About Aerospace, Maritime and Defense Tech sector in Netherlands
The Aerospace, Maritime and Defense Tech sector in Netherlands comprises 341 companies, including 80 funded companies having collectively raised $366M in venture capital money and private equity. Out of these, 32 are Series A+ funded.
Aerospace, Maritime and Defense Tech sector in Netherlands has seen 20 acquisitions and 3 IPOs. This represents almost 6.7% of all such companies - which is higher than the 5.0% exit rate of tech companies in general.
This sector includes companies that are involved in the manufacturing, sales, and management of aircraft, spacecraft, ships, and defense equipment.
Aerospace, Maritime and Defense Tech sector is also known as Aerospace & Defense Tech, Aerospace or Maritime and Defence Tech.
It includes companies manufacturing advanced aircraft, spacecraft, ships and military equipment. It also includes companies that provide software solutions to aircraft, spacecraft, ship manufacturers and sellers as well as to the defense industry. It also includes companies providing them with tech heavy hardware and advanced materials. It excludes defense contractors and traditional aircraft and ship manufacturers. It also excludes companies providing services to the aerospace, maritime and defense industry stakeholders.
Top Aerospace, Maritime and Defense Tech Companies in Netherlands
There are 341 Aerospace, Maritime and Defense Tech startups in Netherlands which include Destinus, Additive Industries, PATS Indoor Drone Solutions, Land Life Company, DeltaQuad. Out of these, 80 startups are funded, with 32 having secured Series A+ funding.
Over the past 10 years, an average of 12 new companies have been launched annually. Notably, several of these startups have been founded by alumni of University of Amsterdam, BIT Mesra and BITS Mesra.
Here is the list of top Aerospace, Maritime and Defense Tech startups in Netherlands
1. Destinus
Provider of drone solutions. It is a platform that designs unmanned aerial vehicles across all speed ranges from subsonic drones to hydrogen fueled supersonic and hypersonic demonstrators. It manufactures turbines and hydrogen energy infrastructure for storage,refueling and transportable turbine based power generation systems.
Key facts about Destinus
- Founded Year: 2021
- Location: Hengelo (Netherlands)
- Stage: Seed
- Total Funding till date: $29M
- Investors: Commerzbank, Mountain Partners and 11 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Conventional Debt, Dec 18, 2025, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 57/100 What is this?
- Competitors Rank: 18 of 367 Competitors
Additive Industries is a developer of SLM 3D printer. The company offers products such as MetalFAB1, MetalFAB-420, MetalFAB-420 autoload, MetalFab-450, and MetalFAB-600. It can be used in the aerospace, automotive, and energy sectors.
Key facts about Additive Industries
- Founded Year: 2012
- Location: Eindhoven (Netherlands)
- Stage: Series B
- Total Funding till date: $15.3M
- Investors: Europa and BOM
- Latest Funding Round: Grant (prize money), Jun 01, 2020, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 55/100 What is this?
- Competitors Rank: 8 of 144 Competitors
PATS Indoor Drone Solutions develops a small autonomous, quadcopter drone which can be deployed within existing greenhouse infrastructure to keep crops insect free. The drone acts as an early warning system by continuously monitoring the environment to detect & chase harmful insects and eliminate the same (just like swallows and bats) thereby preventing them from reproducing and their larvae affecting the crops. The company claims that the solution is patented and developed in collaboration with Delft University of Technology, Netherlands. It is a part of Climate-KIC accelerator program 2018.
Key facts about PATS Indoor Drone Solutions
- Founded Year: 2018
- Location: Delft (Netherlands)
- Stage: Seed
- Total Funding till date: $3.45M
- Investors: UNIIQ, DivisionQ and 4 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Seed, Sep 16, 2025, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 49/100 What is this?
