Startup Pass-port

Season 07 of Startup Pass-port by Frontwalker continues with Episode 31 – Sharon Mullen, Senior Account Manager at Rotterdam Square. Sharon Mullen discusses Rotterdam Square's role in positioning Rotterdam as a location for health and tech and in connecting the healthcare ecosystem with businesses and entrepreneurs. She explains how the organisation works with scientists, researchers, and clinicians to understand their expertise and connect them with businesses and entrepreneurs, helping to validate science and research more quickly and find new solutions that can impact the way healthcare is delivered in the future. She also discusses the need for new ways of delivering healthcare as the volume of patients and healthcare needed increases, highlighting digitalisation, better use of data, technology, and medtech. Sharon explains that a strong innovation ecosystem needs good leadership, a clear plan, the right governance model, and funding, while bringing together academic knowledge and talent with entrepreneurship and industry to turn it into actual solutions. This new season brings conversations with founders, innovators, investors, and ecosystem leaders shaping the future of entrepreneurship, in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise and the NL Startup Competition. These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing, and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! New episodes dropping soon!

Season 07 of Startup Pass-port by Frontwalker continues with Episode 30 - Tamara Elmore, Patent Attorney at V.O. Patents & Trademarks. Tamara Elmore discusses the role of patents and intellectual property for entrepreneurs, and why the important question is not always when to file, but when to speak to a patent attorney. She explains that entrepreneurs can start with a conversation without immediately taking on high costs, and that sometimes the right advice is to wait until they have more data and are further along. She also shares how her work varies across technologies, from antibodies, gene technology and diagnostics to vaccines. Tamara also explains why patents can have very different importance depending on the industry. While products such as telephones, electronics and coffee machines can have hundreds of incremental patents, a medicine may have only one or two patents covering the product, making those patents particularly important. She discusses why patents were part of the conversation around COVID-19 vaccines, while noting that manufacturing capabilities and GMP standards could also be significant barriers. She also shares why startups should consider their IP position when approaching investors, who may ask about it early in the process. In the quick-fire section, Tamara chooses patent over trademark and wait over filing early, before reflecting on one of her biggest learnings: things do not always go as planned, and it is important to learn from mistakes. She also notes that founders may overlook how a large upfront investment in IP can actually save money in the long run. This new season brings conversations with founders, innovators, investors, and ecosystem leaders shaping the future of entrepreneurship, in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise and the NL Startup Competition. These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing, and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! New episodes dropping soon!

Season 07 of Startup Pass-port by Frontwalker continues with Episode 29 – Iselde van Beurden, Talent Lead at Achmea Impact Ventures. Iselde shares how Achmea moved from an internal ideas factory to a fully fledged startup studio. Instead of focusing only on innovations connected to Achmea's core products, the studio builds independent startups where Achmea can add value and where there is societal impact to be made. This can include resources such as customers, data, and internal expertise. Drawing from her own experience as an entrepreneur, Iselde explains how that background helps her understand what founders may face, from working without certainty of income to investing in product development and staff. When evaluating founders, she looks beyond the idea itself, emphasizing that even the best idea needs the right founder. A strong founder can pivot an idea, while "the idea and the founder go hand in hand." In the rapid-fire section, Iselde shares her views on co-founders, gut feeling, risk-taking, revenue and impact, and serial versus first-time founders. She chooses co-founders to "spread the risk," prefers gut feeling over relying solely on track record, and explains Achmea's approach: "We build, we do both, but impact follows revenue." This new season brings conversations with founders, innovators, investors, and ecosystem leaders shaping the future of entrepreneurship, in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise and the NL Startup Competition. These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing, and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! New episodes dropping soon! #Frontwalker #podcast #StartupPassport #rotterdam #ErasmusEnterprise

Season 07 of Startup Pass-port by Frontwalker continues with Episode 28 – William Vuijik, Venture Lead at BlueCity.   William Vuijik, Venture Lead at BlueCity, discusses how BlueCity is a hub for circular innovations in Rotterdam, with around 60 impact entrepreneurs working on technologies including solar technology, solar panels and new building materials with mycelium. He explains his role in managing BlueCity's incubator, where he helps ideas turn into scalable businesses, and shares his view that impact is mainly about the motivation behind an idea and how entrepreneurs want to make a difference for people, organizations and society.   He also discusses the challenges impact entrepreneurs face, particularly when idealism comes before the business mindset. William explains that entrepreneurs can have ideas with a lot of impact without considering who will buy the solution, who will pay, how much they will pay or what competing solutions exist. He also shares how impact and a profitable business can go hand in hand, and why having co-founders with different skill sets, mindsets and cultural backgrounds can add value to a team.   William also talks about what makes a successful entrepreneurial ecosystem, identifying talent, money and a facilitating ecosystem as three necessary inputs. He explains how universities and places like BlueCity can support research, validation and prototype development, and says that what is key for a successful ecosystem is having "more givers than takers." He closes by sharing his goal of helping companies move from "an idea on the back of a napkin" towards technical and commercial validation, with the hope of seeing one of the companies he has worked with grow into a unicorn.   This new season brings conversations with founders, innovators, investors, and ecosystem leaders shaping the future of entrepreneurship, recorded at the Upstream Festival in Rotterdam in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise.   These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing, and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! New episodes dropping soon!

