Now live: Top 250 2024!
Erasmus Centre for Entreperneurship

Top 250

Erasmus Centre for Entreperneurship
Erasmus Centre for Entreperneurship

What is it?

The Top 250 highlights the 250 most innovative and fastest-growing companies in the Netherlands and are selected on weighting of absolute (in number) and relative growth (in percentage) of FTEs between 2020 and 2023 (OECD, 2007).

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The 2024 edition of the Top 250 Insights Report highlights the most innovative companies and entrepreneurs driving growth across the Netherlands. This year’s report reveals key trends, such as the increasing average age of top companies and significant geographical shifts, alongside a strong emphasis on sustainability and gender diversity.

Key Takeaways

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North-Holland remains the leader with 104 high-growth firms, despite a decline from last year’s 114, while South-Holland has increased from 35 to 52 firms. North-Brabant (30) surpasses Utrecht (22), indicating a need to reevaluate the Randstad’s status as the country's economic powerhouse.
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Mature firms increasingly 
sustain growth

This year’s Top 250 list features the oldest cohort yet, with an average age of 16.4 years. The high-growth landscape is shifting towards more mature companies. 

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More women in leadership, but gaps remain

This year, 78 of the Top 250 companies (32.5%) have at least one woman founder or C-level manager.

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In order to persist high growth, firms should make sure to scale-by not just prioritizing growth over efficiency but making sure that revenues grow faster than costs involved. Although this may not be possible in the early stages of high growth, it is a necessary transition that high growth firms need to accomplish.

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Our Approach

Top 250 in the Netherlands is an annual research publication by Erasmus Centre for Entrepreneurship, supported by nlgroeit, Dealroom, HelloPrint, Upstream and Gemeente Rotterdam. This report provides up-to-date insights into the Top 250 fastest-growing companies in the Netherlands. The list differentiates itself from other lists through its focus on both absolute and relative (in percentage) growth of companies that already have 10 FTEs at the start of the measurement period.

Looking to scale your company?

Strategic Foresight and Futures Thinking empowers companies to respond to uncertainties, improve innovation capacity and futureproof their strategy. These interactive sessions take the example use of Strategic Foresight by global organisations such as the World Economic Forum and apply it to SMEs.

Inquire here!
View the Top 250 Groeibedrijven 2024 on Dealroom

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