- Competitors Rank: 6 of 194 Competitors
Tech-driven nature restoration and reforestation for climate, biodiversity, communities. The company innovates for impact, applying science-based and field-tested innovations to deliver high-quality nature restoration projects. They scale up and improve project quality through in-house developed technologies. The focus is on nature-first solutions, working with landowners and companies to change how the world values nature. They invest in nature-based solutions to benefit climate, biodiversity, and communities. The company restores degraded land at scale to benefit the environment and society. They offer solutions for landowners to bring their land back to life and for companies to invest in nature for their climate impact. The company uses technology to drive reforestation at scale.
Key facts about Land Life Company
- Founded Year: 2013
- Location: Amsterdam (Netherlands)
- Stage: Series B
- Total Funding till date: $13M
- Investors: DOEN Foundation, Grantham Foundation and 8 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Grant (prize money), Mar 01, 2024, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 49/100 What is this?
- Competitors Rank: 2 of 16 Competitors
5. DeltaQuad
Manufacturer of fixed-wing VTOL UAVs for defense, security, and industrial uses. These UAVs offer dual payload capacity and extended flight range. They provide solutions for security and defense, agriculture, rail and road, GIS mapping, oil and gas, utilities, environmental and humanitarian, and mining and construction sectors. The company collaborates with armed forces and fixed-wing drone solution providers.
Key facts about DeltaQuad
- Founded Year: 2012
- Location: Duivendrecht (Netherlands)
- Stage: Unfunded
- Tracxn Score: 48/100 What is this?
- Competitors Rank: 23 of 735 Competitors
Companies founded year-on-year in the Aerospace, Maritime and Defense Tech sector in Netherlands
27 Aerospace, Maritime and Defense Tech startups in Netherlands were founded in 2018 - this is the most number of startups founded in any year in the last 10 years.
- Total Number of Companies
Year | No. of companies |
|---|---|
2026 | - |
2025 | - |
2024 | 1 |
2023 | 10 |
2022 | 7 |
2021 | 12 |
2020 | 18 |
2019 | 24 |
2018 | 27 |
2017 | 27 |
Stage-wise distribution of Aerospace, Maritime and Defense Tech sector companies in Netherlands
Out of the total 341 Aerospace, Maritime and Defense Tech companies in Netherlands, 80 have secured funding. Among them, 32 have reached Series A or higher, and 27 to Series B or beyond.
Founded - 341
Funded - 80
Series A+ - 32
Series B+ - 27
Series C+ - 24
Company Stage | No. of companies |
|---|---|
Founded | 341 |
Funded | 80 |
Series A+ | 32 |
Series B+ | 27 |
Series C+ | 24 |
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Funding Trends in the Aerospace, Maritime and Defense Tech sector in Netherlands
Total funding year-on-year in the Aerospace, Maritime and Defense Tech sector in Netherlands
The Aerospace, Maritime and Defense Tech sector in Netherlands saw a total funding of more than $358M in the last 10 years. The most amount of funding was in 2025 at more than $207M.
- Total Funding
Year | Total Funding |
|---|---|
2025 | $207M |
2024 | $5.94M |
2023 | $5.28M |
2022 | $29.9M |
2021 | $21.2M |
2020 | $30.7M |
2019 | $32.2M |
2018 | $11.7M |
2017 | $8.17M |
Recent Funding Rounds in Aerospace, Maritime and Defense Tech in Netherlands
In the year 2025, till September 2025, Aerospace, Maritime and Defense Tech companies in Netherlands have raised $3.17M in equity funding across 3 rounds.
In the same period last year (i.e. till April 2024), Aerospace, Maritime and Defense Tech companies in Netherlands had raised $1.06M across 1 round.
So, 2025 has seen a 198.08% rise in funding in Aerospace, Maritime and Defense Tech companies in Netherlands as compared to 2024.
Here are some recent, important funding rounds in Aerospace, Maritime and Defense Tech companies in Netherlands:
Company | Round Raised | Amount Raised | Funding Date | Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Seed | 7536 | Sep 16, 2025 | ||
Seed | 3544 | Jul 09, 2025 | ||
Seed | 5373 | Feb 11, 2025 | ||
Seed | 9540 | Dec 12, 2024 | ||
Seed | 7767 | Nov 26, 2024 |
Top Investors in Aerospace, Maritime and Defense Tech in Netherlands
Plug and Play Tech Center is the top investor in Aerospace, Maritime and Defense Tech companies in Netherlands based on number of companies invested.
