144 Building the Next Topgolf of Soccer (Panna Park) with Niels van Meurs

Niels van Meurs is a Dutch-American entrepreneur, venture builder, and investor focused on the intersection of sports, technology, and international innovation. He serves as the Managing Director of North Sea Ventures, where he helps build and scale high-growth startups while connecting innovation ecosystems across Europe, the United States, and the Middle East.In addition to leading North Sea Ventures, Niels is the founder of Panna Park, an experiential soccer entertainment concept inspired by venues like Topgolf and PopStroke. He has also helped build ventures including Butlaroo and Mailsociety, giving him hands-on experience launching and growing businesses across multiple industries.Niels has been recognized as one of The Next Web's Top 500 People in Tech Under 30 in the Netherlands for three consecutive years. He has represented the Netherlands on official trade missions to major global sports and technology events, including Soccerex, the Sports Mission in Los Angeles, and LEAP in Saudi Arabia, where he has helped strengthen international partnerships and investment opportunities.He earned a Master of Science in International Business with a specialization in Strategy and Innovation from Maastricht University and also studied Financial Economics at EDHEC Business School in France. Today, his work centers on helping founders turn innovative ideas into scalable businesses while advancing the future of sports and technology.