Erasmus Enterprise

What Erasmus Enterprise does

Erasmus Enterprise B.V. is a private entrepreneurial support organization and subsidiary of Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR), founded in 2020 and headquartered at the Mandeville Building on the EUR Woudestein Campus in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The company operates as a unified community that brings together multi-disciplinary expertise from ERBS (Erasmus Research and Business Support), ECE (Erasmus Centre for Entrepreneurship), and TU Delft's YES!Delft incubator, alongside regional investment funds UNIIQ and the Graduate Entrepreneur Fund. It serves students, graduates, EUR employees and academics, alumni investors, and corporate partners through a full-stack offering spanning ideation, validation, incubation, acceleration, funding, research, and physical workspace.

The core product surface is a portfolio of programs rather than a single software product. Educational programs include the EUR Minor "Start up your own business" and Entrepreneurial Awakening; validation programs include ECE Erasmus Start it up and YES!Delft Validation Lab (with AI/Blockchain, clean tech, and deep tech tracks); incubation and acceleration span the 4-month ECE Incubator Program, the 3-month YES!Delft Accelerator, and the maritime-focused PortXL Accelerator. Funding support is provided via the UNIIQ proof-of-concept fund (up to €300,000) and the Graduate Entrepreneur Fund (up to €75k–€150k in convertible/equity). Research outputs include the ScaleUp Dashboard and European ScaleUp Monitor. Physical offerings comprise co-working spaces, flex desks, offices, meeting rooms, investor rooms, and event spaces (Q-Lounge capacity up to 120). A dedicated Video Productions service line produces pitch, brand, and livestream content. The underlying technology is a web-based platform supporting the community and a video production capability.

The business model is hybrid. The largest disclosed revenue input is institutional co-funding of €300,000 per year, split equally (€150,000 each) between Erasmus University Rotterdam and the municipality of Rotterdam. Secondary revenue streams include fees from incubator and accelerator cohorts, co-working and office rental income at the Mandeville Building, event-space rentals, and the new Video Productions service line. Customer segments are primarily SMB/individual founders and student teams rather than enterprise accounts, and pricing for programs and rentals is not publicly disclosed. The organization is governed by a Supervisory Board chaired by Dr. Ellen van Schoten with members Prof. Dr. Vareska van de Vrande and Prof. Dr. Maarten IJzerman, and is led by CEO Ernst Hoestra.

Name

Erasmus Enterprise

Legal name

Erasmus Enterprise B.V.

Website

https://erasmusenterprise.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Erasmus Enterprise B.V. is a Rotterdam-based, EUR-affiliated entrepreneurial community that operates incubation, acceleration, validation, education, and funding programs for students, academics, alumni investors, and corporate partners at the EUR Woudestein Campus.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Incubator and Entrepreneurship Support Services

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators (EDAMAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM), Career Exploration & Industry Exposure (Guest Speakers, Company Visits) (EDAMAHAJ), Technical Universities with Entrepreneurship & Incubation Focus (EDAHAEAH)

Keywords

• Startup incubation programs
• Entrepreneurship education
• Business acceleration services
• Coworking spaces
• Early-stage investment funds

Headquarters

HQ city

Rotterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Institutional Funding: Erasmus Enterprise is part of Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) and receives funding from both the university and municipality. Both the municipality of Rotterdam and EUR invest 150,000 euros per year in cash or in kind in existing and new projects to stimulate entrepreneurship, innovation, and social welfare in Rotterdam.
2. Program Fees and Co-working Revenue: Revenue generated from incubator and acceleration programs, as well as co-working spaces and office rentals on campus

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Erasmus Enterprise operates as a unified entrepreneurial ecosystem on the EUR Woudestein Campus in Rotterdam, combining expertise from ERBS, ECE, and YES!Delft. It delivers incubation and acceleration programs, validation labs, early-stage funding through partner funds (UNIIQ up to €300,000 and Graduate Entrepreneur Fund up to €150,000), entrepreneurship education, competitions, co-working and event spaces, video production services, and ecosystem research.

