🟠 Good news: Nestpod goes international

Nestpod, alumni of our Tech Validation Program last year, now has a pod at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, its first placement outside the Netherlands.

Founders Naomi Griekspoor and Birgitta de Gruijter build ready-to-use cabins where mothers can pump or breastfeed in quiet and privacy. After a first test at the Negenmaandenbeurs in February and a second at sports club Kampong in Utrecht, Nestpods are now also in use at Bol’s office and in the factory hall of Sanorice. Requests are coming in from France, Austria and Switzerland, and the team aims to deliver at least ten pods this year.

For employers, Birgitta puts it simply: supporting young mothers is “gewoon business sense.”

We’re proud of you, Naomi and Birgitta! 🤱

👉 Read the full story on MT/Sprout

We’re hiring: Managing Director of UtrechtInc

UtrechtInc is looking for an entrepreneurial and connecting Managing Director. Are you an inspiring leader who spots opportunities and has the drive to act on them? Do you get your energy from bringing together science, government and business? And would you like to be the face of one of Europe’s leading startup hubs, helping new generations of founders succeed? Then we’d love to hear from you.

The role

As Managing Director, you lead UtrechtInc and its small, dedicated team of around five people, supported by some 60 mentors and coaches. You strengthen our programs and build a future-proof organization, with valorisation at the core: turning knowledge and ideas into viable innovations with societal and economic impact.

UtrechtInc is a joint initiative of Utrecht University, UMC Utrecht and HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht. Together with these founding partners, and with partners such as the Province of Utrecht, ROM Utrecht Region, the Municipality of Utrecht and Startup Utrecht Region, you shape a shared vision and build alliances that secure UtrechtInc’s long-term funding. You are the visible face of UtrechtInc, on the Utrecht Science Park and beyond, and you make sure our workspace stays a lively, welcoming home for founders.

Key challenges for the coming years:

• Renewing our program portfolio to match market demand, with a focus on life sciences, biotech and medtech, circular economy, mobility, climate adaptation, energy security, AI/digital and cybersecurity.
• Strengthening the pathway from early scouting to startup to scale-up.
• Increasing UtrechtInc’s visibility across the wider region, including Amersfoort (Earth Valley), Veenendaal (Food Valley) and Hilversum.

Who we’re looking for

• Academic level of thinking and working
• Extensive experience in a leadership role at an incubator, accelerator or similar innovation environment; founder experience is a plus
• A proven track record in renewing startup programs and growing an organization’s visibility
• Experience in community and workspace management, with a feel for hospitality
• A strong network in the Utrecht (or a comparable) startup ecosystem and experience with triple helix collaboration
• Knowledge of innovation subsidies and securing funding
• Entrepreneurial, visionary, politically sensitive, results-driven and a natural connector

What we offer

A one-year contract with the intention to extend, for 0.8–1.0 FTE. Excellent terms of employment (scale 14, Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities) and room to grow in an inspiring environment where science and entrepreneurship meet.

How to apply

The recruitment is handled by ADJ. Send your CV and motivation letter no later than 8 November 2026 via the ADJ website:

Apply here ###

Questions? Get in touch with:

Ellen Deckers, Advisor – ellen@adj.nl | +31 6 21867379
Jarko Knevel, Project Associate – jarko@adj.nl | +31 6 40956835

🧬 Proud to see Neurotidal Diagnostics getting attention.

🧠 Founded by Françoise Dekker, Pleun van Veghel, and Prof. Stefan Rüdiger out of Utrecht University’s Rüdiger Lab, Neurotidal is developing FibrilRuler, a blood-based diagnostic test that detects and measures amyloid fibrils, the key pathological marker of Parkinson’s disease.

The goal: earlier detection and more accurate monitoring, giving researchers and clinicians a proper tool to assess how the disease is progressing and whether treatments are working. The team was selected for the Biotech Booster programme in 2025.

Read Françoise’s reflections on the journey, from lab to startup, from science to business mindset.

➡️ Full interview HERE

🎉 Not one, not two but four UtrechtInc startups have made it into the KVK Innovation Top 100 2026.

Public votes count for 20% of the final ranking, and voting closes on October 19. Here’s who to vote for and why:

🔸UCANACT🔸Julia Berezutskaya & Nick Ramsey A brain-computer interface that translates brain signals directly into computer actions and speech, giving people with severe motor disabilities the ability to communicate independently.

🔸Verticai 🔸Thymen den Hartog, Joep Wegstapel, Tom Huibers & Sjaak Brinkkemper AI-powered speech recognition that automatically generates clinical reports from doctor-patient conversations, giving healthcare professionals their time back.

🔸Lifechaingers🔸Jelmer van der Weide, Antal van Kolck, Daniël Smidt Giving people with speech impairments their voice back through an AI app that listens, thinks along, and speaks for them in natural conversation.

🔸Sealed Cycle🔸Thomas Voets & Hans Koene Improving recycling outcomes by using AI-powered scanning to analyze and provide insights on waste streams at the source.

Four very different problems.

Four teams building solutions.

Vote for them and don’t forget to confirm your vote, otherwise it won’t count.

⏰ Deadline: October 19.

👉 Click HERE

Big congratulations to UCANACT on closing €800K in pre-seed funding

UCANACT is building a brain-computer interface that translates brain signals directly into computer actions and speech – giving people with severe motor disabilities the ability to communicate independently, at home, without needing a technician in the room. The technology is built on decades of BCI research at UMC Utrecht.

The round was led by LUMO Labs and Utrecht Holdings Seed Fund, and will go towards product development, clinical studies and early commercialisation.

This is exactly the kind of deep tech that takes time, patience and the right backers to get off the ground. Glad to see it moving forward.

