Innovation through collaboration

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Many people have great ideas they cannot develop simply because of lack of knowledge, skills or means. Martijn Huis, founder and managing director at NL Innovators, helps people with innovative ideas to realise their plans.

NL Innovators: students help innovators with great ideas by developing business plans

Martijn Huis and co-founder Mathijs Niehaus established the cooperation NL Innovators last september. The organisation already exists of five franchises and 150 internships throughout Holland. ‘Innovation through cooperation’ is their mission. NL Innovators helps entrepeneurs to put their ideas into practice.

Innovators + students

During an intake interview NL Innovators looks into what the entrepeneur needs to market his or her idea. Huis says: ‘What is needed to make it a success? Is it a marketing plan, the design, maybe the technology or is it the economic knowhow? What combination takes this idea to the next level?’

Subsequently, NL Innovators assembles a team of students. ‘It’s a great learning cycle’, Huis says, ‘students develop five businessplans for five different ideas in five months time. They gain a lot of experience and build up a business network. They do so by help of experts in the field and the innovators.’

Packages

The innovators can choose out of three packages. The first option is free of charge. In exchange for the contribution, NL Innovators receives a share in profit of 50 percent of the future income generated by the developed business plans.

‘We develop all sorts of ideas’, Huis says, ‘often it has a sustainable character.’ For instance, NL Innovators helped out with plans for cleaning beach pollution and also supporting and accomodating parents with ill children. Cofounder Niehaus invented Groentebuur, a platform against the waste of food. But NL Innovators is no stranger to commercial projects as well. For example, we designed a new package for beer and a vacuum cleaner robot for cleaning companies.

Huge ambitions

NL Innovators is active in Groningen, Leeuwarden, The Hague and Den Bosch. Six new locations will open in september.

‘We have huge ambitions’, says Huis, ‘We want to spread the Innovators-spirit global, so we are looking for partners around the globe. Next week we are going to Barcelona.’