Season 07 of Startup Pass-port by Frontwalker continues with Episode 27 – Robin Hempel, Start and Scale Up Banker at Rabobank. Robin Hempel discusses how startups can combine different forms of funding, including equity and bank financing. He explains that while startups may initially turn to equity, bank financing can become an option once there is a proven market or customers in place. He also introduces Rabobank's €25,000 innovation contribution for companies in the validation phase, as well as its €200,000 fully subordinated loan for companies further along in their development. He also shares how he evaluates startups, looking beyond traditional financial figures to the people running the company, their experience, the market they are in, and the problem they are solving. For Robin, a company also needs customers to actually grow, while the size of its potential market depends on the type of business model. Robin reflects on Rabobank's role in stimulating innovation in the Netherlands by giving back to communities and supporting companies at an early stage. He also shares what motivates him about working with entrepreneurs, explaining that helping founders at the start of their journey and guiding them in the right direction gives him "way more joy and pleasure" than his previous jobs. This new season brings conversations with founders, innovators, investors, and ecosystem leaders shaping the future of entrepreneurship, in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise and the NL Startup Competition. These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing, and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! New episodes dropping soon!

Season 07 of Startup Passport by Frontwalker continues with Episode 26 – Bernadeta Karpavičiūtė, Scale Up Lead at Up! Rotterdam. Bernadeta Karpavičiūtė, Scale Up Lead, at Up! Rotterdam, discusses Upstream's separation from Up!Rotterdam and why the festival needed "the freedom that independence brings" to serve its target audience of founders and continue evolving. She explains how being part of the municipality brought benefits but also restrictions, and why the festival needs to be able to adapt and move forward. She also shares her perspective on entrepreneurship in Rotterdam, where support organizations and partners are available but "it's still really tough work to build a company that lasts." Bernadeta discusses the changing meaning of "scale up" in Europe, differences between European and US startup culture around risk and failure, and why building a startup is "a process of figuring all of it out as you go."  Bernadeta also talks about why getting the right contact can still be difficult in Europe and the work needed to make those connections easier for founders. She closes with a personal reminder that "you can become your own source of motivation" and "your own source of inspiration," finding it within yourself rather than always looking elsewhere. This new season brings conversations with founders, innovators, investors, and ecosystem leaders shaping the future of entrepreneurship, in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise and the NL Startup Competition. These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing, and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! New episodes dropping soon! #Frontwalker #podcast #StartupPassport #rotterdam #ErasmusEnterprise #NLstartupecosystem

Season 07 of Startup Pass-port by Frontwalker continues with Episode 25 – Remco Molendijk, Account Executive at Qonto. Remco Molendijk, Account Executive at Qonto, explains why starting entrepreneurs are where the French fintech makes "most impact." Invoices, a bank account, debit and credit cards all land on a founder in the first months of a company, and Qonto puts them in one place so there's "an overview and a cash flow in one cockpit." He describes what that replaced: the bank on one side, the accounting software on the other, and something that "had to match at the end of the month." Qonto now serves around 600,000 customers across eight European markets, with what Remco calls "a laser focus on software that actually works" for SMEs. He also talks about Qonto's first year in the Netherlands, spent localising the product rather than launching it, and why brand awareness is the challenge now that the product is live. Drawing on his own years as a freelancer, he explains how knowing the frustration first-hand helps him "relate to the customer's pains." And on the biggest financial mistake early-stage startups make, his answer was immediate: taking on "too many subscriptions at the same time that are irrelevant." This new season brings conversations with founders, innovators, investors, and ecosystem leaders shaping the future of entrepreneurship, in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise and the NL Startup Competition. These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing, and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! New episodes dropping soon!

Season 07 of Startup Pass-port by Frontwalker continues with Episode 24 – Bart Lubbers, Co-founder of Fastned. Bart Lubbers, Co-founder of Fastned, describes building a European network of fast-charging stations in years when, as he puts it, there were hardly any customers. He explains how Fastned handled the "chicken and egg problem" - "no chargers, no cars, no cars, no chargers" - by winning long-term contracts on good highway locations through government and toll road tenders, then building stations "independent from the number of cars or customers." He also walks through how Fastned is funded: retail investors buying bonds, a stock exchange listing, and, since this year, a bank loan. He puts the network at around 420 stations at the time of filming, roughly half of them in the Netherlands, with a goal of 1,000 across Europe around 2030. On staying the course, Bart says he does not believe in pivoting: "Stick to your strategy, if you believe in it." He also explains why that is not enough on its own, because "if nobody follows you, it doesn't work." Plus what he watches inside a growing company: cash and culture. This new season brings conversations with founders, innovators, investors, and ecosystem leaders shaping the future of entrepreneurship, in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise and the NL Startup Competition. These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing, and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! New episodes dropping soon!