Product overview

Erasmus Enterprise is an entrepreneurial community ecosystem at Erasmus University Rotterdam offering a comprehensive portfolio of programs and services. The core offerings include educational programs (ECE Student Founders Program, EUR Minor, Entrepreneurial Awakening), validation programs (ECE Erasmus Start it up, YES!Delft Validation Lab), incubation (ECE Incubator Program), acceleration (YES!Delft Accelerator, PortXL Accelerator), and funding support (UNIIQ Proof-of-Concept Fund up to €300,000, Graduate Entrepreneur Fund up to €150k). Research services include the ScaleUp Dashboard and European Scaleup Monitor. The ecosystem also provides physical facilities (co-working spaces, offices, event spaces), video production services, and hosts competitions (Erasmus University Challenge, NL Startup Competition) alongside specialized programs like Talent for Transition for sustainability and circular economy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ECE Incubator Program A 4-month incubation program designed to help entrepreneurs find a scalable business model and build the necessary skills to grow their customer base, working alongside a community of driven entrepreneurs.
• YES!Delft Accelerator Program A 3-month acceleration program designed to help strengthen the foundation of tech startups and accelerate traction in the market, with tailored coaching and access to industry-specific ecosystems.
• ERBS Business Support Full life-cycle business support offering deal making, finance and funding, legal and IP advice, marketing and communications, and HR and payrolling services for academic and research-driven ventures.
• UNIIQ Proof-of-Concept Fund Regional early-stage investment fund focusing on highly innovative academic spin-offs, startups, and existing SMEs, offering funding of up to €300,000 in the proof-of-concept phase.
• Graduate Entrepreneur Fund A fund established by Rotterdam and Delft alumni, initially investing tickets up to €75k in the form of a convertible loan, which can eventually amount up to €150k in the form of equity or a convertible loan.
• PortXL Accelerator Program An accelerator program for the maritime industry designed to help startups open doors, drive innovation, scale their business, and disrupt the maritime sector.
• ECE Erasmus Start it up An intensive 1-day program that empowers entrepreneurs to validate and give their business idea direction, connecting them with experts to identify customers and understand their needs.
• YES!Delft Validation Lab A part-time, 10-week program designed to help find the problem-solution fit for tech startups, with custom Validation Labs per focus area.
• ECE Student Founders Program Program for learning the basics of entrepreneurship and building a startup, providing insight into the skills needed as a founder.
• EUR Minor: Start up your own business Entrepreneurship minor offered by EUR in collaboration with RSM, teaching students how entrepreneurs create business opportunities and develop them into sustainable ventures.
• Entrepreneurial Awakening Programme supporting EUR employees in developing capabilities to improve and sustain innovation for society, helping them understand entrepreneurship even if they do not see themselves as entrepreneurs.
• ScaleUp Dashboard Annual research published by Erasmus Centre for Entrepreneurship together with prof. Justin Jansen, identifying and analyzing top scaleups in the Netherlands.
• Erasmus University Challenge Annual competition providing a platform for students to transform their ideas into viable business models, with prizes worth up to €10,000 across Ideation, Prototype, and Start-up categories.
• NL Startup Competition Competition for young entrepreneurs who already have their own business, offering a platform to learn pitching, meet investors, and receive coaching.
• Talent for Transition Program dedicated to growing a community where talent meets opportunity in sustainability and circular economy, through inspirational talks, networking events, and the Week of Circular Economy.
• Co-working Spaces and Flex Desks Flexible workspace on EUR campus offering desks in open-plan co-working spaces, with access to meeting rooms, investor rooms, restaurant, and terrace.
• Office Spaces Office area within Mandeville building offering customizable workspaces for growing startups, with access to meeting rooms, investor rooms, restaurant, and terrace.
• Event Spaces Event facilities including an atmospheric community space, two lecture rooms, a board room, diverse meeting spaces, and an outdoor terrace.
• Video Productions Video production services including pitch videos, advertisement videos, brand videos, aftermovie packages, and livestream services.

