YES!Delft

YES!Delft
Name	YES!Delft
Type	Incubator and Accelerator
Founded	2005
Location	Delft, Netherlands
Key people	Not permitted to link names in infobox per instructions
Focus	Technology startups, Deep tech, Hardware, Medtech, Cleantech

YES!Delft YES!Delft is a technology incubator and accelerator founded in 2005 in Delft, Netherlands, affiliated with TU Delft and active across Europe. It supports early-stage ventures by providing mentorship, access to labs, investor networks, and corporate partnerships, positioning itself within the European startup ecosystem alongside institutions such as High-Tech Campus Eindhoven, Startupbootcamp, Station F, Techstars, and MassChallenge. The organization interacts with research centers, venture capital firms, and industry partners including Philips, ASML, Shell, TNO, and NWO.

History

Founded in 2005 with roots in Delft University of Technology, the organization emerged during a period of growing European interest in technology transfer exemplified by Oxford University Innovation, Cambridge Enterprise, EPFL Innovation Park, and Fraunhofer Society initiatives. Early collaborations involved actors such as Netherlands Ministry of Economic Affairs, European Commission, EIT Digital, and regional development agencies like Invest in Holland. Over its first decades it expanded services, mirroring trends seen at Silicon Valley, Cambridge, UK, and Berlin startup scenes, while interacting with investors like Index Ventures, Accel Partners, Balderton Capital, and business angels from networks similar to Tech Coast Angels.

Mission and Programs

The mission emphasizes acceleration of scalable technology ventures originating from universities and research institutes such as TU Delft, Eindhoven University of Technology, University of Twente, Leiden University, and Utrecht University. Its programs combine elements present in Y Combinator, 500 Startups, Plug and Play Tech Center, and Entrepreneur First, offering mentorship from entrepreneurs and corporates like KPN, ING, ABN AMRO, and Rabobank. The curricula cover aspects tied to intellectual property offices like European Patent Office and funding instruments like Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe, and Innovative Medicines Initiative.

Incubation and Accelerator Services

Services include pre-seed incubation, scaling accelerators, prototyping support, and investor matchmaking similar to offerings by Startup Wise Guys and Seedcamp. Technical facilities draw on partnerships with research infrastructures such as DIFFER, TNO Energy Transition, and fabrication labs akin to Fab Lab Amsterdam and Micronova. Legal, financial, and market-access support involves contacts with Cleantech Group, Euronext, Dutch Chamber of Commerce, and corporate venturing units like Shell Ventures and Samsung NEXT. Alumni receive introductions to venture capitalists from firms comparable to Sequoia Capital, Benchmark Capital, and Kleiner Perkins.

Notable Startups and Alumni

Alumni include ventures in robotics, photonics, medtech, cleantech, and AI that have interacted with clients and investors including Philips Healthcare, Siemens Healthineers, BASF, and Heineken. Some startups have been reported to collaborate with research programs like CERN Openlab, ESA Business Incubation Centres, and European Space Agency initiatives, and to participate in competitions such as TEDx, Slush, Web Summit, and NASA iTech. Alumni reportedly raised rounds involving syndicates with Atomico, Northzone, EQT Ventures, and family offices linked to Stichting INGKA-style foundations.

Partnerships and Collaborations

Partnerships span academia, industry, and public sector bodies including TU Delft, Erasmus MC, Eindhoven University of Technology, Royal Netherlands Navy technology programs, Port of Rotterdam Authority, and EU-funded consortia like COST and Horizon Europe projects. Corporate partners have included ASML, Shell, Siemens, Bosch, and Unilever, while innovation intermediaries include TNO, Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency, and regional clusters such as Brainport Eindhoven and Holland High Tech.

Facilities and Campus

Located near Delft University of Technology campus, the site offers coworking spaces, wet labs, cleanrooms, and prototyping workshops comparable to facilities at Holst Centre and High Tech Campus Eindhoven. Access to specialized equipment connects startups to infrastructures like Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research and shared labs similar to LabCentral and Cambridge Science Park. The campus setting enables proximity to transportation hubs including Schiphol Airport, Rotterdam The Hague Airport, and the Dutch rail network linking to Amsterdam and The Hague.

Governance and Funding

Governance involves a board and executive team coordinating with university technology transfer offices, investment committees, and advisory councils featuring representatives from TU Delft, corporate partners such as Philips, research funders like NWO, and EU frameworks like European Regional Development Fund. Funding sources include corporate sponsorships, public grants from entities like Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, project funding via Horizon Europe, program fees, and investments coordinated with venture partners such as InnovationQuarter and regional development funds.

Category:Technology incubators Category:Science and technology in the Netherlands