Season 07 of Startup Pass-port by Frontwalker continues with Episode 23 – Paul Musters, Founder of Emaho. Paul Musters, Founder of Emaho, discusses how the company helps people and teams work better with AI by combining personality profiles, AI usage and personalised AI agents. He explains why becoming more effective with AI is not only about individual productivity, but also about understanding yourself, your communication style and how you work with others. Paul also reflects on why individual AI efficiency does not necessarily translate into better team performance, the importance of communication as everything moves faster, and how "the right AI for the right person" can help teams work more effectively. Drawing from his entrepreneurial experience, he shares his belief in courage, curiosity and collaboration, the importance of diversity in solving complex problems, and why founders should carefully consider their reasons for choosing a co-founder.  He closes with his view on the future of teams working with AI: "knowing yourself", followed by knowing each other's strengths and weaknesses. This new season brings conversations with founders, innovators, investors, and ecosystem leaders shaping the future of entrepreneurship, recorded at the Upstream Festival in Rotterdam in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise. These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing, and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! New episodes dropping soon!

Season 07 of Startup Pass-port by Frontwalker continues with Episode 22 – Arezoo Shajiei, Founder of MicroHealth. Arezoo Shajiei, Founder of MicroHealth, discusses how the company is developing an AI-powered preventive health platform that combines microbiome functionality with lifestyle information to provide personalised guidance on diet, sleep, stress, exercise and supplementation. She explains how MicroHealth uses a database covering 160,000 individuals, with the microbiome part of the database covering around 10,000 individuals, to train its AI model on lifestyle, habits, exercise and microbiome functionality.  Arezoo also discusses why current health advice is often generic, how the microbiome is "very dynamic", and how MicroHealth combines data, an LLM and scientific literature to generate science-backed personalised advice. She shares that the company is reaching MVP and preparing for its pilot, while reflecting on her founder journey and advising founders to "not accept all advices" and choose their own route.  This new season brings conversations with founders, innovators, investors, and ecosystem leaders shaping the future of entrepreneurship, in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise and the NL Startup Competition. These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing, and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! New episodes dropping soon! #Frontwalker #podcast #StartupPassport #rotterdam #ErasmusEnterprise #NLstartupecosystem

Season 07 of Startup Pass-port by Frontwalker continues with Episode 21 – Vilmar Bliekendaal, Co-founder of My Jewelry. Vilmar Bliekendaal, Co-founder of My Jewelry, discusses how the company entered the traditional jewelry industry through direct-to-consumer e-commerce and benefited from the rapid growth of the online market. He reflects on how the business adapted as e-commerce became more competitive, moving into offline retail while maintaining a strong online channel, and how continuously reinvesting profits and adopting new marketing technologies supported the company's growth. He also shares how revenue grew from around €1.5 million to €5 million, giving them confidence that they were onto something. Vilmar also discusses building the company with a complementary co-founder, where each brought a different perspective and strength. He explains how the people a company needs change as it grows, moving from generalists to specialists and later managers, and shares his biggest lesson for founders: "hire slow and fire fast." He also emphasizes being more selective when hiring, saying, "you rather speak to 20 persons instead of two." This new season brings conversations with founders, innovators, investors, and ecosystem leaders shaping the future of entrepreneurship, recorded at the Upstream Festival in Rotterdam in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise. These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing, and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! New episodes dropping soon!

Season 07 of Startup Pass-port by Frontwalker continues with Episode 20 – Jouke Goslinga, Program Manager at the Port of Rotterdam. Jouke Goslinga, Program Manager at the Port of Rotterdam, discusses how the Rotterdam Makers District, formed by RDM and M4H, is creating an environment where young talent and startups can develop solutions for a more sustainable port. He explains how the district provides fertile ground for companies to experiment, develop prototypes and processes, before they are ready to enter the port and scale their solutions.  Jouke also reflects on why the Netherlands cannot compete on price alone and needs to focus on high-end innovation, why he sees sustainability as an opportunity, and why developing local talent is important. He shares his 10-year vision for the Port of Rotterdam to become "an inspiring forefront on sustainability", with the innovation district helping put the port on the map as a major business opportunity in the region.  This new season brings conversations with founders, innovators, investors, and ecosystem leaders shaping the future of entrepreneurship, in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise and the NL Startup Competition. These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing, and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! New episodes dropping soon!

Season 07 of Startup Pass-port by Frontwalker continues with Episode 19 – Jaap de Bruin, Founders Associate at Mila Health.   Jaap de Bruin, Founder Associate at Mila Health, discusses how digital healthcare can work alongside the existing GP system, offering a complete service from medical intake and doctor consultation to prescription and delivery, supported by 24/7 customer care. He explains how the service also addresses health concerns that some people may prefer not to discuss with their own GP.   Jaap also shares how Mila Health has already treated 18,000 patients and has around 9,000 active subscriptions, while highlighting the challenge of maintaining the same quality as the company scales. He discusses the need for investment in software development, AI solutions and brand awareness, the company's current search for private investors, and its plans for international expansion. Looking ahead, he hopes Mila Health can become a frontrunner for digital healthcare in Europe.   This new season brings conversations with founders, innovators, investors, and ecosystem leaders shaping the future of entrepreneurship, in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise and the NL Startup Competition.   These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing, and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! New episodes dropping soon!

