming newcomers. Close cooperation between (regional) governments, knowledge institutions, financial institutions and the industry all nurture an ecosystem where groundbreaking ideas and products are created, tested and brought to reality. All this makes the Rotterdam region the perfect testing ground and springboard for maritime scale-ups seeking to enter the international maritime market.