How a foreign investor can start a fintech company in the Netherlands

Amsterdam is one of Europe’s hot spots for the financial technology industry and a good location to base a fintech startup. The city offers a unique environment that combines the traits of an already established financial center, with a welcoming business climate and a high rate of tech adoption. These traits, along with the fact that it is easy to set up a fintech company in the Netherlands, make it one of the top locations to take into consideration when starting this type of business in Europe.  

Fintech companies in the Netherlands

Financial services and financial technology are two thriving sectors in our days. Modern technology is already changing the way we interact with financial services providers and Amsterdam is one of the European cities that is seeing the most of this evolution. The city is home to many financial services companies and has a developed and evolving tech sector as well as a friendly and thriving environment for startups in general.

Fintech providers activate in a complex climate that offers services both to private consumers and to companies. Businesses will generally focus on a certain fintech category, like business-to-business or business-to-consumer, and adapt their services accordingly. Some examples of fintech solutions include the following:

– Banking: Fintech companies do not operate like a traditional financial provider such as a bank (although they may need special licenses in some cases). We can rather refer to them as alternative financial institutions that can offer solutions for digital banking, transaction platforms and other payment solutions.

– Finance: Fintech solutions for companies include the digitization of corporate processing, electronic invoicing solutions, alternative payment methods and systems. For individual users, fintech businesses offer solutions for personal financial management, online or mobile payment services, digital wallets and others.

The fintech sector is rapidly changing the way we interact with banks and other financial services providers and companies in this business field need to remain innovative in order to succeed. A key to starting a successful fintech business is to find a niche and come up with a solution to an existing banking or finance management problem. Another important aspect to consider for foreign investors who want to open a fintech company is the team: a dedicated core development team is essential for delivering a reliable and quality product or service.

How to start a business in the Netherlands

Company formation in the Netherlands is a simple process and foreign investors from EU who start a business in this country are treated the same way as local investors. The main steps to follow when opening a fintech company are briefly listed below:

– choose a legal structure and a company name;

– draw up the Articles of Association and register with the Dutch Commercial Register;

– register with the Tax Administration;

– register as an employer with the Tax and Customs Administration.

Amsterdam is a city that has much to offer to those interested in investments in the financial technology sector and some may even refer to it as the fintech capital of Europe because of the large number of companies and the high number of employees in this business sector. The Dutch fintech industry is worth exploring by investors who are interested in the technologies that are disrupting the banking and financial industry.

Amsterdam has a long-standing history of embracing financial and business innovation. This means that fintech entrepreneurs will find a welcoming business climate here, as well as access to a highly skilled workforce, good conditions for doing business, easy access to surrounding EU markets and a high quality of life.