Season 07 of Startup Pass-port by Frontwalker continues with Episode 18 – Ieva Palubeckaite, Founder and CEO of Akin Solutions. Ieva Palubeckaite, Founder and CEO of Akin Solutions, discusses how the company is tackling rubber waste, with around 87% of rubber waste currently wasted and tires making up around 70% of that waste. She explains how Akin is developing enzymatic technology to break shredded rubber down and separate it into individual materials that can be used in new rubber products. Ieva also explains how Akin integrates its machine units into existing recycling plants and operates as a B2B platform for recyclers. She discusses the importance of partnerships, bringing biotechnology into a traditional industry, and the company's global ambitions.  This new season brings conversations with founders, innovators, investors, and ecosystem leaders shaping the future of entrepreneurship, in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise and the NL Startup Competition. These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing, and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! New episodes dropping soon!

Season 07 of Startup Pass-port by Frontwalker continues with Episode 17 – Adriaan Jacob Brouwer, EY. Adriaan Brouwer, who leads EY Innovation in the Netherlands, discusses his role in connecting startups and scale-ups with the expertise and capabilities of a large services firm like EY. Drawing from his own experience as a founder, he explains how EY can support growing companies with its scale, expertise and flexibility, particularly as startups begin building the backbone of their operations across different markets. He also reflects on how his entrepreneurial background helps him understand founders, build trust and connect their challenges with the right people. Beyond EY, he shares how he continues building through two foundations, including a venture philanthropy initiative supporting an underserved patient group. The conversation explores his views on hustle culture, purpose and planning. Adriaan explains why he doesn't glorify grinding for the sake of grinding, why "purpose is way more important," and why letting go of the illusion of control matters. He believes the journey of working toward something matters more than simply chasing an end goal. He closes with two key lessons: working with founders means learning a lot, and "don't assume." He explains how assumptions about other people's intentions can lead us to misunderstand situations and miss opportunities.  This new season brings conversations with founders, innovators, investors, and ecosystem leaders shaping the future of entrepreneurship, in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise and the NL Startup Competition. T hese conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing, and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! New episodes dropping soon!

Season 07 of Startup Pass-port by Frontwalker continues with Episode 16 – Pim Jansen, Chief Operating Officer of Plastilose.   Pim Jansen, Chief Operating Officer of Plastilose, discusses how the company is developing an alternative to the single-use plastic cups used in hospitals and nursing institutions. Made from bacterial cellulose, the cups are designed to replace the plastic versions currently used for patients receiving pills and liquid medication. Pim explains how bacterial cellulose is similar to the cellulose found in trees and can break down naturally.   Pim also discusses the challenges of bringing the product into hospitals, where cups are typically used once and then discarded because of contamination and medication residue. He explains why Plastilose designed its product as a drop-in replacement for existing hospital cups and how pilots are being used to optimize the product around hospital needs before a wider rollout.    The conversation also looks at the scale of the opportunity, with an average Dutch hospital using 200,000 to 300,000 cups a year and the Dutch healthcare sector using around 50 million annually. Pim shares Plastilos' plans to move from a first production line capable of producing 10,000 cups a week towards one million cups a week, while initially scaling in the Netherlands before going global. Reflecting on his journey, Pim also shares his preference for impact investors and his biggest learning so far: "we get done more together," emphasizing the value of combining resources and working together to achieve more.   This new season brings conversations with founders, innovators, investors, and ecosystem leaders shaping the future of entrepreneurship, in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise and the NL Startup Competition.   These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing, and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! New episodes dropping soon!

Season 07 of Startup Pass-port by Frontwalker continues with Episode 15 – Liesje Goldschmidt, Erasmus Enterprise. Liesje returns for her third appearance to talk about what she sees working across the startups and scale-ups Erasmus Enterprise supports. Over five years the team has guided 1,245 teams. Roughly 500 of those startups are still operating, and 30% have stayed in the region. She's direct about where early teams struggle: many students are learning how to work at the same time as they're learning how to run a company, from guiding a team to building a process. Money becomes the problem later, once a startup starts to scale. On what makes a good entrepreneur: passion first, then solving a problem you can actually build the product for, then the team. And a fourth thing she credits to Ironman training - you also need to enjoy the bad days. Not every training session is a good one. This season brings conversations with founders, innovators, investors, and ecosystem leaders, in collaboration with Erasmus Enterprise and the NL Startup Competition. These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing, and we can't wait for you to hear them New episodes dropping soon.

Season 07 of Startup Pass-port by Frontwalker continues with Episode 14 – Efil Bengisu Saygı, CEO and Co-founder of Gelectric. Efil says she was born around vessels - her father has run a traditional maritime maintenance company in Turkey for over 40 years, and she trained as an electrical engineer to work alongside it. She founded Gelectric in 2022 to fix a problem she had watched vessel owners live with for most of her career. Her estimate: a single vessel generates enormous amounts of data, and around 80% of it sits unstructured - text files, PDFs, emails, even photos. Gelectric's AI agents collect that material, analyse it, and turn it into something usable for performance analytics and regulatory compliance. The compliance side is where the stakes are clearest. Crews still file reports manually, which means what Efil calls fat finger errors - a typo, a wrong figure. Submit incorrect data, knowingly or not, and the penalty can run from €100 to a fleet-wide ban from certain ports. Most of these rules come from the IMO, so they apply to vessels everywhere, not just Europe. Efil also talks about finding the maritime industry in Rotterdam far more open to innovation than she expected from a traditionally conservative sector, why partnerships are the unlock for reaching customers at scale, and her plans to expand into Germany and Greece. Three and a half years in, Gelectric runs on around 30 vessels with a team of five. At the NL Startup Competition 2026 finale during Upstream Festival, Gelectric won the Frontwalker Digital Development Prize. This new season brings conversations with founders, innovators, investors, and ecosystem leaders shaping the future of entrepreneurship, recorded in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise and the NL Startup Competition. These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing, and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! New episodes dropping soon!