Here are some top investors in Aerospace, Maritime and Defense Tech companies in Netherlands:
Investor | Location | Top Portfolio Companies |
|---|---|---|
Sunnyvale (United States) | ||
Rotterdam (Netherlands) | ||
Stockholm (Sweden) | - | |
Menlo Park (United States) | - | |
Amsterdam (Netherlands) | - |
M&A activity in Aerospace, Maritime and Defense Tech sector in Netherlands
In the year 2025, till September 2025, 2 acquisitions happened in Aerospace, Maritime and Defense Tech sector in Netherlands.
Here are some recent, important acquisitions in Aerospace, Maritime and Defense Tech sector in Netherlands:
Company | Acquisition Type | Acquisition Date | Acquirers |
|---|---|---|---|
Business Acquisition | Sep 25, 2025 | ||
Business Acquisition | May 09, 2025 | ||
Business Acquisition | Sep 01, 2023 | ||
Acqui-Hired | Mar 21, 2023 | ||
Business Acquisition | Nov 02, 2022 |
Acquisition trends in Aerospace, Maritime and Defense Tech sector in Netherlands
Here are the acquisition trends in Aerospace, Maritime and Defense Tech sector in Netherlands:
- Total Number of Acquisitions
Year | No. of companies |
|---|---|
2026 | - |
2025 | 2 |
2024 | - |
2023 | 2 |
2022 | 3 |
2021 | 2 |
2020 | 4 |
2019 | 1 |
2018 | - |
2017 | 3 |
Colleges which produce the most Aerospace, Maritime and Defense Tech companies in Netherlands
Companies founded by alumni from top colleges in the Aerospace, Maritime and Defense Tech in Netherlands
Most number of Aerospace, Maritime and Defense Tech startups in Netherlands have been founded by alumni from University of Amsterdam, BIT Mesra and BITS Mesra.
College | No. of companies |
|---|---|
University of Amsterdam | 2 |
BIT Mesra | 1 |
BITS Mesra | 1 |
INSEAD | 1 |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 1 |
Nanyang Technological University (NTU) | 1 |
University of Oxford | 1 |
University of Pennsylvania | 1 |
Wharton School | 1 |
Total funding in Aerospace, Maritime and Defense Tech companies founded by alumni from top colleges in Netherlands
In the last 10 years, University of Amsterdam graduates' Aerospace, Maritime and Defense Tech companies in Netherlands have raised the most funding among top colleges. INSEAD alumni are second, and BIT Mesra alumni are third.
College | Total Funding |
|---|---|
University of Amsterdam | $4.9M |
INSEAD | $3.02M |
BIT Mesra | $2.63M |
BITS Mesra | $2.63M |
University of Oxford | $321K |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | - |
Nanyang Technological University (NTU) | - |
University of Pennsylvania | - |
Wharton School | - |
Top News in Aerospace, Maritime and Defense Tech in Netherlands
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Damen and AAAPropulsion Collaborate to Enhance Electric Pod Propulsion EfficiencyOffshore Energy•Sep 19, 2025•Damen, AAA Propulsion
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Additive Industries Talks 3D Printing for RF Components, Automotive, & More3DPrint.com•Jan 14, 2025•Additive Industries
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Additive Industries Gets Launch Customer for MetalFab Flex 3D Printer3DPrint.com•Sep 02, 2024•Additive Industries
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Additive machines launch with assurance of qualityAustralian Manufacturing Forum•Aug 22, 2024•Additive Assurance, Additive Industries
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Additive Industries e Additive Assurancestamparein3d.it•Aug 21, 2024•Additive Industries, Additive Assurance
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Additive Industries launches MetalFab 300 Flex 3D printer with flexible build volumeTCT Magazine•Jun 26, 2024•Additive Industries
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HENSOLDT Enters into Strategic Collaboration with Wings For AidUAS Vision•Dec 05, 2023•Hensoldt, Wings For Aid
