One billion euros in impact

Translating scientific excellence into successful companies remains a challenge. Dutch research is world-class, but the step from scientific knowledge to companies that attract investment, create jobs, and deliver societal impact is not a given. The Venture Challenge demonstrates that this gap can be bridged.

This is evident in the companies that have emerged from the Venture Challenge.

T-Cell Factory was acquired by Kite Pharmajust two years after participating in the Venture Challenge. The company laid the foundation for the production of cell therapies in the Netherlands. This led to a 19,000 m² production facility in Hoofddorp, more than 900 high-quality jobs, and the capacity for up to 4,000 cell therapy treatments per year.

Sirius Medical, a medtech company from Eindhoven, raised over €25 million in funding and now employs more than 50 people. The company is marketing its Pintuition system globally. The technology is currently used in more than 26 countries, from New Zealand to the United States, to improve precision in cancer surgery.

Ncardia, formerly Pluriomics, grew into a Leiden-based iPSC platform company with an international presence. The company raised approximately $75 million in funding and has over 50 highly skilled employees. From the Netherlands, Ncardia continues to scale its activities in drug development and cell therapy.

In addition to these examples, more than 175 companies have emerged from the Venture Challenge pipeline. Together, they form a broad and constantly growing base of Dutch Life Sciences companies active in medtech, drug development, technologies that improve the drug development process, and diagnostics.

Many of these companies remain closely connected to the program. Mentors continue to support teams even after the initial training phase. Increasingly, alumni and founders are taking on this mentorship role themselves, sharing their knowledge and experience with new Venture Challenge teams. This ongoing support is part of the LifeSciences@Work program and strengthens the path from research to entrepreneurship in the Netherlands.

What is the foundation of this success? Not one single factor, but a combination of elements: long-term government support, a highly experienced coaching duo involved in the program from the start, and intensive guidance that continues to support teams during the crucial first years after participation.

Want to experience this growing impact and contribute to it yourself? The next Venture Challenge call opens on May 5, 2026, and closes on July 2, 2026. More information is available via NWO.

* Through intensive coaching, validation, and guidance, the Venture Challenge helps startup entrepreneurs build the knowledge, skills, and network needed to develop successful companies within Life Sciences and medtech. It is a national program organized twice a year via NWO and is one of the innovation instruments of the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

Source: BiotechNews