Season 07 of Startup Passport by Frontwalker continues with Episode 13 – Sjoerd van Berkel, Co-founder and Operator of Dutch Operator Fund. From building his own companies to becoming an angel investor, Sjoerd shares the experiences that shaped his approach to entrepreneurship and investing. In this episode, he explains why the team is always his number one investment criterion, why founders need grit and commitment to succeed, and why believing in the people behind a startup matters more than the idea itself. Sjoerd also reflects on the lessons he learned from building scalable businesses, the importance of finding the right co-founder, and how validating ideas early can prevent costly mistakes. He discusses how education helped him develop the network and skills that supported his entrepreneurial journey, and shares his perspective on why the Netherlands continues to be a strong place for founders to build innovative companies. This new season brings conversations with founders, innovators, investors, and ecosystem leaders shaping the future of entrepreneurship, recorded at the Upstream Festival in Rotterdam in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise. These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing, and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! New episodes dropping soon!

Season 07 of Startup Passport by Frontwalker continues with Episode 12 – Guido Brugman, Founder of Hydrogenium.   Driven by the growing challenge of PFAS contamination in his hometown of Dordrecht, Guido founded Hydrogenium to develop a sustainable solution for removing harmful pollutants from waterways. In this episode, he shares how the company transforms residual wood streams into a bio-based filtration material that captures PFAS, helping to address one of today's most persistent environmental challenges.   Guido also discusses the journey from pharmaceutical sciences and chemistry to entrepreneurship, the importance of independently validating new technologies before scaling, and the lessons he's learned while building an environmental startup. He reflects on learning through mistakes, working alongside an advisory board, and his vision of expanding Hydrogenium's solution beyond the Netherlands to create a broader environmental impact.   This new season brings conversations with founders, innovators, investors and ecosystem leaders shaping the future of entrepreneurship, in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise and the NL Startup Competition.   These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing, and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! New episodes dropping soon!

Season 07 of Startup Passport by Frontwalker continues with Episode 11 – Alexander Broekman, CEO of Superconnectors. As the CEO of Superconnectors, Alexander shares how meaningful connections can create opportunities that go far beyond financial investment. In this episode, he explains how Superconnectors helps founders identify their most critical challenge and connects them with people who have the network, expertise, and willingness to help solve it. Alexander also discusses why social capital is a massively underestimated asset, how one meaningful introduction can have a greater impact than funding alone, and why startup communities thrive when people genuinely want to help one another. He explains how Superconnectors combines community-driven events with technology to create purposeful introductions, track their outcomes, and empower cities to build stronger local startup ecosystems through collaboration and shared networks. This new season brings conversations with founders, innovators, investors, and ecosystem leaders shaping the future of entrepreneurship, recorded at the Upstream Festival in Rotterdam in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise. These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing, and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! New episodes dropping soon!

Season 07 of Startup Passport by Frontwalker continues with Episode 10 – Sebas Pronk, CEO and Co-founder of Lumox. A biomedical scientist turned entrepreneur, Sebas is on a mission to transform cancer treatment through precision medicine. In this episode, he shares how Lumox is developing a light-activated therapy designed to target tumors more precisely, reducing damage to healthy cells while improving treatment effectiveness. He explains how a breakthrough in academic research evolved into a startup with the potential to change the future of cancer care. Sebas also shares the journey of transforming breakthrough scientific research into a healthcare startup, from laboratory discovery and pre-clinical studies to preparing for human clinical trials. He discusses the realities of developing medical innovation, the importance of securing investment, and why bringing a new therapy to patients requires patience, collaboration, and long-term vision. Reflecting on his entrepreneurial journey, Sebas explains why great science alone isn't enough, how storytelling became just as important as research, and why the support of the startup ecosystem has been one of his biggest lessons as a founder. This new season brings conversations with founders, innovators, investors, and ecosystem leaders shaping the future of entrepreneurship, recorded in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise and the NL Startup Competition. These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing, and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! New episodes dropping soon!

Season 07 of Startup Passport by Frontwalker continues with Episode 09 – Robin Hoogstraten, Co-founder of Upstream Festival. As the co-founder of Upstream Festival and an ecosystem builder, Robin shares how thriving startup ecosystems are created through collaboration, founder-first thinking, and meaningful connections. In this episode, he reflects on Upstream's journey to becoming an independent organisation, the growth of Rotterdam's entrepreneurial ecosystem, and why bringing together the right people is more valuable than simply growing bigger. Robin also discusses what makes a strong startup ecosystem, the importance of being vocal about opportunities within a city, and why collaboration between founders, investors, partners, and institutions is essential for long-term success. He explains how Upstream carefully curates its community to ensure every participant adds value, why the festival prioritises quality over quantity, and how staying founder-centric creates an environment where meaningful connections can thrive. This new season brings conversations with founders, innovators, investors and ecosystem leaders shaping the future of entrepreneurship, in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise and the NL Startup Competition. These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing, and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! New episodes dropping soon!

