Impact Report 2016

Looking back, looking forward

From USA to RotterdamVenture Café was founded in 2010 as an experiment at Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC) in America. With the idea that if we bring innovators and entrepreneurs together in an environment of engineered serendipity, they will come up with innovations to make the world a better place and generate economic growth. The hypotheses proved true. Today Venture Café is a fast growing global nonprofit organization that collectively hosts the largest weekly event for innovators in the world.

In 2015 Venture Café, along side our sister organisation CIC, was founded in Rotterdam as the first non-US expansion. Known as the gateway to Europe, the City of Rotterdam was chosen because of incredible connections from a transit perspective. And its entrepreneurial “Make it Happen” mindset that is indusive for innovation.

Beta launch to openingIn 2016 we took Venture Café from beta launch in at least 5 different locations, in the Groot Handelsgebouw, to our own amazing space created by CIC on the 4th floor. During the grand opening of CIC and Venture Café, Prince Constantijn van Oranje and the Deputy Mayor of Rotterdam, dubbed Venture Café as the central place for the innovation community in the region. The missing element in this ecosystem.

[Venture Café] is a central location where communities are being built.Special Envoy for Startups, Prince Constantijn van Oranje

We found this amazing gem of a city that’s about the size of Boston, nestled in an economic region that’s about the size of Silicon Valley, but has two million more people.General Manager, CIC Melissa Ablett

Fasten your seatbelts, enjoy the ride, this is Rotterdam’s fast-forward future!Deputy Mayor, Maarten Struijvenberg

Selection of program partnersPort of RotterdamRotterdam PartnersKPNStartupGrindDeloitteTEDx RotterdamSymbidInnovatielinkVNO NCWWolfpack StudiosStartupDeltaYes!DelftECEHogeschool RotterdamProfessional RebelDutch Open HackathonRockboostand many more!

Diverse communityEntrepreneursAcademiaCorporateGovernmentCreativesHub partner InvestorStartupExpatCitizenOther

Topical (interactive) sessionsAccess to resourcesAccess to fundingBusiness developmentCity innovationCorporate startup connectExpert adviceFuture techInformativeInspirationInternational connectSkills developmentTrends update

170+Partners

11,7kVisitors

300+Sessions

Connecting innovators to make things happen

Engineered serendipity is community building and cross connecting

Our mission is to create an inclusive innovation community, and topical programming to strengthen the innovation ecosystem. To achieve this we are actively pursuing partnerships and collaborations with all stakeholders.

Our process includes:1. Increase the pace of innovation with programming and “engineered serendipitous encounters”2. Create a social support system, which enhances local communities and economies3. Maintain inclusivity to people, goals, ideas and technologies

Every week we re-validate our approach and constantly have the opportunity to experiment and improve.

That serendipity is what people experience but behind the scenes there’s a lot of hard work that goes into it.

President Venture Café Global, Travis Sheridan

50%returning visitors

250+ weekly visitors

140+volunteers

Achieving more together!

PartnershipsThrough regional and national partnerships, we achieved a bigger impact and more opportunities for the innovation ecosystem. For instance during Startup Fest Europe, 130 deals were closed at Techilicious – a partnership with YES!Delft and ECE. The city and Port of Rotterdam joined forces with KPN and Deloitte for new opportunities in city and port startups at City Flows. How to Get There Summit brought the entire national innovation ecosystem together.

Techilicious at Yes!DelftDuring Techilicious the 50 most promising tech startups met with 50 CEO’s, CFO’s and CTO’s and dined together. This exclusive event gave selected startups and tech Captains of Industry the unique opportunity to bridge the gap and join forces to fuel success.

130Deals Made

Part of Startup Fest Europe

Expansion Café at HTGTS!Both CIC and Venture Café acted as a partner for this year’s edition and we collectively hosted the session: “Expansion Café EU vs US, take a pick and make your mark!”

We gave startups advice and connects on their international expansion. Further, they had the chance to have a chat with the experts at our US, Europe, Public & Mentoring tables.

9 Experts

City Flows at Venture CaféTogether with KPN, Deloitte, Port of Rotterdam and the Municipality of Rotterdam Venture Café hosted an interactive program about Smart Cities where 12 inspiring Start-ups could pitch how to shape the future of Rotterdam with smart mobility and circularity.

Open MindsLet’s hit the rooftop and open up our minds. In a three-piece summer series Venture Café and Studio Wolfpack brought together designers, entrepreneurs and innovators.

