A global guide to the SMB market for fintechs and financial service providers

The Netherlands

Read on to learn about:

• The size and composition of the small business market in the Netherlands
• The fintech ecosystem and regulatory environment
• The top financial platforms in the region

The market at a glance

Size & make up of the market

The size of the SMB market in the Netherlands is comparable with other European countries in relation to the overall population. Small and medium businesses contribute a higher proportion of GDP than other OECD regions but make up a slightly lower than average proportion of employment, signalling that it is a productive sector.

International trade

Small businesses in the Netherlands are active importers and exporters. SMBs are responsible for 42% of the total value of exports in the Netherlands and 44% of the total value of imports.

Most popular financial software

Founded in 1984, Exact is the leading provider of accounting software in the Netherlands. Exact Online, which was first launched in 2005, was their first cloud product and is their most popular package today.

The fintech ecosystem

Although small in size, the Netherlands has an active fintech ecosystem, heavily concentrated in Amsterdam. The country is home to several fintech companies valued at over $1 billion including Adyen, Mollie and Bunq.

Top financial software platforms

66%

830K Dutch SMBs have specialist bookkeeping or ERP software

19%

of Dutch SMBs use spreadsheets in place of accounting software

14%

fully outsource bookkeeping to accountants

SMB tech readiness and the fintech ecosystem

Tech readiness and regulatory environment

Dutch SMBs are relatively advanced in their adoption of cloud computing and eCommerce. According to the European Commission, the regulatory burden for setting up and running a small business is less than in other European nations. For example, a company can be set up in one day, although the fee to do so is relatively high.

Fintech ecosystem

The Netherlands punches above its weight when it comes the vibrancy of its fintech ecosystem, ranking 8th out of 83 globally according to Findexible. Although small in size, the country boasts a large population of multilingual skilled workers making it an attractive talent hub. It also has the highest rate of digital adoption by consumers in Europe, at 73%.