Funds for AI: 87% of Dutch startups and scaleups want to invest in more automation but many lack the means

Press Release | March, 2024

Leaders of younger businesses in the Netherlands revealed they are more trusting and interested to invest in Artificial Intelligence than counterparts from established organizations. Our research saw almost 9 in 10 startups and scaleups declare trust in AI and automation, while in the SME and enterprise category the level is at 80% sharp. Even though the impact of company type on willingness to invest is not that far apart, early-stage businesses need to overcome one big extra headache.

As the research pointed out, 36% of emerging Dutch companies are struggling with a lack of capital for investments, which is also the main issue raised within the startup and scaleup group of respondents. Interestingly enough, SME and enterprise leadership have not even mentioned capital constraints as part of their top 5 problems, indicating they have more stable revenue streams and access to diverse funding sources. Labor shortage is what struck established organizations harder, with 47% considering the lack of available talent as most problematic.

However, even though they profess more trust and willingness to implement the technology, surveyed early-stage companies cannot do so to a desired extent due to non-available funds. When comparing the actual outlook of increasing AI and automation budgets with a similar amount, for instance 10-40%, only 44% of early-stage companies afford it, as opposed to 50% of SMEs and enterprises. And the difference becomes more noticeable with sum increase. For example, an investment boost of 80% or more is possible in just 22.5% of emerging businesses, compared to 33% established.

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Catalin Radu – PR Lead

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