Season 07 of Startup Passport by Frontwalker continues with Episode 08 – Maarten Tobias, Co-founder and CEO of Luxene. A serial entrepreneur with three startups and multiple successful exits, Maarten is now focused on transforming road safety through innovative road-marking technology. In this episode, he shares how Luxene identified a critical visibility challenge on roads during adverse weather conditions and applied existing technology to create a practical solution that improves driver safety when it's needed most. Maarten also discusses the journey from technology discovery to product development, the importance of validating innovation through real-world pilots, and the lessons he's carried forward from building previous startups. He explains why surrounding yourself with the right people is essential, how experience and strong networks accelerate growth, and what it takes to take a deep-tech solution from pilot projects to international markets. This new season brings conversations with founders, innovators, investors and ecosystem leaders shaping the future of entrepreneurship, in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise and the NL Startup Competition. These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing, and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! New episodes dropping soon!

Season 07 of Startup Passport by Frontwalker continues with Episode 06 – Joris Meijaard, Academic Director of the MSc Strategic Entrepreneurship Programme at Rotterdam School of Management (RSM). With two decades of experience in entrepreneurship education and as a founder himself, Joris has dedicated his career to helping the next generation of founders turn ideas into successful ventures. In this episode, he shares why entrepreneurship is learned through experience rather than theory, how universities can create environments where innovation thrives, and why the best founders are those who continuously test, adapt, and learn. Joris also discusses the importance of customer validation, the value of feedback over assumptions, whether entrepreneurs are born or made, and why there is no single path to building a successful startup. His insights offer a practical perspective on developing entrepreneurial mindsets and preparing founders for the realities of building and scaling businesses. This new season brings conversations with founders, innovators, investors, and ecosystem leaders shaping the future of entrepreneurship, recorded at the Upstream Festival in Rotterdam in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise. These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing, and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! New episodes dropping soon!

Season 07 of Startup Passport by Frontwalker continues with Episode 06 – Stef Traa, Co-founder of Droppie. Since recording, Droppie has won the Climate & Energy category at the NL Startup Competition at Upstream Festival - a signal that making recycling easy, fun and rewarding is a mission people are backing. Congratulations to Stef and the Droppie team. Driven by a personal frustration with waste on the streets, Stef co-founded Droppie to rethink how people recycle. By combining technology with positive incentives, Droppie is making recycling fun, easy, and rewarding while helping build a more circular economy, one item at a time. In this episode, Stef shares how Droppie is changing consumer behavior through rewards instead of punishment, why building sustainable businesses starts with making the right choice the easiest one, and how innovation can create real environmental impact. He also reflects on the importance of building partnerships, creating ecosystems around startups, and why founders should never try to scale alone. This new season brings conversations with founders, innovators, investors and ecosystem leaders shaping the future of entrepreneurship, recorded at the Upstream Festival in Rotterdam in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise. These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing, and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! New episodes dropping soon!

Season 07 of Startup Pass-port by Frontwalker continues with Episode 05 – Thomas Vles, Founder of GoDutch. A serial entrepreneur with seven startups under his belt, Thomas believes the best businesses don't start with brilliant ideas—they start with real frustrations. From reinventing cat litter boxes to transforming business banking, every venture he's built has been driven by solving problems people experience every day. In this episode, Thomas shares how GoDutch is using AI to simplify business finance, why founders should start selling before perfecting their product, and how learning from failure is essential to building successful startups. He also reflects on the lessons from his entrepreneurial journey, the importance of validating ideas early, and why creating products people genuinely love is the key to long-term success. This new season brings conversations with founders, innovators, investors and ecosystem leaders shaping the future of entrepreneurship, recorded at the Upstream Festival in Rotterdam in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise. These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing, and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! New episodes dropping soon!

Season 07 of Startup Passport by Frontwalker continues with Episode 04 – Lutger Rutten, Co-founder of Sixth Sense Diagnostics, a Port & Maritime finalists at the NL Startup Competition 2026. What started as a student challenge has evolved into a science-driven startup developing rapid diagnostic technology that makes laboratory testing faster, simpler, and accessible anywhere. By transforming complex biosensor research into practical solutions, Lutger and his team are helping industries make faster, more accurate decisions without the need for laboratories or specialized training. In this episode, Lutger shares how Sixth Sense Diagnostics is bringing lab-grade testing on-site, why innovation should start with real customer problems, and how the team moved from human diagnostics into food quality inspection. He also discusses the journey of commercializing academic research, building a startup from university innovation, and creating technology designed to solve real-world challenges. This new season brings conversations with founders, innovators, investors and ecosystem leaders shaping the future of entrepreneurship, in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise and the NL Startup Competition. These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing, and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! New episodes dropping soon!

