Startups in Eindhoven, the Netherlands: 2027 guide

Startups in Eindhoven: the short answer

Eindhoven startups build hardware and deep tech, the complex machines, systems and products the Brainport region is known for, fed by Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) and the supply chain around ASML in neighboring Veldhoven. Eindhoven ranks #157 of 1,000 cities in our startup city ranking (scores from 2024 ecosystem data). If you are planning a deep tech company for 2027, the region gives you a venture builder, a 300-company campus and a regional investor that writes tickets of up to €5 million. Consumer app and fintech founders will find fewer peers and investors here than in Amsterdam.

Is Eindhoven a good place to start a startup in 2027?

Yes, if your product contains atoms as well as code. Eindhoven suits founders in semiconductors, optics, precision machines, sensors, medical devices and energy hardware, and it suits spin-offs from TU/e and corporate research labs. Your first customers sit next door, and engineers here already speak your language.

It suits you less if you sell a consumer app, run a marketplace or need a big media and fashion scene for brand work. The region’s big programs, from HighTechXL to BOM’s development work, are built around technology hardware, so a pure software play gets less local support. Plan for 2027 costs too: the Dutch tax break for hiring foreign talent shrinks from 30% to 27% on 1 January 2027 (details below).

What does the Eindhoven startup ecosystem look like?

Here is who you will meet in the region that markets itself as Brainport Eindhoven, home to about 5,000 tech and IT companies:

• TU/e: the university’s tech transfer office helps about 200 startups a year, and TU/e Participations holds around 70 spin-offs. Its network The Gate (since 2021, with Brainport Development, BOM, Fontys, Summa College and the City of Eindhoven) runs workshops and masterclasses for early-stage deep tech teams.
• High Tech Campus Eindhoven: 300+ companies and 12,500+ people on one campus, with ready-to-use startup desks, offices and labs in building HTC 27.
• HighTechXL: a deep tech venture builder at HTC 27. Its one-year program pairs technology from CERN, ESA, TNO and Philips with hand-picked founding teams. By Q1 2026 it had built 102 ventures that raised €171 million.
• Big anchors: ASML (global headquarters in Veldhoven, 44,000+ employees from 143 nationalities) and Philips, founded in Eindhoven in 1891.
• A local software success: Sendcloud, a shipping platform founded in 2012 by three friends who ran a web shop, lists Eindhoven first among its offices and serves 30,000+ merchants with 400+ staff.

Where do founders in Eindhoven find funding?

• BOM (Brabant Development Agency): finances startups and scale-ups with up to €5 million, invests in 40+ funds and closed 63 deals worth €41 million in 2024.
• HighTechXL’s PreSeedXL Fund: an €11 million fund for deep tech from day one, run by the venture builder.
• RVO early-stage loan (Vroegefasefinanciering): up to €450,000 to test whether your product has a market, open all of 2026 at 7.19% interest.
• Innovatiekrediet: a state credit for risky technical or clinical development projects, covering up to 45% of project costs, with a €50 million budget for 2026.
• Seed Capital: the state lends to VC funds that back tech startups, so ask Brabant funds whether they carry it.

How do you register a company in the Netherlands?

Founders who plan to raise money use a BV (besloten vennootschap), the Dutch private limited company. A civil-law notary draws up the deed, registers the BV in the KVK Business Register and records the owners in the UBO register. The minimum share capital is €0.01, notary fees run €500 to €1,500, and KVK charges a one-time registration fee of €85.15. Solo founders testing an idea can register a sole proprietorship (eenmanszaak) at KVK first. Budget for one more line: a director who is also a major shareholder must draw a salary of at least €58,000 a year in 2026.

What taxes does a startup pay in the Netherlands in 2026?

• Corporate income tax: 19% on profit up to €200,000 and 25.8% above it (Belastingdienst).
• VAT (btw): 21% standard, 9% for food, medicine and books, 0% for some exports (Belastingdienst).
• WBSO R&D credit: in 2026 you deduct 36% of the first €391,020 of R&D wage and costs from payroll tax, 50% for starters, and 16% above that. Self-employed founders get a fixed €15,979 deduction plus €7,996 extra as starters (RVO).
• Innovatiebox: profit from R&D covered by an RVO S&O declaration is taxed at an effective 9% (Belastingdienst). The Tax Plan 2027 proposes raising the flat amount for smaller companies from €25,000 to €100,000 from 2027; parliament still has to vote (Rijksoverheid).
• 30% ruling (expat scheme): you can pay a hire recruited from abroad up to 30% of salary tax-free. The 2026 salary floor is €48,013, or €36,497 for under-30s with a master’s degree (Belastingdienst). From 1 January 2027 the maximum drops to 27% and the floor rises to €50,436 before indexation; this is already law (Ondernemersplein).

Which visa can a foreign founder use to move to Eindhoven?

EU and EEA citizens need no permit. Founders from outside the EU apply for the Dutch startup visa, a one-year residence permit. You need a contract with an experienced mentor called a facilitator from RVO’s list, a step-by-step plan, a product or service that is new to the Netherlands, KVK registration for you and the facilitator, and enough money to live on. RVO advises the IND on all of this, and the application costs €423. The permit cannot be extended. After a year you switch to the self-employed residence permit, where RVO scores your company on a points system and your facilitator confirms at least three months of mentoring.

