How the Netherlands Enterprise Agency Funds Inclusive Innovation

Women Disrupting Tech

0:00

-51:40

How the Netherlands Enterprise Agency Funds Inclusive Innovation

Episode 102 with Bibi van Gijzel and Merel Zimmerman

Women Disrupting Tech

May 22, 2025

Transcript

Can fairness and equality unlock untapped potential in tech?

In this episode of Women Disrupting Tech, Bibi van Gijzel and Merel Zimmerman share how RVO builds diversity into its funding criteria, from who manages the money to who receives it.

Their goal: unlocking untapped potential in tech. Also, or should I say particularly, from female founders.

Here’s what you’ll take away from Episode 102

💡 What every founder should know about Innovation Credit and Seed Capital
📊 How diversity is built into the funding criteria at team, fund, and portfolio levels
👀 Why being visible matters, and how non-technical women are changing the system from within.

Plus, you’ll hear how ambition, impact, and being a role model can absolutely live inside government work.

Listen to the episode by hitting play above, or find it on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, or Amazon.

Listen to episode 102

✨ The Magical Moments

If you think government funding is slow or impersonal, think again. Merel and Bibi are working to change that from the inside out.

Among the overload of magic, I want to share two quotes that you would not expect from government officials.

Merel explained why having women in investment roles is essential:

“Supporting female founders advances the general quality. But it also makes sure that some potential, especially in tech, gets unlocked.”

Bibi added something powerful:

"I want to be a role model for other women in tech. Even if I'm not technical. Especially because I'm not technical."

If that isn't real magic, I don't know what is.

Did listening to the episode change your mind on the role government can play in funding innovation? Let me know in the comments.

Practical insights for founders:

Early-stage funding can make or break a startup.

But if you're a founder who doesn't fit the usual mold, it's easy to think: this isn't for me.

In this episode of Women Disrupting Tech, I speak with Merel Zimmerman and Bibi van Gijzel from RVO. They offer government-backed funding schemes, and they're working to make them more inclusive.

Here are three takeaways every founder and investor should know:

If you’re building something bold and need capital, check out RVO’s schemes. They are looking for diversity at the founder level and in the investment teams they back.
Want to stand out in the application process? Show that your team is both technically strong and diverse in thought, gender, and background.
RVO isn’t just about money. Their support includes expert guidance, co-financing connections, and hands-on partnership.

This episode is a must-listen if you're an early-stage founder, an investor looking to close the gender gap, or simply someone who wants to see public money drive public good.

Learn more about Bibi and Merel

Coming up next on Women Disrupting Tech

Next week, we'll hear from Flouria CEO and co-founder Anna Christie how she and her co-founder are revolutionizing women's health. And I'm pretty sure this clip contains enough inspiration to listen:

1×

0:00

-1:03