Season 07 of Startup Passport by Frontwalker continues with Episode 03 - Lars Crama, CEO of InnovationQuarter and the founding father of Upstream Festival. After building and scaling businesses himself, Lars shifted his focus to helping entrepreneurs succeed by creating stronger connections between founders, investors, universities, corporates, and public partners. His work has played a key role in growing an ecosystem where startups don't just launch -they scale. In this episode, Lars shares why great startups need more than funding to grow, how collaboration fuels innovation, and why startup ecosystems are essential for turning ambitious ideas into successful businesses. He also discusses the mindset of successful founders, the importance of grit and coachability, and why the next breakthrough often happens where different industries intersect. This new season brings conversations with founders, innovators, investors and ecosystem leaders shaping the future of entrepreneurship, in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise and the NL Startup Competition. These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing, and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! New episodes dropping soon! These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing, and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! New episodes dropping soon!

Season 07 of Startup Passport by Frontwalker continues with Episode 02 - Amy Fitzpatrick, Founder and CEO of Decipher Woman. Amy's journey into entrepreneurship began with a personal health crisis. After surviving sepsis and developing autoimmune diseases, she turned her background in neuroscience into a mission to transform women's healthcare. Today, she's building Decipher Woman, a FemTech startup using biology, data, and AI to predict postpartum depression before symptoms appear. In this episode, Amy shares why mental health should be treated as a biological challenge rather than a personal failing, how her team is developing predictive algorithms to identify women at risk during pregnancy, and why prevention could become the future of healthcare. She also opens up about the realities of building a science-driven startup, learning fundraising on the fly, and pursuing impact over a quick exit. This new season brings conversations with founders, innovators, investors and ecosystem leaders shaping the future of entrepreneurship, in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise and the NL Startup Competition. These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing, and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! New episodes dropping soon!

Season 07 of Startup Passport by Frontwalker opens with Episode 01 - Barbara Barend, journalist and Co-Founder of Hera United, the first professional women's football club in the Netherlands. Barbara didn't wait for the club to exist before building it. She raised funding for a dream - no license, no team, just a brand, a manifesto, and the conviction that women's football is an untapped market, not a side product. In this episode she talks faking her way into her first interview at 19, building Helden magazine with no business plan, and why "the worst thing that can happen is it doesn't work."A new season of conversations with founders building before the proof exists - in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise and NL Startup Competition. These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing, and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! New episodes dropping soon!

We are thrilled to announce that Episode 33 of Season 05 of Startup pass-port by Econsulate featuring, Eric Dragt, Founder of En Serio. From bold dreams to global impact, the next chapter of the Startup Pass-port by Econsulate podcast in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise and NL Startup Competition is on its way! We had the privilege of sitting down with some of the most innovative leaders who are transforming industries and reimagining the future through their startups. These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! new episodes dropping soon!

We are thrilled to announce that Episode 32 of Season 05 of Startup pass-port by Econsulate featuring, Entrepreneur, Anoesjka Imambaks. From bold dreams to global impact, the next chapter of the Startup Pass-port by Econsulate podcast in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise and NL Startup Competition is on its way! We had the privilege of sitting down with some of the most innovative leaders who are transforming industries and reimagining the future through their startups. These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! new episodes dropping soon!

We are thrilled to announce that Episode 31 of Season 05 of Startup pass-port by Econsulate featuring, Raman Ramalingam, Startup Operator and CEO of talentX. From bold dreams to global impact, the next chapter of the Startup Pass-port by Econsulate podcast in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise and NL Startup Competition is on its way!  We had the privilege of sitting down with some of the most innovative leaders who are transforming industries and reimagining the future through their startups. These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! new episodes dropping soon!

We are thrilled to announce that Episode 30 of Season 05 of Startup pass-port by Econsulate featuring, Man Yong Toh, CEO of AeroBorn. From bold dreams to global impact, the next chapter of the Startup Pass-port by Econsulate podcast in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise and NL Startup Competition is on its way! We had the privilege of sitting down with some of the most innovative leaders who are transforming industries and reimagining the future through their startups. These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! new episodes dropping soon!

We are thrilled to announce that Episode 29 of Season 05 of Startup pass-port by Econsulate featuring, Wouter de Bruijne, Former CCO of ParkBee and Founder of RSLNC Inc. From bold dreams to global impact, the next chapter of the Startup Pass-port by Econsulate podcast in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise and NL Startup Competition is on its way!  We had the privilege of sitting down with some of the most innovative leaders who are transforming industries and reimagining the future through their startups. These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! new episodes dropping soon!

We are thrilled to announce that Episode 28 of Season 05 of Startup pass-port by Econsulate featuring, Yang Soo Kloosterhof, Founder and CEO of Powerchainger. From bold dreams to global impact, the next chapter of the Startup Pass-port by Econsulate podcast in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise and NL Startup Competition is on its way!  We had the privilege of sitting down with some of the most innovative leaders who are transforming industries and reimagining the future through their startups. These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! new episodes dropping soon!

We are thrilled to announce that Episode 27 of Season 05 of Startup pass-port by Econsulate featuring, Ilaria Poledri, Co-Founder of ExCulture. From bold dreams to global impact, the next chapter of the Startup Pass-port by Econsulate podcast in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise and NL Startup Competition is on its way! We had the privilege of sitting down with some of the most innovative leaders who are transforming industries and reimagining the future through their startups. These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! new episodes dropping soon!

