Dealroom maps entrepreneurs and investors with data

‘I used Dealroom myself before I became CFO,’ Velsen says. 'I worked a lot with startups and was always looking for information: who are the investors, how much has been invested, who are the players in that segment? Dealroom offers exactly this insight. We have a large team of data engineers scouring the internet, validating data, making connections and linking to company profiles.' Since its founding in 2013, Dealroom has become an essential data source for innovative ecosystems worldwide. The company collects unstructured data and turns it into actionable insights for investors, governments and startups via a Software as a Service platform.

To use Dealroom, users take out a subscription for a self-determined number of users, with a term of one to three years. The platform serves various customer segments, each with their own motivations for using Dealroom. Besides subscribing to the platform, Dealroom also sells (customised) APIs for interfacing with customers' own software. The Intelligence team conducts in-depth research on specific sectors, such as deep tech and climatetech, and publishes reports on the latest geographical trends.

With more than 100 government agencies as clients, from the US to Australia, Dealroom helps governments and companies drive innovation. Jeroen Brouwer, Startup & Scale-up banker at Rabobank: ‘Dealroom is a one-of-a-kind company. The platform offers business data enriched with data that public sources like Chamber of Commerce do not register. They provide insight, make connections and facilitate match-and-deal making between investors and startups.' In addition, Rabobank also uses Dealroom to enrich their Dutch startup database. Marc Kok, wholesale relationship manager at Rabobank: ‘Dealroom gives us real-time insight into the landscape of startups and tech ecosystems. They also keep track of when a company is expecting an investment round, for example.'

Among other things, Dealroom highlights startups and scale-ups in sectors related to clean energy, circular economy and climate technology. Kok: ‘In doing so, they help investors and companies find and support sustainable innovations.’ In early 2024, Dealroom approached Rabobank for funding, without issuing shares in the process. Velsen: ‘What makes Rabobank unique is that they understand the dynamics of startups. They know that growth can be erratic, with peaks and troughs. Yet they are willing to invest, and at favourable terms. That combination was decisive for us.'

Although Dealroom already operates globally, Velsen sees growth opportunities mainly in the US and Asia and in the tech sector. 'We want to expand our market share. In America, we already serve 15 governments, but there is much more potential. Our strategy is first to map ecosystems of startups and scale-ups together with local governments or cities,' says Velsen. 'In the slipstream of this, local venture investors and companies join us as clients. This spin-off effect accelerates our growth.' Brewer adds: ‘Dealroom's scale and scope is already huge and we certainly see a lot of potential for further growth.’