{"id":210796,"date":"2020-02-29T14:15:10","date_gmt":"2020-02-29T13:15:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/innovationorigins.com\/?p=210796"},"modified":"2020-02-29T14:15:10","modified_gmt":"2020-02-29T13:15:10","slug":"utrecht-start-up-hub-dotslash-on-success-youll-find-corporates-among-the-speedboats-here","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/en\/utrecht-start-up-hub-dotslash-on-success-youll-find-corporates-among-the-speedboats-here\/","title":{"rendered":"Utrecht start-up hub DotSlash on success: ‘You’ll find corporates among the speedboats here’"},"content":{"rendered":"

There is a flourishing start-up and scale-up community from the Utrecht entrepreneur John Fentener van Vlissingen<\/a> inside the buildings just a few tram stops away from Utrecht Central Station. It’s where entrepreneurs with an innovative and scalable product can house their businesses. With a bit of luck, you’ll run into the big man himself and end up talking to him about business strategy. “You’ll find corporates among the speedboats here,” says Jelle Drijver, Managing Director of DotSlash<\/a>, the company that handles the rental and allocation of space in this community hub.<\/p>\n

What is DotSlash?<\/span><\/h3>\n

“DotSlash is more than just a corporate building where you can rent out square meters of office space. You can do that anywhere. DotSlash is a location in Utrecht that is made up of two towers: building 100 and building 400. These function as a kind of campus where start-ups and scale-ups are able to grow. In building 100 the focus is on start-ups, while in building 400 on scale-ups.”<\/span><\/p>\n

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Director Jelle Drijver of DotSlash with in the background the Social Brothers company workspace\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Photo: Lucette Mascini<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How would you define a start-up?<\/span><\/h3>\n

“Some people think that every self-employed person who has an idea is a start-up. In our opinion, you are a start-up if you build a scalable and reproducible business model, preferably tech-driven.”<\/span><\/p>\n

That means that start-ups come to DotSlash when they’ve passed the first development stage …<\/h3>\n

“Yes. The start-ups will have what’s called a ‘minimal viable product’. Then the product is in place and the company is ready to expand and conquer the world. If you’re in that phase, after an incubator like UtrechtInc<\/a> or a venture builder like Holland Startup<\/a>, for example, DotSlash is really a logical place to turn to. You already have a business. You’re already making money and you’re ready to grow.”<\/p>\n

Why is your work establishment called ‘DotSlash’?<\/span><\/h3>\n

“We’re mainly geared towards tech companies. [Such as the Social Brothers<\/a>, ed.] In computer language, dot slash<\/em> is the start of a code. After that, an action always follows. When you start out here, then you’re ready for whatever comes next: as in – action.”<\/p>\n

How do you determine whether a start-up can rent space here??<\/span><\/h3>\n

“You have to meet several conditions in order to be able to rent here. That minimum viable product<\/em> must be ready. You have to be able to scale up, preferably also internationally. And we ask companies with two or more founders: filter out that freelancer who has a great idea<\/em>.”
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