Country comparison
Netherlands vs United Arab Emirates: startup funding compared
Since 2 June 2025, startups in the Netherlands raised $4.9B across 154 rounds, 2.9 times the United Arab Emirates' $1.7B.
Capital raised running total by month
Where the money goes share of capital by sector
Netherlands
United Arab Emirates
Biggest rounds
United Arab Emirates
Stage mix share of rounds
Most active investors rounds joined
| Investor | Netherlands | United Arab Emirates |
|---|---|---|
| Invest-NL | 14 | · |
| Innovation Industries | 9 | · |
| Antler | 7 | · |
| BOM | 7 | · |
| Oost NL | 7 | · |
| Rabobank | 7 | · |
| EIC Fund | 6 | · |
| LUMO Labs | 6 | · |
| Plus VC | · | 5 |
| Arches Capital | 4 | · |
| Curiosity VC | 4 | · |
| General Catalyst | 3 | 1 |
Startup hubs rounds and capital by city
Netherlands
United Arab Emirates
Latest rounds
Questions
Which country raised more startup funding, the Netherlands or the United Arab Emirates?
The Netherlands. Since 2 June 2025, startups in the Netherlands raised $4.9B across 154 rounds, against $1.7B across 52 rounds in the United Arab Emirates, 2.9 times more. That is 0.7% and 0.2% of all the capital FundraiseBase tracked worldwide over the period.
How many startup funding rounds were announced in the Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates?
154 rounds in the Netherlands and 52 rounds in the United Arab Emirates since 2 June 2025, about 9 and 3 a month.
Are startup rounds bigger in the Netherlands or the United Arab Emirates?
The median round is $4.8M in the Netherlands and $4.5M in the United Arab Emirates, and the average round $31.9M and $32.6M. The median shows the typical round; the average is pulled up by a few very large ones.
What is the biggest startup round in the Netherlands?
The biggest startup rounds in the Netherlands since 2 June 2025 are Wonderful ($550M, Series C, 2 Sept 2026), Picnic ($495M, Growth, 21 Nov 2025) and Nearfield Instruments ($380M, Series D, 22 Jun 2026).
What is the biggest startup round in the United Arab Emirates?
The biggest startup rounds in the United Arab Emirates since 2 June 2025 are Cadena ($275M, Series C, 10 Jun 2026), Moove ($250M, Series C, 5 Aug 2026) and Tabby ($233M, 15 Sept 2026).
Which sectors attract the most startup funding in the Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates?
In the Netherlands, AI ($1.6B, 34% of the capital), Enterprise software ($539M, 11%) and Climate & Energy ($466M, 9%) lead. In the United Arab Emirates, AI ($684M, 40% of the capital), Fintech ($384M, 23%) and Enterprise software ($62.5M, 4%) lead.
Is the Netherlands or the United Arab Emirates better for early-stage startups?
Early-stage rounds (Pre-Seed, Seed and Series A) make up 53% of rounds in the Netherlands and 65% in the United Arab Emirates. The Netherlands recorded 58 Pre-Seed or Seed rounds and the United Arab Emirates 28 Pre-Seed or Seed rounds, with a median of $2.1M and $2M.
How much growth funding (Series B and later) goes to the Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates?
Startups in the Netherlands raised $2.2B in 22 Series B or later rounds, 45% of the country's capital. In the United Arab Emirates, $696M in 6 rounds, 41% of the capital.
Who are the most active startup investors in the Netherlands?
Invest-NL (14 rounds, 4 led), Innovation Industries (9 rounds, 5 led) and Rabobank (7 rounds, 1 led) are the most active investors in the Netherlands.
Who are the most active startup investors in the United Arab Emirates?
Plus VC (5 rounds, 2 led), Oraseya Capital (4 rounds, 1 led) and Salica Oryx Fund (3 rounds, 1 led) are the most active investors in the United Arab Emirates.
Which investors back startups in both the Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates?
5 investors joined rounds in both countries. The most active: General Catalyst (3 in the Netherlands, 1 in the United Arab Emirates), Picus Capital (2 in the Netherlands, 1 in the United Arab Emirates), Lux Capital (1 in the Netherlands, 1 in the United Arab Emirates), Balderton Capital (1 in the Netherlands, 1 in the United Arab Emirates) and BlackRock (1 in the Netherlands, 1 in the United Arab Emirates).
Which cities lead startup funding in the Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates?
Amsterdam leads the Netherlands with $2.9B across 67 rounds, ahead of Eindhoven ($624M). Dubai leads the United Arab Emirates with $1.1B across 35 rounds, ahead of Abu Dhabi ($302M).
Which month brought the most startup funding?
In the Netherlands, September 2026 ($835M). In the United Arab Emirates, January 2026 ($429M).
How much did startups in the Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates raise in the last 90 days?
In the 90 days to 9 Nov 2026, startups in the Netherlands raised $1.3B across 14 rounds and in the United Arab Emirates $261M across 6 rounds.
Where does this data come from?
FundraiseBase lists startup funding rounds from public announcements: press releases, company posts and news coverage, checked and updated every day. Amounts are in US dollars. Some rounds are never announced, so the figures show what was made public, not every round. Corrections are welcome.