ROM InWest

What ROM InWest does

ROM InWest B.V. is a Dutch regional development company (Regionale Ontwikkelingsmaatschappij) founded in 2021 and headquartered in Haarlem, North Holland. It is owned jointly by the Dutch national government (49.9%) and the Province of North Holland together with 21 municipalities (50.1%), operating under an explicit public mandate to address innovation financing market failures in the region. The company serves ambitious startups, scale-ups, and innovative SMEs in North Holland developing solutions with both financial return and societal impact.

Its core offering consists of three investment funds complemented by advisory services: the Transitiefonds (€100M target) for circular economy, sustainable energy, and food transitions; the MKB Fonds (€60M target) for digitalisation, AI, and Life Sciences & Health SMEs; and PDENH (Participatiefonds Duurzame Economie Noord-Holland), a closed-end legacy fund with over €70M deployed since 2014. Investment tickets range from €300,000 to €5,000,000, capped at 49.9% per round, with a mandatory minimum 25% private co-financing requirement. ROM InWest supplements capital with business development support via its proprietary GRIDT methodology and operates programmes such as the Smart Energy Hubs initiative (21 hubs coordinated) and, from January 2026, the PIM innovation programme.

The revenue model is that of a public fund manager: recurring management fees and transaction-related income on deployed capital, supplemented by carried interest or returns from successful exits in the portfolio. Returns are recycled through revolverende (revolving) fund structures rather than distributed to shareholders, and the company is part of a nationwide network of nine ROMs that share deal flow and cross-regional referrals. Key portfolio bets span MedTech (Healthplus.ai, HeartEye, Amplio Pharma, Confocal.nl), energy (Thorizon, Solarix, LIFEPOWR, Sympower, Dexter Energy), and circular economy (DOPS Recycling, Droppie, Root Sustainability, MUD Jeans, ThePhoneLab).

Name

ROM InWest

Legal name

ROM InWest B.V.

Website

https://rominwest.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ROM InWest is a Dutch regional development company managing three public investment funds (Transitiefonds, MKB Fonds, PDENH) that provide €300K–€5M tickets to innovative North Holland startups and SMEs in energy, circular economy, digital, and health, complemented by GRIDT-method business development advisory.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Development Investment

NAICS

Corporate, Subsidiary, and Regional Managing Offices (551114)

akta.pro primary industry

Development Finance & Blended Finance Facilities (BPADAOAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Circular Economy & Resource Efficiency (BPADALAM)

Keywords

• Regional development investment
• Venture capital funds
• SME growth financing
• Innovation advisory
• Sustainable transition investing

Headquarters

HQ city

Haarlem

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Investment Returns: ROM InWest operates as a development and investment company that deploys public funds to support innovative SMEs. Returns come from successful exits and interest income on investments in portfolio companies, which are reinvested in new ventures through revolverende (revolving) funds.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ROM InWest is the regional development company (Regionale Ontwikkelingsmaatschappij) for North Holland, Netherlands. It deploys public capital through three investment funds (MKB Fonds, Transitiefonds, and PDENH) into innovative startups, scale-ups, and SMEs that generate both financial return and societal impact. In parallel, it provides structured business development advisory via its proprietary GRIDT methodology to help entrepreneurs become financeable and scale sustainably.

Product overview

ROM InWest operates as an impact-driven regional development and investment company for North-Holland, offering three distinct investment funds and advisory services. The MKB Fonds (€60+ million) targets startups and SMEs in digitalization, AI, and Life Sciences & Health; the Transitiefonds (€100 million) focuses on circular economy, energy transition, and sustainable food systems; and PDENH (closed-end fund, €70+ million invested) supports sustainable economy companies. All funds are complemented by GRIDT Method business development support providing structure and guidance for entrepreneurs. The company also manages the Smart Energy Hubs Program to help businesses optimize energy grid utilization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MKB Fonds: Investment fund targeting startups and SMEs focused on digitization and innovation in North Holland, with target capital of €60+ million
• Transitiefonds
• PDENH (Participatiefonds Duurzame Economie Noord-Holland)
• GRIDT-methode

