On Monday 7 December, the “Go Beyond” program was launched to support startups and tech enterprises from Singapore to access the Dutch market as a gateway to Europe. Announced during Singapore Week of Innovation and Technology (SWITCH 2020), the program lays down a guided pathway for ventures to scale to the Netherlands.

Starting in early 2021, Singapore companies will discover opportunities within the Dutch market, establish connections with supporting organizations and investor networks, and  forge collaborations with leading Dutch corporate partners to accelerate their entry into the European market.

This program is a result of close collaboration stemming from the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by Enterprise Singapore and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) during Singapore President Halimah Yacob’s State Visit to the Netherlands in November 2018 to strengthen collaboration in innovation and provide market access to Europe and Southeast Asia.

The program is an addition to the current Singapore Partner in Business program that Unknown Group is running, which supports Dutch startups to enter the accelerating Southeast Asian market through Singapore. With this launch, the mission set in the MoU is reinforced, aligning the efforts to build a bridge between the two continents and support startup internationalisation.

At SWITCH 2020 the representatives celebrated this 2-way collaboration to create market access opportunities for innovative companies.

Her Excellency Margriet Vonno, the Ambassador from the Netherlands to Singapore and Brunei, emphasised the opportunities this program brings in economic recovery after the pandemic: “By joining forces ESG and RVO will provide enhanced services to startups giving them an extra leg up in their international expansion. This support is all more important as our economies recover from the COVID pandemic and we start building back better.”

Enterprise Singapore Global Markets Director, Mr. Clarence Hoe encouraged Singapore companies to leverage this programme to scale into Europe via the opportunities offered by the Netherlands. He highlighted:

“Whether Singapore companies choose the broader market access acceleration track, or the more targeted demand-led track based on problem statements of Dutch corporates in the fields of agrifood & water, smart cities, mobility & logistics, and life sciences & health, they will be able to gain valuable connections to potential business partners and investors in the Netherlands through our programme partner the Unknown Group.”

Annette Wijering Managing Director International Trade Department at Netherlands Enterprise Agency highlighted the longstanding history and similarities between the Dutch and Singapore economies, both being innovative and open market economies, and thus being a great gateway for Asia and Europe. Ms Wijering closed her welcoming remarks: “Congratulations to everyone who is involved in making this program possible and I wish you all a lot of success with the launch of the program today. Let’s start making a program with a lot of impact for our SMEs!”

Jochem Cuppen, Partner at Unknown Group closed off the launching session saying

“We are very excited to be running these programs and building a highway to scale innovative companies between Singapore and the Netherlands. At Unknown Group, it’s our mission to fuel founders to answer their calling. With this program we really go beyond the traditional support being provided to founders to softland in new markets. We leverage our network in the Dutch ecosystem to provide the most comprehensive support to Singapore founders. I’m looking forward to seeing the potential we can unlock with this program!”

The startups and tech enterprises based in Singapore and interested in establishing their foothold in Europe are invited to register their interest at www.go-beyond.sg.

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About Enterprise Singapore
Enterprise Singapore is the Singapore government agency championing enterprise development. It also supports the growth of Singapore as a hub for global trading and startups. The agency attracts global commodities traders to establish their global or Asian home base in Singapore. Today, Singapore is a leading global trading hub with a complete ecosystem for the energy, agri-commodities and metals & minerals trading clusters. Singapore is also home to many global enterprises, startups and investors that operate in its robust pro-enterprise environment. Enterprise Singapore builds trust in Singapore’s products and services through quality and standards. Renowned for their dedication to quality and innovation, Singapore companies make ideal business partners. With Enterprise Singapore’s global network in over 35 locations spanning many developed and emerging markets, it connects businesses with relevant Singapore companies for their business expansion. Visit www.enterprisesg.gov.sg for more information.

About Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO)
The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland, RVO) helps business owners run sustainable, agricultural, innovative or international businesses. RVO aims to facilitate entrepreneurship, improve collaborations, strengthen positions and help realise national and international ambitions with funding, networking, know-how and compliance with laws and regulations. They are a government agency which operates under the auspices of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy. Its activities are commissioned by the various Dutch ministries and the European Union. More information: www.english.rvo.nl

About Unknown Group
Unknown is a global innovation and investment group dedicated to growing impactful ventures by backing them with talent, access to market and funding. The goal is to scale these innovations to and beyond 100 million in valuation in order to make an impact on our 21st century challenges. We hands-on support ventures we engage with, such as helping with building the right team, attracting additional funding and managing their cash, and gaining market traction by connecting with customers and softlanding partners. Innovation can come from everywhere. That is why we believe it is important to have a global presence so we can engage with innovators around the world. We have offices in 6 countries, over 300 network partners in 110 countries and we organize 150+ events every year through which we contribute to the global ecosystem and engage with thousands of startups.
For more information visit: www.unknowngroup.com

You can read the full press release via this link.

Media Contact
Rayhaan Imam
rayhaan@unknowngroup.com
+31 633 477 292