"You have to turn it around; make sustainable entrepreneurship the norm"

Your favourite teacher explaining grammar rules or Johan Cruijff discussing offside traps; that's what it sounds like when Mariken Gaanderse starts talking about social innovation. Not because the essence lies in an in-depth analysis, but precisely because the concept is so simple: "We have a beautiful planet with wonderful people, and we simply have to take good care of it. The world is on fire and we are not doing enough. There is still too much “business as usual”. I find it really remarkable that there are still companies or parties that are not sustainable or socially motivated. Then I think, you have to turn it around; make sustainable entrepreneurship the norm." As director of accelerator BeStart, she helps sustainable and circular start-ups and scale-ups byconnecting them to the ecosystem in the northern Netherlands: ‘Because when we join forces, we as a region can really make a difference.’

About BeStart

“Starting a business takes an average of five to seven years, and for climate tech start-ups, it usually takes even longer because the market is more complex. We want to give startups a boost so that they can build their businesses faster. We do this with a close-knit network of investors, knowledge institutions, financiers, launching customers, and experienced entrepreneurs. The northern Netherlands also has a unique research and innovation infrastructure (think, for example, of water technology, circular plastic, and sustainable energy). Startups can test and validate their technology in one of the many test labs in our region, and there are all kinds of experienced entrepreneurs on hand to offer advice. Everything and everyone here breathes circularity, and there are plenty of opportunities to establish yourself (partly) here. So we not only help start-ups get started, but also help them work on their business, thereby making more impact. Ultimately, between eight and twelve participants take part in each programme. Most participants successfully complete the support programme. But when a start-up stops as a result of the programme because it turns out during participation that the start-up is not viable, that is also valuable. In addition, we recently had a scale-up that grew so rapidly and was able to hire experienced team members thanks to new financing that they no longer needed us. We are happy in both cases.“

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Sustainable Economy

Mariken believes that the North has the potential to put itself on the map not only nationally, but also internationally: "What I love is that the region is truly committed to sustainability. Not only the government, but also many companies that consider it important to invest time and money in this. As a result, all the basic ingredients are there: wonderful start-ups, talent and places where new things can emerge. And the dot on the horizon for BeStart? We want to drive important transitions in the Northern Netherlands. We help pioneers grow and scale so that they can make a difference in the world. In doing so, we want to inspire people and show them that things can be done differently. Our ambition is to also support start-ups and scale-ups in other areas and to connect the various networks active in the North (even) more closely. Together, we can ensure that the region is put on the sustainable innovation map of Europe. Because we have plenty to offer. And when I look at our alumni, there are already a number of great examples. SusPhos, which has grown rapidly towards its own factory. Acquaint, which preventively checks whether pipes need to be replaced so that not a single drop of water is lost. Or Paques Biomaterials, a huge name with an extensive network, which is still participating in BeStart because, as a spin-out, they really see the value of the programme.