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Brabant ecosystem introduces award for best tech startup in Benelux

July 23, 2024
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Are you the (co-)founder of an innovative tech startup in the Benelux that urgently needs to win a prize? Then sign up for the LEVEL UP Awards 2024, the award for the best tech startups in the Benelux. The award will be presented at LEVEL UP, on September 30th in Eindhoven.

After two successful editions in 2022 and 2023, the organization of LEVEL UP is preparing for the third. It is an initiative of The Gate, BOM (Brabant Development Agency), and Braventure and takes place on Monday, September 30th, just like last year at the Evoluon in Eindhoven.

During the event, startups will have the opportunity to strengthen their company with new knowledge and the experience of other founders. With a focus on the Benelux, LEVEL UP is looking more across borders for the first time.

Keynotes

Like previous years, the event features a mix of keynotes, workshops, panel sessions, and networking opportunities. The first keynotes have already been confirmed: Rina Joosten-Rabou (authority in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) and co-founder and CEO of Pera) and Krijn de Nood (co-founder of cultured meat startup Meatable). New this year is a prize for founders of tech startups in the Benelux: the LEVEL UP Awards.

Startup Award

Through the LEVEL UP Awards, the organization puts the most innovative tech startups from the Benelux in the spotlight. The Benelux region (Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg) has developed into an important ecosystem for startups in Europe. It is characterized by sectoral diversity, tech-driven institutes, and a network of international talent.

In the past ten years, more than 15,000 startups have been founded in the Benelux. The Netherlands and Belgium score above average in terms of the number of startups per million inhabitants compared to other European countries. The Netherlands in particular excels with 2.6 times as many startups per million inhabitants as the European average (a total of about 11,000 startups providing employment to 145,000 people). This puts the Netherlands ahead of the United Kingdom, Germany, and France.

Driving Innovation

‘LEVEL UP brings international startups, investors, and other stakeholders together in a unique setting,’ says Brigit van Dijk-van de Reijt, CEO of BOM. ‘It is a wonderful opportunity to underline the importance of tech startups. They make a significant contribution to solving societal issues, form the basis for future earning capacity, and drive innovation. The LEVEL UP Awards are the icing on the cake. With them, we reward the best tech startup in the Benelux.’

Expert Jury

The prize consists of a public award (by audience votes) and a jury award. This year, the expert jury consists of Kathleen Philips (imec), Jeroen van Glabbeek (CM.com), and Simone Brummelhuis (Borski Fund). The winner receives eternal fame, a beautiful award, and media exposure. 

This article was written in collaboration with and previously appeared on MT/Sprout, media partner of LEVEL UP. 

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