Invest-NL aims to make an impact. Accelerating societal transitions. To make the Netherlands more sustainable and innovative, we mobilise capital and offer new sectors prospects.
Act on diversity
At Invest-NL, we believe that progress begins with diverse perspectives. A variety of people leads to better decisions and greater innovation. That’s why we actively promote diversity in the investment landscape, among our partners, and within our own organization. Because equal opportunities may not be a given, but they are essential for progress.
Diverse Manager Program
With the Diverse Manager Programme, Invest-NL invests € 50 million in funds with diverse leadership. These are funds led by diverse teams or investing in enterprises with diverse leadership.
The primary focus is on gender diversity within funds. At the same time, the program also encourages cultural and ethnic diversity in the broader European ecosystem.
Invest-NL sets clear criteria for this. At least 50% of the management team must be gender- or culturally diverse. In this way, Invest-NL takes a concrete step towards a more inclusive investment sector.
Part of a broader approach
The Diverse Manager Programme is part of a wider strategy for equal opportunities in the financial sector. Invest-NL also collaborates with Code-V and the Gender Smart Equity Investment Programme of the EIF to strengthen the position of women in leadership and investment.
Are you investing in a diverse team, or in entrepreneurs with diverse leadership? Then the Diverse Manager Programme is for you.
With this program we strengthen not only the position of women and diverse leaders, but also the quality and impact of investments in the Netherlands and Europe.
Ulrike Kostenseinvestment principal fund investments
Ambition with measurable impact
Within Invest-NL, our Impact & ESG team actively works towards greater gender diversity in our portfolio. In the video below, Florentine van den Eerenbeemt, ESG officer at Invest-NL, explains how we are working on this and why it is a part of our impact goals.
The Impact & ESG policy has set concrete goals. For example, we aim for at least 33% women in management and supervisory roles. For companies that do not yet meet this norm, we work with targeted actions to improve.
One example of this is the inclusion rule. We ask portfolio companies to ensure that at least one woman or candidate from an underrepresented group is always involved in the selection process for senior roles.
Additionally, the Impact & ESG team has further enhanced measurement and monitoring. As a result, we can track gender diversity within portfolio companies and the deal flow more consistently. We also actively collaborate with partners who share the same ambition, such as Code-V.
Beyond gender diversity, cultural diversity is also important. Different perspectives help to prevent blind spots and create more space for alternative insights. In many of our portfolio companies, we already see a broad mix of nationalities within teams. At the same time, we do not yet have a reliable and privacy-safe way to accurately map this diversity.
Diversity begins with ourselves
At Invest-NL, we are working towards a diverse and inclusive organizational culture where everyone feels welcome, heard, and valued. We do this, among other ways, by training our leaders on the importance of diversity and inclusion.
Additionally, we aim for a healthy gender balance of 60% - 40% in management and the rest of the organization, in line with the recommendations of the SER Diversity Charter. We also analyze whether there are unexplained pay differences between women and men.
Furthermore, our internal Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) working group is committed to making diversity and inclusion a part of our daily practice. The working group provides the Supervisory Board with both solicited and unsolicited advice on DEI, and focuses on inspiring and raising awareness within the organization more broadly.
We move forward when everyone can be themselves and we are open to different perspectives. I am happy to contribute to this through the DEI working group.
Max Verbaasbusiness developer
Read more
Invest-NL works for a future-proof Netherlands. A country driven by new technologies, sustainable energy, and innovative business models. We support bold entrepreneurs and projects that spark transitions—especially when risks are high and the market holds back. That’s when we step in to make progress possible.
We invest in societal transitions and are engaged innovators. That is why we also want to make an impact in our own business operations.