We are thrilled to announce that Episode 26 of Season 05 of Startup pass-port by Econsulate featuring, Hedderik van Rijn, Founder and Director of MemoryLab. From bold dreams to global impact, the next chapter of the Startup Pass-port by Econsulate podcast in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise and NL Startup Competition is on its way!   We had the privilege of sitting down with some of the most innovative leaders who are transforming industries and reimagining the future through their startups. These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! new episodes dropping soon!

We are thrilled to announce that Episode 25 of Season 05 of Startup pass-port by Econsulate featuring, Rens Dommerholt, Co-Founder and CEO of Thoughtful Oasis. From bold dreams to global impact, the next chapter of the Startup Pass-port by Econsulate podcast in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise and NL Startup Competition is on its way!  We had the privilege of sitting down with some of the most innovative leaders who are transforming industries and reimagining the future through their startups. These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! new episodes dropping soon!

We are thrilled to announce that Episode 24 of Season 05 of Startup pass-port by Econsulate featuring, Freek Brilleman, Senior Lecturer at Rotterdam Business School. From bold dreams to global impact, the next chapter of the Startup Pass-port by Econsulate podcast in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise and NL Startup Competition is on its way!  We had the privilege of sitting down with some of the most innovative leaders who are transforming industries and reimagining the future through their startups. These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! new episodes dropping soon!

We are thrilled to announce that Episode 23 of Season 05 of Startup pass-port by Econsulate featuring, Jeremy Even, the Co-Founder of PRIMAL. From bold dreams to global impact, the next chapter of the Startup Pass-port by Econsulate podcast in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise and NL Startup Competition is on its way!  We had the privilege of sitting down with some of the most innovative leaders who are transforming industries and reimagining the future through their startups. These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! new episodes dropping soon!

We are thrilled to announce that Episode 22 of Season 05 of Startup pass-port by Econsulate featuring, Federica Russo, the Founder of FRAS. From bold dreams to global impact, the next chapter of the Startup Pass-port by Econsulate podcast in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise and NL Startup Competition is on its way!  We had the privilege of sitting down with some of the most innovative leaders who are transforming industries and reimagining the future through their startups. These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! new episodes dropping soon!

We are thrilled to announce that Episode 21 of Season 05 of Startup pass-port by Econsulate featuring, Olaf Ouwerkerk, the Founder of Rotterdammertjes. From bold dreams to global impact, the next chapter of the Startup Pass-port by Econsulate podcast in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise and NL Startup Competition is on its way! We had the privilege of sitting down with some of the most innovative leaders who are transforming industries and reimagining the future through their startups. These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! new episodes dropping soon!

We are thrilled to announce that Episode 20 of Season 05 of Startup pass-port by Econsulate featuring, Bram Spitzer, the Energy and Innovation Officer at Province of South-Holland. From bold dreams to global impact, the next chapter of the Startup Pass-port by Econsulate podcast in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise and NL Startup Competition is on its way! We had the privilege of sitting down with some of the most innovative leaders who are transforming industries and reimagining the future through their startups. These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! new episodes dropping soon!

We are thrilled to announce that Episode 19 of Season 05 of Startup pass-port by Econsulate featuring, Fabiola Polli, the CEO and Founder of BioFashionTech. From bold dreams to global impact, the next chapter of the Startup Pass-port by Econsulate podcast in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise and NL Startup Competition is on its way! We had the privilege of sitting down with some of the most innovative leaders who are transforming industries and reimagining the future through their startups. These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! new episodes dropping soon!

We are thrilled to announce that Episode 18 of Season 05 of Startup pass-port by Econsulate featuring, Gabriel Costa, the Founder and CEO of J58. From bold dreams to global impact, the next chapter of the Startup Pass-port by Econsulate podcast in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise and NL Startup Competition is on its way! We had the privilege of sitting down with some of the most innovative leaders who are transforming industries and reimagining the future through their startups. These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! new episodes dropping soon!

We are thrilled to announce that Episode 16 of Season 05 of Startup pass-port by Econsulate featuring the Founder of Case Canvas. From bold dreams to global impact, the next chapter of the Startup Pass-port by Econsulate podcast in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise and NL Startup Competition is on its way! We had the privilege of sitting down with some of the most innovative leaders who are transforming industries and reimagining the future through their startups. These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! new episodes dropping soon!

We are thrilled to announce that Episode 17 of Season 05 of Startup pass-port by Econsulate featuring, Julia Knoeff, the Head of Platform of Graduate Ventures.  From bold dreams to global impact, the next chapter of the Startup Pass-port by Econsulate podcast in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise and NL Startup Competition is on its way!  We had the privilege of sitting down with some of the most innovative leaders who are transforming industries and reimagining the future through their startups. These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! new episodes dropping soon!

We are thrilled to announce that Episode 15 of Season 05 of Startup pass-port by Econsulate featuring, Martijn van Ginneken, CEO of UPYourself. From bold dreams to global impact, the next chapter of the Startup Pass-port by Econsulate podcast in partnership with Erasmus Enterprise and NL Startup Competition is on its way! We had the privilege of sitting down with some of the most innovative leaders who are transforming industries and reimagining the future through their startups. These conversations are powerful, inspiring, and game-changing and we can't wait for you to hear them. Stay tuned! new episodes dropping soon!