Navigating the Dutch Startup Landscape: Insights from Joris den Bruinen

"In the Netherlands, startups must chart their innovation path in a market full of opportunities."  Joris den Bruinen, managing director of Security Delta (HSD) spoke about this topic with Security Innovation Stories. As a knowledge and innovation network, HSD connects startups, investors, and potential customers. Dutch IT security companies have various funding options depending on their growth phase.

“Ten years ago, capital was limited,” says Joris. “Now, we have a solid foundation with both public and private funds.” However, funding alone is not enough—startups must focus on creating real value for customers. “It’s not just about having a great product; it must solve an actual customer problem,” he emphasises.

Joris advises Dutch startups to focus on niches where large U.S. players are less dominant, such as OT security and secure-by-design solutions. He also highlights the crucial role of CISOs: “If every CISO in the Netherlands supported just one knowledge-innovation startup, we could have 100, maybe even 200 startups testing with real clients.” His key advice? Find an 'angel' CISO—someone who understands the problem and is willing to help solve it.

Read the full interview in Dutch here