Open Minds offered crash courses in crowdfunding, TEDx story telling, design thinking, growth hacking and special exhibitions, panel discussions and live music. Our visitors opened their minds with inspiring interviews, showcases and visuals on city life; food, design and urban hotspots.

Part of Startup Fest Europe

12 Startups

3 Summer Specials

Venture Café Foundation The Netherlands is a member of Venture Café Global Institute. We are uniquely positioned to provide the innovation ecosystem with access to growth support and international networks.

This year we’ve already welcomed many international guests to our Thursday Gathering where they connected with our local community.

Venture Café, in partnership with CIC Rotterdam, is a startup visa facilitator. We are specifically focused on helping experienced entrepreneurs from around the world found and grow their companies.

Join our global community of innovators, together we will create more impact. Looking forward to welcoming you to the beautiful port city of Rotterdam, or one of our other locations world wide!

COMING SOON:

PHILADELPHIA

WARSAW

TOKYOWINSTON-SALEM

Innovation is global and so are we!

/ VentureCaféRotterdam

Visit us at

Stationsplein 45 @ CIC Rotterdam

3013 AK, Rotterdam

Zuid-Holland, The Netherlands

T +31 (0)10 808 00 13

Be part of the discussion and meet our community at our Thursday Gatherings any time between 15:00 to 20:00!

Programming and community connect online vencaf.nl

/ VentureCaféRdam

/ venturecaférotterdam

linkedin.com/company-beta/10126728

Design by: Andreas Stillman, 2017

Adam ShpiltAdriaan RijkensAdriana MeszarosovaAleksandra Maciejewska Amanda BernosterAnh DoanAnna BelikovaAnne StrobosAnnet SchipperAnske PlanteArtem SyniukAsli BoruAtanas TodorovBrend KouwehovenCaro ChalhoubCeylan YurdakulChristina HardawayCoen de Heer Damin SahniDaniel MaasDayyaan HasnainDieuwke HooglandDimitri Baratin Dinesh OriDirk HuismanEdwin van den HoudtElena BiasiErik WellenErin EulerErwin van RooijenFerdi JansenFrederick RustlerGabriel Waiandt (back in 2017)Gerard BergsmaGerryt HooningGisele WarnerGuno ZwakkeHans HuurmanHenk SmithHenk VooijsIlse VisserIlya BreitnerIris BloemIvan Dimitrov

Iveta FiedlerovaJan-Willem StofferJanne VereijkenJannes KlaasJelle HylaridesJeremy RaesJesse van der MiedenJim RedpathJorn DouwstraJos Mallegrom Juan ZhangJulia OomensJulian ScholteKaarmuhilanKaoutar chennafKasey Lundquist

Kieran CerfKirsten Eerland Kishan KhoenkhoenKlaartje FuchsKoen VoskampKristel ThiemeLaurens van DortLennart CrielaardLianne MackLieke RemmeltsLisette BraakenburgLois DickhoffLucas RozenboomLuigi HuLuuk SchipperLyubka SokolovaMaarten KeesmanMandy KokManouck Veenman

Marcio LeiteMaria KoeneMaria PerezMarie-Jose van den BoomgaardMariel VenHuizen Mark NorbruisMarta TomczykMarnix SchopMartijn ClaassenMatthijs GoesMaureen MijinkMelissa AblettMelissa BloklandMeng LiMenno de HaanMichelanca Zuiverloon

Miquel d’AndreaMirte StandoutnowMo RadjabMonique MolendijkNick van den BergNick YapNiel de VriesNiki SieNiklas RopkeNina MaurerNynke SchaafOda LandsmanOlivier MagninOphelia LengOthman SalahaldinPim MantePiot MazurPriya P. PanigahiRalhman Syaifoel

Reinout SmitRemco SlotboomRik HendriksRob LagendijkRob SteineRobbin HoogstratenRobert EijkelestamRobin GroenRobin van der MeulenRogier BrugmanRomy SnijdersRon BergRon Vaz DiazRoy BreuringRoy de GrootRutger van Stigt ThansSander WalravenSanjay DashShuker BarbourSjors van ZijtveldSofia MarroneSohrab SohrabiStef KroezeTanchita UdaTeodor CătăniciuTessa VreekenThomas BelThomas van Bergen Timothy VerhaegeTjitse AltenaTobias DisseUlrich StarkeUnal SezisliVenelin MihaylovVinnie WeeVitas KersbergenVivekananda VasipaluWendy KrohnWeronika NaklickaWillem DrijverWilljan ten BroekYvette KoppertZeddric Starke

THANK YOU!To all our amazing ambassadors

Socialmedia