ImpactCity

What ImpactCity does

ImpactCity is an ecosystem support initiative operated by the Municipality of The Hague (Gemeente Den Haag), founded in 2014/2015 to support impact-driven startups and scale-ups in the South Holland region of the Netherlands. The organization functions as a public-private community hub rather than a commercial entity, providing free services to entrepreneurs across six pillars: visibility (media/event promotion), network access (Dealroom-powered ecosystem database, peer and investor connections), capital access (introductions to seed funds, impact investors, business angels, and subsidy programs such as Rabobank's €300 million Rabo Impact Loan), growth infrastructure (co-working spaces and the Apollo 14 startup building), talent access (via university partnerships), and experimentation (Living Labs, test sites, and the Startup in Residence program where government acts as a launching customer).

The core technology stack is built around the ImpactCity website (WordPress CMS), a Dealroom-powered ecosystem database, and a user profile system, with third-party dependencies including DeepL for translation, Google Analytics, and Mailchimp for newsletter distribution. No proprietary technology platform or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed. Key programs include Grants for Impact (delivered with EIFFEL Subsidies), Startup in Residence InterGov (5-month program connecting startups with multiple Dutch ministries), The Hague Innovators Awards (12th consecutive year in 2026), ImpactFest (annual flagship event), The Hague Impact Entrepreneurship Centre (for students), and the Soft Landing Program (with The Hague Business Agency).

ImpactCity's business model is government-funded rather than commercial: it charges no fees to entrepreneurs and derives its operating budget from municipal/public funding under Gemeente Den Haag (KvK 27370927). GTM motion is community-led and event-driven, leveraging newsletters, social media, partner amplification (Rabobank, Dealroom, RVO, InnovationQuarter, The Hague University of Applied Sciences, and others), and flagship events to drive ecosystem engagement. Target customers include impact startups and scale-ups (primary), government agencies and policymakers (as launching customers and challenge-setters), and university students (aspiring entrepreneurs).

Name

ImpactCity

Legal name

Gemeente Den Haag

Website

https://impactcity.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ImpactCity is a municipally-funded non-profit initiative of The Hague that supports impact-driven startups and scale-ups through free ecosystem services including networking, capital introductions, events, and government procurement programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Ecosystem Support Services

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

akta.pro primary industry

Impact Investing & Social Finance (Funds, CDFIs, Microfinance) (BPAGALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Impact Investment & Social Finance Programs (BPADAOAJ), Sustainable Private Markets (Impact PE/VC, Private Credit, Infrastructure) (FSAAALAG)

Keywords

• Impact entrepreneurship support
• Startup ecosystem services
• Municipal innovation programs
• Social venture acceleration
• Impact investor networks

Headquarters

HQ city

The Hague

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. Government-funded ecosystem services: ImpactCity is an initiative of the municipality of Den Haag (KvK 27370927) and operates as a publicly funded support organization for startups and scale-ups. Services are provided free of charge to entrepreneurs. Revenue is derived from municipal/public funding rather than commercial revenue streams.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ImpactCity is an ecosystem support hub operated by the Municipality of The Hague that connects impact-driven startups and scale-ups with capital, talent, networks, and government partners. It runs programs (Grants for Impact, Startup in Residence InterGov), annual competitions (The Hague Innovators Awards, Haagse Vernieuwers Challenge), events (ImpactFest), and student entrepreneurship services, and provides access to financing mechanisms, physical workspaces, and test environments.

Product overview

ImpactCity is an ecosystem support organization (not a traditional product company) operated by the Municipality of Den Haag that supports startups and scale-ups working on social and technological innovation. The organization offers a portfolio of interconnected services including: visibility and marketing support through 'Make the Unknown Known'; network access via the ImpactCity community and Dealroom database; comprehensive financing services across all company life phases (pre-seed, seed, scale-up, grown-up) including business loans, impact investments, subsidies, and grant programs; physical infrastructure and workspace access; talent recruitment support; and experimentation facilitation through test environments and Living Labs. Key programs include the Grants for Impact program, Startup in Residence InterGov, The Hague Innovators Awards, ImpactFest event, and The Hague Impact Entrepreneurship Centre for students. The organization connects entrepreneurs with investors, government bodies, NGOs, and international organizations to foster impact-driven business growth in The Hague.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ImpactFest: Annual impact event bringing together the ImpactCity ecosystem of purpose-driven organisations.
• The Hague Innovators Awards
• Startup in Residence InterGov
• Grants for Impact
• The Hague Impact Entrepreneurship Centre

