From hype to structural impact
“Digitalisation is a transition that has been ongoing for a long time, but with the emergence of AI, we are seeing a strong acceleration again,” states Jorn. “AI has now proven that it is not a hype but a long-term trend. Also, many people harboured the fear that they would lose their jobs to AI in the short term. In practice, it hasn't happened that quickly in the end. But things are definitely changing. I now see companies replacing entire teams with an AI tool. For a long time, that wasn't possible because there were still too many errors. But the improvements have been extremely rapid. With an ageing population, the need for such solutions is great. In certain roles, such as knowledge workers and service-oriented functions like customer contact centre employees, you see that AI is performing the work better than humans in some cases. These AI tools can potentially lead to a strong increase in labour productivity and thus also to an improvement in the earning capacity for our society.”
Boom effect
ROM InWest supports North Holland businesses that increase labour productivity through digitalisation. We focus on B2B startups in AI, Internet of Things and quantum computing. The choice of these domains is strategic, according to Gijs. “We are focusing on initiatives that directly contribute to labour productivity, earning potential and technological independence.” He emphasises that it is not about copying existing solutions, but about being distinctive: “Startups must come with a unique proposition and a sustainable competitive advantage. We focus on innovative digital solutions that are scalable and help other companies to work more efficiently. So, technology that has a leverage effect within the economy. This ensures that earning potential in our region increases.”
This is how it works in practice
Here are several examples. Jorn would like to highlight one: Typetone.ai. “They have developed an AI agent that functions as a digital content marketer. This allows even smaller companies without large marketing budgets to participate in digital marketing at a high level. This strengthens their competitive position. From a business development perspective, we supported Typetone.ai to become fundable, for example, by refining their proposition and market validation. And with success, as the company subsequently managed to raise millions.” Gijs adds: “Recently, we achieved a successful exit with Alleo. This company has an HR platform that, via AI, can put together a customised benefits package for an individual employee and optimise the total income of an employee by making smart use of fiscal and collective benefits. Here too, the leverage is key: thanks to this tool, smaller companies without an HR department can offer their employees the advantage of good benefits. ROM InWest stepped in as an early-stage investor; Alleo was only a year old at the time. Through our investment, they were able to convince other investors. Alleo was then able to grow enormously and has now been acquired by another party.”
Investing where the market still dares not
Quantum computing is seen as the AI of tomorrow, set to have a major impact in the future. These innovations have enormous potential, but according to Jorn, they often lack the market traction needed for investors: “We see technologies that are strategically crucial but not yet investable because they are too early in their development. Within our mandate, we at ROM InWest try to step in where the market dares not yet. Yet, throughout the market, we see tension between long-term ambitions and short-term investment criteria. A company like Fermioniq has cleverly managed to solve this. They were among the first to write software for quantum computers. Because there isn't a quantum computer yet, we worked with them through one-on-one guidance to see how they could already attract a market to apply their technology. This way, they discovered they have a superb solution for very complex calculations in the engineering sector that saves significant computing power. Because they found traction in a different market, Fermioniq is becoming potentially investable. This illustrates that there are often alternative routes. If only there is focus.”
Want to know more about our guidance?
Every Thursday between 1 PM and 2 PM, Jorn is available to answer questions about how ROM InWest's business developers support entrepreneurs in North Holland. Sign up with Jorn and you will receive a Teams invitation.
