In May 2026, Austin welcomed the ScaleNL Academic Startup Program for the first Texas edition of its U.S. visit. The program marked an important step in connecting Dutch academic startups with one of the fastest-growing innovation ecosystems in the United States.
The ScaleNL Academic Startup Program supports promising Dutch startups emerging from universities and research institutions as they explore opportunities for international growth. For this U.S. trip, ScaleNL brought a group of Dutch deep tech and biotech startups to Austin and San Francisco. The Austin program was developed in close collaboration with NBSO Texas and focused on soft landing, market validation, ecosystem access and founder-to-founder exchange.
Dutch founders meet the Austin ecosystem
The visit started on Memorial Day with a Dutch community evening at Hypersolid in Austin. Hypersolid is a Dutch-founded global technology and brand experience company with its U.S. headquarters in Austin. The company works at the intersection of technology, data, digital platforms and brand experience.
During the evening, Dutch founders and entrepreneurs already active in Texas shared practical insights about building a company in the United States. Topics included navigating cultural differences, attracting customers and talent, and choosing Austin as a base for growth. Speakers included representatives from Hypersolid, UNS Austin, Monks, DTACT, Tres Culturas and the broader Dutch-Austin founder community.
A closer look at health innovation in Austin
The next day offered the delegation a full immersion into Austin’s ecosystem. At Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin (“UT Austin”). the Dutch life sciences and health startups presented their technologies and received feedback from experts in medical innovation, research translation, technology transfer, intellectual property, computational medicine and entrepreneurship.
The session brought together stakeholders from Dell Medical School, Discovery to Impact and Texas Global, offering the startups a strong introduction to UT Austin’s health innovation network.
Practical conversations with local experts
Following the morning session, the founders joined a Walk & Talk and informal lunch with Austin ecosystem members. Participants included representatives from Q-Branch, Austin MedTech Connect, Opportunity Austin, HR4U, Dell Medical School, Central Texas Angel Network and DevRev.
The informal setting created room for open and practical conversations about hiring, site selection, business development, investment readiness and the realities of entering the U.S. market.
Dutch-rooter technology in Texas
The delegation then visited NXP Semiconductors, one of the strongest Dutch-rooted technology presences in Texas. With thousands of employees in the Austin region, NXP gave the startups an inside look at advanced semiconductor innovation, future computing, corporate R&D and Austin’s role in global deep tech development.
Pitching at Capital Factory
The Austin program continued at Capital Factory, one of Texas’ leading startup and venture ecosystems. The founders received an introduction to Capital Factory’s role in connecting startups with corporates, investors, mentors and government partners across Texas. The visit also included pitch opportunities and feedback from startup mentors and ecosystem stakeholders.
Connecting with Austin’s AI community
The day closed with the AITX Monthly Meetup at Antler VC, where the Dutch delegation joined Austin’s AI community of entrepreneurs, engineers, investors and builders. The event offered a valuable opportunity to connect with local AI stakeholders and experience the collaborative energy that defines Austin’ startup scene.
A strong foundation for future collaboration
The Austin visit showed strong mutual interest between Dutch academic startups and the Texas innovation ecosystem. For Dutch founders, Austin offers a compelling mix of technical talent, entrepreneurial culture, industry access, relative affordability and a highly connected support network.
NBSO Texas will continue working with ScaleNL, local partners and the Dutch innovation ecosystem to explore future programming in Austin and across texas.
The first ScaleNL Acdemic Startup visit to Texas demonstrated strong potential for deeper Dutch-Texan collaboration in life sciences, deep tech, AI and semiconductors. This visit may well be the beginning of a broader brigge between ScaleNL and the Austin innovation ecosystem.