Products and services

• Grants for Impact

Quantifiable outcome

• ImpactCity runs The Hague Innovators Awards for its 12th consecutive year, reflecting sustained ecosystem support.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DealroomcoreTechnology or IntegrationDealroom powers the Impact & Innovation ecosystem database for ImpactCity, enabling companies to create profiles and be discovered by investors and partners. Dealroom is listed as a main partner providing the ecosystem's digital infrastructure.
• Euclid NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuclid Network supports ImpactCity as a pan-European network organization focused on impact entrepreneurship, providing connections to the broader European impact ecosystem.
• De Haagse Hogeschool (The Hague University of Applied Sciences)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Hague University of Applied Sciences is a main partner providing talent pipeline and student entrepreneurship programs (through the Haags Impact Ondernemerschapscentrum), co-developing curriculum with ImpactCity.
• Impact EuropeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerImpact Europe connects ImpactCity to the broader European impact investing and entrepreneurship community, extending the ecosystem's international reach.
• Unknown GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnknown Group (operator of Titaan/Unknown Campus at Saturnusstraat 95) is a main partner providing co-working space, accelerator programs, hackathons (Unknown University Hackathon), and the Unknown Community Celebration event. Operates the Apollo 14 startup building.
• MKB Den HaagminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMKB Den Haag (SME association) is a main partner connecting ImpactCity with the small and medium business community in The Hague, co-organizing events such as the annual Miljoenenontbijt.
• Netherlands Advisory Board on Impact Investing (NAB)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNAB is a main partner that advances impact investing in the Netherlands, providing policy expertise and network connections to ImpactCity's ecosystem.
• Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom RelationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipating government organization in the Startup in Residence Intergov program, contributing challenges in areas such as digitization of SMEs, energy saving, and leased land. The ministry acts as a launching customer for startups.
• Ministry of Economic Affairs and ClimatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipating ministry in the Startup in Residence Intergov program, providing urban challenges and serving as a launching customer for startups that develop solutions.
• Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food QualitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipating ministry in the Startup in Residence Intergov program, bringing agricultural and food quality challenges to the startup community.
• Ministry of Social Affairs and EmploymentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipating ministry in the Startup in Residence Intergov program, focusing on challenges related to employment and social affairs.
• Province of South HollandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipating government body in the Startup in Residence Intergov program, working with startups on issues such as the use of residual waste for new products. Also supports the broader Founded in South Holland initiative.
• Municipality of The HaguecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe municipality of The Hague is the parent organization of ImpactCity. It participates in the Startup in Residence Intergov program, helps people on social assistance find jobs with new technologies, and provides the Apollo 14 workspace for startups.
• The Hague Business AgencycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Hague Business Agency assists and advises entrepreneurs on locating, relocating, and expanding to The Hague. Services include fact-finding trips, market overview, site selection, company registration, permits, immigration, finding talent, and investor relations. Provided free of charge.
• EIFFEL Subsidies (part of Balance/EIFFEL)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEIFFEL Subsidies is the implementation partner for the Grants for Impact program, providing expert grant advisors who guide and support entrepreneurs in their subsidy applications. ImpactCity funds this service, making it free for participants.
• PLNT LeidenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPLNT Leiden supports the Haags Impact Ondernemerschapscentrum (student entrepreneurship center) by providing programs including Skills Workshop, Lunch & Learn, Startup Play, and Community Days for entrepreneurial students in The Hague.
• YES!DelftminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorYES!Delft is a leading high-tech incubator in Europe that provides accelerator programs (AI, Blockchain, Social Tech) accessible to startups in the ImpactCity ecosystem. Referenced as a partner for co-founder matching events.
• RVO (Netherlands Enterprise Agency)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRVO is the Dutch government agency that administers subsidies, proof-of-concept funding, early-phase financing, WBSO R&D tax credits, and EU Horizon Europe grants. A key partner for connecting startups to government funding programs.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• InnovationQuarter: Regional development agency for South Holland managing IQ Capital and Energiiq funds. Directly comparable as a public-backed economic development organization that finances and supports innovative startups and scale-ups in the same region as ImpactCity.
• YES!Delft: Leading European high-tech incubator based in Delft, operating accelerator programs (AI, Blockchain, Social Tech) accessible to startups in the ImpactCity ecosystem. Directly comparable as a Dutch regional startup incubator/program operator with government and corporate backing.
• Impact Hub: Global network of impact-focused co-working spaces, incubators, and innovation programs. Comparable as an impact-ecosystem platform providing community, capital access, and programs to impact entrepreneurs — a global analog to ImpactCity's regional hub model.
• PLNT Leiden: Leiden-based student and impact entrepreneurship center providing Skills Workshops, Startup Play, and Community Days. Directly comparable as a Dutch impact/student entrepreneurship hub collaborating with ImpactCity on the Haags Impact Ondernemerschapscentrum.
• Unknown Group: Operator of Titaan/Unknown Campus at Saturnusstraat 95 (adjacent to ImpactCity's Apollo 14 building), providing co-working, accelerators, hackathons, and community events. Directly comparable as a co-located startup hub operator and ImpactCity partner.

Broad incumbents

• Station F: Largest startup campus in the world based in Paris. Comparable as a city-anchored, government-supported ecosystem platform hosting programs, investors, and events — a scaled-up analog of ImpactCity's hub-and-program model.
• Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC): Global operator of innovation campuses and venture studios. Comparable as an established incumbent in the multi-stakeholder startup-campuses category, with shared business model of providing workspace, community, and program infrastructure.
• Techleap.nl: Dutch national organization supporting high-impact tech startups with programs, capital, and international scaling. Comparable as a broader-incumbent ecosystem builder in the Netherlands with a wider national mandate than ImpactCity's regional focus.

Others

• Dealroom: Tech partner powering ImpactCity's ecosystem database. Comparable as a technology vendor in the startup-intelligence space that enables ecosystem visibility — enabling rather than competing with ImpactCity.
• Netherlands Advisory Board on Impact Investing (NAB): Strategic partner that advances impact investing in the Netherlands with policy and network expertise. Comparable as an adjacent impact-investing ecosystem organization that connects ImpactCity to the broader Dutch impact capital community.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/impactcity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/impactcity
• Instagraminstagram.com/ImpactCity

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 ImpactCity