Top 250
What is it?
The Top 250 highlights the 250 most innovative and fastest-growing companies in the Netherlands and are selected on weighting of absolute (in number) and relative growth (in percentage) of FTEs between 2020 and 2023 (OECD, 2007).
The 2024 edition of the Top 250 Insights Report highlights the most innovative companies and entrepreneurs driving growth across the Netherlands. This year’s report reveals key trends, such as the increasing average age of top companies and significant geographical shifts, alongside a strong emphasis on sustainability and gender diversity.
Key Takeaways
Mature firms increasingly sustain growth
This year’s Top 250 list features the oldest cohort yet, with an average age of 16.4 years. The high-growth landscape is shifting towards more mature companies.
More women in leadership, but gaps remain
This year, 78 of the Top 250 companies (32.5%) have at least one woman founder or C-level manager.
In order to persist high growth, firms should make sure to scale-by not just prioritizing growth over efficiency but making sure that revenues grow faster than costs involved. Although this may not be possible in the early stages of high growth, it is a necessary transition that high growth firms need to accomplish.
Our Approach
Top 250 in the Netherlands is an annual research publication by Erasmus Centre for Entrepreneurship, supported by nlgroeit, Dealroom, HelloPrint, Upstream and Gemeente Rotterdam. This report provides up-to-date insights into the Top 250 fastest-growing companies in the Netherlands. The list differentiates itself from other lists through its focus on both absolute and relative (in percentage) growth of companies that already have 10 FTEs at the start of the measurement period.
Does your company have what it takes to make our 2025 list?
Looking to scale your company?
Strategic Foresight and Futures Thinking empowers companies to respond to uncertainties, improve innovation capacity and futureproof their strategy. These interactive sessions take the example use of Strategic Foresight by global organisations such as the World Economic Forum and apply it to SMEs.
Tailor-made scaleup training with our senior facilitators Prof. dr. Justin Jansen and Prof.dr. Tom Mom. Justin Jansen is a Professor of Corporate Entrepreneurship at RSM, renowned for his groundbreaking insights into scaling businesses, leadership excellence, and the organizational strategies that drive enduring success. Tom Mom is a Professor at the Department of Strategy & Entrepreneurship of RSM and the academic director of RSM's Executive MBA. Acclaimed for his research on the strategic renewal and growth of organizations, and strategy implementation, Prof.dr. Mom facilitates training for entrepreneurs, managers and policy-makers.
For Dutch-speaking teams, we invite you to have a look at Groiecollege, a programme in partnership with NLgroeit based on insights from our scaleup research.
