Dutch startups building for government in 2026

From radar perception for autonomous systems to CV parsing for public-sector agencies: a growing group of Dutch startups counts government as their primary or significant customer. They operate across diverse sectors, from deeptech and defence to education and document processing, but share a common characteristic: their product only delivers value when it performs under the standards that public clients impose on reliability, privacy and scalability.

This article maps twelve of those companies, spread across the country, and examines what connects them substantively. The selection is based on the DutchStartup database and includes companies with an explicit focus on government and the public sector.

Defence and security attract the most capital

The largest funding rounds in this group go to companies active at the intersection of defence, security and infrastructure. Destinus, based in Katwijk, raised a Series A of €400 million in January 2025 for the development of AI-driven drones and turbojets for defence applications. Founded in 2024, the company ranks among the best-funded deeptech startups in the Netherlands.

LUGN Security, based in Heerlen, combines sensors, drones and AI for the surveillance of large sites and critical infrastructure. The company raised a Series B of €36.8 million and targets a market served by governments and utility companies. Perciv AIbased in Delft, builds radar-based perception software for autonomous systems that functions in adverse weather conditions, a requirement for military and security applications. The company received a seed round of €2.5 million in 2024.

What these three have in common is that their technology is only credible when it works under extreme conditions. That places different demands on product development than consumer applications, and partly explains why capital intensity in this segment is high.

Access, identity and privacy as a public-sector challenge

Two companies focus on how governments and institutions can verify identities without unnecessarily storing personal data. 20face, based in Enschede, develops privacy-safe facial recognition for access control, requiring no card or code. The company has raised €36.8 million to date across multiple rounds, the most recent of which was a Series D in 2022.

Klippa, based in Groningen, automates document processing, fraud detection and identity verification using AI. With modest seed funding of €1.2 million, the company serves both private and public clients that process large volumes of documents and identity records. For agencies such as UWV or the Dutch Tax and Customs Administration, these are daily processes at significant scale.

Privacy legislation, in particular the GDPR, plays a guiding role here. Startups operating in this segment must demonstrate that their solution is compliant before a government client will engage seriously. This makes the sales cycle longer, but also raises the bar for competitors that fail to meet that compliance threshold.

Education and knowledge infrastructure

Three companies focus on public knowledge infrastructure, from primary school to university. Futurewhiz, based in Amsterdam, offers personalised learning to nearly one million pupils in the Benelux and received a pre-seed round of €2 million in 2023. The company works with schools and tailors its learning content to individual pupil levels.

ScoutinScience, based in Enschede, uses AI to surface hidden value in scientific research for knowledge institutions. Founded in 2020 and backed by €1 million in seed funding, the company targets universities and research institutes seeking better insight into their own research portfolios and collaboration opportunities.

Labelfuse, based in Eindhoven, builds no-code computer vision tools for CCTV, drones and satellite imagery. The company received €27.6 million in grants and is developing applications that are also relevant for public safety services and spatial management.

Administrative automation and labour market data

Another cluster focuses on the administrative side of government operations. Cevinio, based in Rotterdam, automates invoice processing for large organisations using an AI platform and raised a Series A of €8.2 million. Public institutions process high volumes of invoices, and manual handling is costly and error-prone.

Textkernel, based in Amsterdam, provides CV parsing, matching and labour market data to recruitment professionals. Founded in 2001 and acquired in 2024 for €300 million, the company also works for public agencies that require labour market data for reintegration programmes and workforce analysis.

AmberScript, based in Amsterdam, converts audio and video into text through transcription and subtitling. With a Series A of €8.7 million, the company serves, among others, public broadcasters, courts and government bodies that need to record meetings and hearings.

What these companies have in common

Looking at the twelve companies side by side, a number of recurring characteristics emerge. They operate in sectors where reliability and compliance carry more weight than speed of deployment. They build products that must scale for large organisations with complex internal processes. And they are spread across the country, from Heerlen to Katwijk, demonstrating that government-focused tech entrepreneurship is not an Amsterdam-only phenomenon.

RESONIKS, based in Maarssen, fits that broader picture: the company detects internal defects in production components through acoustic quality control and received a seed round of €2.6 million in 2024. Although its primary market is industrial, applications in public infrastructure and the defence industry are conceivable.

Funding levels vary considerably, from €1 million in seed to €400 million in Series A, but most companies in this segment are relatively capital-efficient. Government clients typically pay through multi-year contracts, which generates predictable revenue but also requires staying power in the period before the first contract is signed.

For investors looking at the Dutch market, this segment is worth watching: government budgets for digitalisation continue to grow, driven in part by European policy on defence, data and public services. Startups that establish an early position in this segment, and that understand the specific requirements of public procurement, are well placed for the longer term.