This week in Dutch tech

Friday is here, the weather is… not horrible, and it’s time for your weekly round-up of news from the Dutch tech ecosystem. 

There was plenty to talk about when it came to the crown jewel in the Dutch tech ecosystem this week. Chip machine-maker ASML featured in two of our top stories. Firstly, it seems the government is succeeding in its scheming to keep its shining star from expanding outside of the country, as ASML this week announced plans of investing €180 million in the Eindhoven region.

Secondly, we also learned that the company, which has become embroiled in the chip war between the US and China, could have the option of bricking its machines should the latter decide to do more than practice its military action in the South China Sea.

Our highlights have you covered, but we’d also love to hear your thoughts on the local ecosystem. Drop us a line if you want to showcase your startup, share a digital tip, or just tell us your deepest, darkest secrets.

In the meantime, let’s get to the news.

What we’re writing

• Plans for Dutch chip powerhouse get €180M boost from ASML and TU/e
• Chip wars: ASML could reportedly brick its machines in Taiwan if China invades

What we’re reading

• Meta, X doing little against deepfakes of Dutch politicians ahead of European elections (Dutchnews.nl)
• Delft-based Ore Energy exits stealth mode with €10M; unveils battery based on only iron, water, and air (Silicon Canals)
• AAC Clyde Space markets TNO’s laser terminal for satellite communications (tno.nl)
• Dutch startup VRelax gets €1.2M to help people with mental and physical complaints using VR (Silicon Canals)

Dutch startup of the week: Cradle

Cradle, a biotech software startup out of Delft, Netherlands, is using generative AI to help biologists engineer improved proteins, making it easier and quicker to bring synthetic bio-solutions for human and planetary health to market. This includes products such as medicines, non-animal whey proteins, and detergents and plastics without petrochemicals. 

“At the core of all these products are proteins, which are little cellular machinery,” Stef van Grieken, co-founder and CEO of Cradle, told TNW a little while back. “If you want to change them to be better for the application you have in mind, you have to alter the DNA sequence. That’s a really complicated task because DNA is basically an alien programming language.” 

When prompted, Cradle’s AI platform can generate a sequence of a molecule that has a higher probability of matching what researchers are looking for, than when scientists need to try everything out for themselves. 

This equals fewer and more successful experiments, drastically reducing R&D time and costs. For most projects, this means they can proceed at twice the speed compared to the industry average.

The company recently announced a $24mn Series A funding round and is working on more than 12 R&D projects, including vaccines and antibodies. Its 20+ staff is divided between Delft in the Netherlands and Zurich in Switzerland.

TNW conference speaker spotlight

Each week one of our writers will share a top tip for TNW Conference. Today’s pick comes from Andrea Hak:

SpaceTech is truly the next frontier with a slew of exciting new startups emerging with the potential to help us solve some of Earth’s greatest challenges and uncover more mysteries about our universe.

If you’re interested in this field, there are two sessions not to be missed:Check out Revolutionizing Space Connectivity on Day 1 from 11:50 – 12:00 on the TNW Talks stage for a fireside chat with Dr. Sethu Saveda Suvanam, CEO of ReOrbit, about the company’s mission to develop satellites that are adaptable for different missions, equipped with autonomous orbital capabilities, and beneficial for the environment.

Join SpaceTech: A new frontier on Day 2 from 15:15 – 15:55 on the Growth Quarters stage for a panel discussion with founders and VCs about the latest challenges, trends, and opportunities shaping the sector

That’s all for this week’s round-up. Until next Friday, tot ziens!

As we count down to TNW conference in Amsterdam on June 20 and 21, we’re ramping up our coverage of the Dutch IT sector. If you’re interested in attending the tech festival, we’ve got a special offer for our readers. At the ticket checkout, use the code TNWXMEDIA to get 30% off your business pass, investor pass, or startup packages (Bootstrap and Scaleup).