Products and services

• MKB Fonds SME Fund with €60+ million target capital investing in startups, scale-ups, and innovative SMEs in North Holland focused on digitalization, AI, Life Sciences & Health, and MedTech solutions that deliver societal impact alongside financial return. Investments range from €300,000 to €5,000,000 (up to 49.9% of round, max 10-year duration) and require minimum 25% private co-financing.
• Transitiefonds Transition Fund with €100 million target capital investing in startups, scale-ups, and projects accelerating the circular economy, sustainable energy transitions, and future-proof food systems in North Holland. Investments range from €300,000 to €5,000,000 (up to 49.9% of round, max 15-year duration) with patient capital and project financing structures.
• PDENH (Participatiefonds Duurzame Economie Noord-Holland) Closed-end investment fund investing in companies contributing to energy transition, circular economy, and sustainable mobility in North Holland, with over €70 million invested since 2014 and €230 million in co-investments attracted. Fund management transferred to ROM InWest in April 2024.
• GRIDT Method Advisory Services Structured business development methodology and advisory service combining investment with hands-on guidance to help innovative entrepreneurs in North Holland develop a strong business case, become financeable faster, and connect with investors and partners.
• Smart Energy Hubs Program Program helping businesses bundle wholesale energy connections and coordinate energy consumption through cooperatives with grid operators to better utilize existing grid capacity without new infrastructure investments.

Quantifiable outcome

• €4.9M invested by Transitiefonds in sustainable innovation, mobilizing €12.3M total capital
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and flagship.

• Other 8 ROMs (Nationwide Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerROM InWest collaborates with 8 other regional development companies forming a nationwide network to support companies with social impact across the Netherlands.
• KplusVmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPreviously managed PDENH fund before ROM InWest took over fund management in April 2024. Transition involved ensuring continuity with existing team.
• StartGreenmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPreviously co-managed PDENH fund before ROM InWest took over fund management in April 2024. Working together temporarily for continuity.
• Thorizon Consortium (EPZ, NRG PALLAS, Invest-NL, Impuls Zeeland)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoU signed for development of Europe's first commercial molten salt reactor. ROM InWest part of coalition with nuclear companies and investors for €1B+ roadmap.
• Defence Innovation Team North HollandmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerROM InWest participates in Defence Innovation Team alongside Defence, province, Ministry of Economic Affairs, and business representatives to support dual-use innovations.
• PIM (Programma Innovatief MKB)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince January 2026, ROM InWest serves as programme manager of PIM, the successful North Holland program helping entrepreneurs grow and create impact.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• LIOF: Limburg Development Agency operating public-private investment funds for innovative SMEs and energy transition; same ROM-style structure and regional development remit.
• Impuls Zeeland: Regional development entity for Zeeland and active co-investor with ROM InWest in the Thorizon consortium; comparable public mandate and cross-regional project finance role.
• InnovationQuarter: Regional development company for Zuid-Holland, managing multiple investment funds and co-investing with ROM InWest (e.g. €5M DOPS Recycling round); same public-mandate, blended finance model and Dutch ecosystem focus.
• BOM (Brabantse Ontwikkelingsmaatschappij): Regional development agency for North Brabant with comparable fund-of-funds and direct investment activities targeting innovative SMEs; same ROM-style governance and impact mandate.
• Oost NL: Development company for East Netherlands (Gelderland and Overijssel), providing capital, business development and cluster programs analogous to ROM InWest's GRIDT-method support.
• NOM (Investerings- en Ontwikkelingsmaatschappij voor Noord-Nederland): Regional development company for the Northern Netherlands provinces, with parallel fund vehicles for SMEs and sustainable transition investments, mirroring ROM InWest's mandate.

Broad incumbents

• Invest-NL: Dutch national impact investor providing patient capital and project financing for the energy transition, circular economy and life sciences; overlaps with ROM InWest's Transitiefonds and MKB Fonds but at national scale and with larger ticket sizes.
• FMO (Netherlands Development Finance Company): Dutch entrepreneurial development bank focused on emerging markets and sustainable impact investing; comparable development finance mandate with broader international reach, where ROM InWest's CEO previously held senior roles.

Others

• KplusV: Dutch advisory and fund management firm that previously managed the PDENH fund before transferring management to ROM InWest in April 2024; an adjacent ecosystem participant with overlapping SME and transition mandates.
• StartGreen: Venture catalyst and previously co-manager of PDENH alongside KplusV; closely tied to ROM InWest through the PDENH transition and operating in the same Dutch impact-investment ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rom-inwest

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments23 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ROM InWest