💫 Check them out HERE

Student Startup Scout – HU/UU students

Are you interested in entrepreneurship and good at connecting with people? We’re looking for a student to join our Student Startup Scout team and help us find the next generation of student founders.

About UtrechtInc

UtrechtInc is a Dutch startup incubator, ranked among the top 10 university-linked incubators in the world. Over the past 10 years we’ve supported more than 450 startups, including GitLab, Channable, and Argenx. We help founders develop their entrepreneurial skills, build their networks, and grow scalable tech and science companies.

About the role

As a Student Startup Scout, you’ll help us find and support promising student entrepreneurs across Utrecht Science Park. That means reaching out to lecturers, students, and stakeholders, staying on top of opportunities to get in front of the right people, and building relationships that lead somewhere. It’s part-time, around 10 hours a week, with a schedule you set yourself.

Responsibilities

🔸 Connect with lecturers, students, and stakeholders to identify promising student startups
🔸 Follow up consistently and maintain relationships with potential candidates
🔸 Develop outreach strategies to promote our Student Validation Program
🔸 Represent UtrechtInc at networking events, career days, and student association events
🔸 Create content for social media, our website, and promotional materials

What you’ll get

🔹 Practical experience in entrepreneurship, marketing, and relationship-building
🔹 A flexible, self-scheduled 10 hrs/week role
🔹 Monthly compensation
🔹 A real impact on student startups and the local ecosystem
🔹 A growing network of entrepreneurs, professionals, and students
🔹 Access to UtrechtInc’s network of 35 in-house and 450 community startups

What we’re looking for

✔️ Currently enrolled at HU or UU and will be enrolled for at least one year
✔️ Genuine interest in entrepreneurship and innovation
✔️ Strong communication and interpersonal skills
✔️ Proactive, able to work independently and as part of a team
✔️ Good organizational skills to manage multiple tasks

How to apply

Send your CV and a short cover letter about your interest in entrepreneurship and relevant experience to Saif at saif@utrechtinc.nl

Our very own Lumox is making waves — this time on national radio 🎙️

Researcher Sebas Pronk (Utrecht University) joined BNR Beter to explain how Lumox’s light-activated cancer therapy works: a tumour-seeking nanobody — developed using antibodies from llamas — delivers the drug directly to the tumour, where harmless light then activates it exactly where it’s needed. The drug stays completely inactive everywhere else in the body.

“We deliver the medicine specifically to the tumour, thanks to antibodies from llamas.” — Sebas Pronk, Utrecht University

Surgeon and project lead Prof. dr. Remco De Bree (UMC Utrecht) also shares why this matters from the clinic: “As a surgeon, I see every day how much impact our treatments can have on the lives of patients.”

After more than ten years of research at Utrecht University — and with support from KWF Kankerbestrijding — the therapy is now ready to be tested in a first clinical patient study.

💫 Listen to the full episode on BNR Beter HERE

👉 The whole team from UtrechtInc attended and brought our startups to the biggest startup event in Utrecht, Crossroads!
Organized by Startup Utrecht Region Dotslash Utrecht Robin Lechner Nanna Victoria Rasmussen Jelle Drijver MBA Roel Franken Dimitry de Vink

👉 Moderated beautifully by Irene Rompa

Panel sessions from Panel sessions by
🔸Patrick Meutzner 💬 • Trengo
🔸Vincent Ruijter • iwell
🔸Arjan van den Born • ROM Utrecht Region
🔸Toon Overbeeke • Vitestro
🔸Maud Vermeulen • Golden Egg Check
🔸Greg De Temmerman • Techleap
🔸Maarten Stolk • Deeploy
🔸Emily Jacometti • HackShield Future Cyber Heroes
🔸Mark de Raaij • Blue Current
🔸Michelle ter Laak • Arches Capital

We organized and hosted a pitching stage for (our) startups:
🔹 SPCTR → Wido Heeman
🔹 Aspected → Rikkert Engels
🔹 TemsAI → Alexandra Podsekina
🔹 XDMD → Gastón Creci
🔹 TrustHub → Slinger Roijackers (Jansen)
🔹 ObsessLess → 🧠 Mourice Schuurmans
🔹 Paradice → Adam Ziv
🔹 UCANACT → Julia Berezutskaya
🔹 Procurement Tactics → Ralph de Groot
🔹 Bactheravax → Dinja Oosterhoff
🔹 Lazy Dynamics →  Bart van Erp
🔹 Eduface →  Jeroen van Gessel
🔹 Vedea → Daniel Jansen
🔹 Experience Fruit Quality → @Marco de Jong
🔹 Verticai → Joep Wegstapel

From First Signal to Signed Deal

Meet Tagetto

Tagetto helps corporate development teams and M&A professionals map markets, identify acquisition targets, and track opportunities.

Deal sourcing is still stuck in the past. Most teams rely on spreadsheets, trade shows, LinkedIn searches, and gut instinct to find and track acquisition targets. There’s no tracking, no shared history, and no collaboration – just version-controlled Excel files and status updates that require chasing people down.

Unlike static databases, Tagetto lets you describe your strategy in natural language and generates a ranked shortlist of the most relevant targets, grouped into a dynamic market map that continuously enriches itself. From there, teams can move targets from lead to opportunity to active project, track outreach, assign owners, and maintain a full interaction history, with dashboards that surface what’s stalled, what’s moving, and where attention is needed most.

Built by Pieter Snelder, who combines engineering rigor with hands-on experience in high-stakes strategy, M&A, and corporate development, Tagetto turns the acquisition target list every dealmaker maintains in Excel into a living, always up-to-date system.

Tagetto is based at UtrechtInc and has been part of the Spring ’26 Tech Validation cohort.
We can’t wait to see where this journey takes them.

Check out Tagetto for more information.