Quantifiable outcome

• 74 teams participated in Erasmus University Challenge 2024, with record-breaking growth from previous editions
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ERBS (Erasmus Research and Business Support)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerERBS provides business development, pre-financing, access to relevant network, business plan drafting, and financial/administrative support for scientists' innovative research commercialization. Part of the unified Erasmus Enterprise ecosystem.
• ECE (Erasmus Centre for Entrepreneurship)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerECE provides incubation programs, student founders programs, and startup ecosystem research including ScaleUp Dashboard and European ScaleUp Monitor. Key partner in the unified community.
• YES!DelftcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTech Incubator providing validation labs and accelerator programs for tech startups. Combines multi-disciplinary expertise from Rotterdam and Delft.
• Port of RotterdamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner for maritime innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives.
• BlueCityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Talent for Transition program, supporting circular economy and sustainability-focused entrepreneurship education and networking events.
• Hogeschool RotterdamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner in Talent for Transition circular economy initiatives, bringing together students from university and college.
• RDM (Rotterdamse Drukkerij Maatschappij)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Talent for Transition program focusing on energy transition and entrepreneurship activities.
• PortXLminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMaritime industry accelerator program helping startups open doors, drive innovation, scale business, and disrupt maritime sector. Part of business growth programs.
• Philips Innovation AwardminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLargest student-entrepreneur award in the Netherlands, partner of Graduate Entrepreneur fund. Both Innovator award (50,000 euro) and Rough Diamond award (10,000 euro) available.
• RabobankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartners in workshops for Erasmus University Challenge, providing investor game sessions and funding guidance.
• ScaleNLminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEcosystem partner supporting innovation and scaleup initiatives.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Rockstart: Amsterdam-based accelerator with domain-focused programs (energy, agritech, health, emerging tech). A broader incumbent running multiple accelerators across sectors with stronger international deal flow.

Direct peers

• Novel-T: University of Twente's tech transfer and incubator office supporting student and academic startups. Comparable as a Dutch university entrepreneurship hub providing workspace, funding, and incubation.
• HighTechXL: Eindhoven-based deep-tech accelerator operating deep-tech venture-building programs. Comparable as a Dutch deep-tech/tech accelerator ecosystem player targeting founders from university and corporate spinouts.
• UtrechtInc: University-affiliated incubator/accelerator at Utrecht University supporting student and academic entrepreneurs. Highly comparable as a Dutch university entrepreneurship hub offering workspace, validation, and funding access.
• PortXL: Maritime industry accelerator helping startups scale in the port/maritime sector. Direct peer as a sector-specific accelerator and a partner program within Erasmus Enterprise's portfolio.
• StartLife: Wageningen-based accelerator supporting agrifood-tech startups from university research. Comparable as a Dutch university-affiliated accelerator with deep research-linkage and sector specialization.
• UNIIQ: South Holland proof-of-concept fund providing up to €300k to academic spin-offs and early-stage startups. A financial partner within Erasmus Enterprise, but also a comparable regional early-stage investor.
• YES!Delft: Tech incubator and accelerator at TU Delft providing Validation Labs, Accelerator Programs, and access to the Delft startup ecosystem. It is both a partner within Erasmus Enterprise and a direct operating peer running overlapping programs for student and academic founders.
• Erasmus Centre for Entrepreneurship (ECE): Core partner within Erasmus Enterprise that runs the Incubator Program, Student Founders Program, and scaleup research. Operates programs with similar structure and target audience, making it a direct functional peer.
• ACE Incubator: Dutch university-affiliated incubator supporting academic spin-offs in life sciences and high-tech. Comparable as a university-linked incubator/accelerator with research commercialization focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/erasmusenterprise
• Instagraminstagram.com/erasmusenterprise

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Erasmus Enterprise