Pros and cons for founders in Eindhoven

Pros

• Customers and suppliers for hardware startups sit on one campus and around ASML.
• HighTechXL gives you access to CERN, ESA and TNO technology plus a co-founder match.
• BOM can follow you from first ticket to €5 million.
• Eindhoven Airport flies to 80+ destinations.

Cons

• Software-only and consumer startups get less investor attention in Brabant.
• Engineers can earn big-company salaries at ASML and its suppliers, so hiring is a fight.
• The 30% ruling falls to 27% in 2027, which raises the cost of foreign hires.

What does Eindhoven offer women founders?

We found no women-founder program run in Eindhoven itself in October 2026, so look national. Code-V is an alliance of 130+ banks, investors and public bodies working to close the funding gap. It offers a free Funding Readiness Check that matches you with financiers by region, stage and sector, plus investor meetups. Borski Fund, based in Amsterdam, invests in female (co-)led startups in women’s health, climate tech and future society tech across Western Europe and the UK.

FAQ about startups in Eindhoven

Is Eindhoven a good city for startups?

For deep tech and hardware, yes. TU/e, High Tech Campus Eindhoven, HighTechXL and BOM give you research, labs, co-founders and money in one region. Consumer and fintech founders have a larger network in Amsterdam.

How much does it cost to set up a BV in Eindhoven?

Plan for €500 to €1,500 in notary fees plus the €85.15 KVK registration fee. The share capital can be as low as €0.01.

Can a non-EU founder get a startup visa for Eindhoven?

Yes. You need a facilitator from RVO’s list, a positive RVO opinion and €423 for the IND application. The permit lasts one year, and then you move to the self-employed permit.

What is the corporate tax rate in the Netherlands in 2026?

19% on the first €200,000 of profit and 25.8% on the rest. Qualifying R&D profit can drop to an effective 9% through the innovatiebox.

Sources (checked October 2026)

• Belastingdienst: corporate income tax rates
• Belastingdienst: VAT rates
• Belastingdienst: innovatiebox
• Belastingdienst: Expat Scheme (30% facility)
• Ondernemersplein: 30% ruling becomes 27% in 2027
• Rijksoverheid: Tax Plan 2027 proposals
• RVO: WBSO 2026
• RVO: Proof-of-concept funding (VFF)
• RVO: Innovatiekrediet
• RVO: Seed Capital
• IND: residence permit for a start-up
• IND: fees
• KVK: private limited company (BV)
• KVK: registration fee
• Business.gov.nl: BV in the Netherlands
• TU/e: The Gate
• High Tech Campus Eindhoven
• HighTechXL
• Brainport Eindhoven
• BOM
• ASML: about ASML
• Philips: our heritage
• Sendcloud: about us
• Eindhoven Airport
• Code-V
• Borski Fund

MeanCEO Index for Eindhoven 🚀

Eindhoven has a strong tech scene and real support for startups. Here is how it scores for female entrepreneurs on the ten factors of the MeanCEO Index.

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1. Weather ☀️

• Score: 5/10
  • Eindhoven has a temperate maritime climate. Temperatures stay moderate, but rain is frequent and winters turn cold and gray, which lowers the score.

2. Location 🏖️

• Score: 3/10
  • Eindhoven lies inland with no beach of its own. Trains connect it to the coast, but warm swimming spots are far away.

3. Women Friendly 👩‍💼

• Score: 8/10
  • The Netherlands takes gender equality seriously, and women work and do business in a respectful environment. National networks such as Code-V work on access to funding for women founders.

4. Foreigners Friendly 🌍

• Score: 7/10
  • Eindhoven welcomes internationals, with ASML alone employing people from 143 nationalities. Outside tech circles, Dutch remains the everyday language.

5. English as a Business Language 📚

• Score: 9/10
  • English is the working language in most tech companies, which makes it easy for international women founders to settle in and do business.

6. Delicious Cuisine 🍷

• Score: 6/10
  • Dutch food is simple and hearty, with plenty of healthy options and a fair share of onions. Local beers and some wines lift the score a little.

7. Ease of Getting Married and Starting a Family 💍

• Score: 5/10
  • The dating scene is decent, but long hours in tech and engineering leave less time for relationships. Fit, active partners are around, and the pool varies.

8. Medicine 🏥

• Score: 7/10
  • Healthcare access is good, with quick GP appointments for non-emergency cases and fair costs compared to many countries. Waits for specialists still happen.

9. Ease of Transportation & Traveling 🚍

• Score: 8/10
  • Eindhoven runs on a solid bus network and good train links, and Eindhoven Airport flies to more than 80 destinations. Getting around and abroad is easy.

10. Startup Mindset 💡

• Score: 8/10
  • The city supports risk-taking and new technology. Startups still meet some bureaucracy, and the culture accepts failure as part of learning.

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MeanCEO Index Score: 66/100 🎉

Eindhoven gives female entrepreneurs a solid base. Weather and beach access pull the score down, while gender equality, English as a business language and strong transport links push it up. Women founders in hardware and deep tech will find customers, research partners and capital here to build and grow a startup.

Happy entrepreneurship! 🚀