All startups
Next Valley
NextValley is WorldStartup's 12-month coaching programme, created for ambitious founders looking for guidance without the typical pressure of an all-in startup programme.
Alice Pavin
Programme & Investment Manager
A 12-month coaching programme, created for ambitious founders looking for guidance without the typical pressure of an all-in startup programme.
Why Next Valley?
At WorldStartup we believe an inclusive and regenerative economy is the way forward for a sustainable future. Our goal is to catalyse positive growth in every corner of the world by supporting impact-driven entrepreneurs.
We recognise that, at times, such founders do not need a full-on startup programme but needs support for a specific challenge that can be tackled in a leaner approach. That is why we created Next Valley, the support programme that provides founders access to a dedicated coach with the specific expertise needed.
How It Works: The Founder-Coach Relationship
At the core of the programme is the founder-coach relationship. The role of a coach is different from that of a mentor. While a typical mentor can be consulted for general advice in an ad-hoc manner, a coach supports the founder in reaching a specific goal or improving specific skills that the coach has expertise in. As such, coaching has a start and end date, a specific goal to reach at the end of the programme, and follows a structured, tailored and ongoing framework to get there.
Who Is This Programme For?
- You are a startup that solves a significant problem in society and drives positive change in the world
- You are looking for support in a specific area, without the need for a full-on startup programme like Basecamp or Altitude
- Your team consists of minimum 2 people
- Your startup can be at any stage of their journey
- Your startup can be from any location and background
- You are a non-EU founder looking to relocate to the Netherlands (not required)
Example Coaches
Egbert Ottevanger is a specialist in innovation, implementation of new technologies, and management issues. With 25 years of international experience in these fields, as well as being an entrepreneur himself, he has built a strong global network that he leverages when supporting programme founders. He has supported several Next Valley startups as a coach.
Robert Jan Van Melsen is an energy professional with experience spanning across business development, project management, and venture management. He has strong relationship skills, a performance mindset, and a structured framework to guide entrepreneurs towards their goals. As part of the Next Valley programme, he has supported SpectX.
Your Commitment
Programme Fee: € 550,- (excl. VAT) / month/team
Startup Visa Application Support: € 550,- / founder
Office Space at One of the Hubs: Prices vary
Supported Startups
The 3 Pillars of the Programme
Dedicated coach
Based on the specific needs and goals of the startup, the startup will be matched with a dedicated business coach. The coach will challenge the startup, reflect on their decisions, and connect the startup to relevant stakeholders.
Kick-off session
Once the match has been made, a kick-off session marks the start of the collaboration. A deeper understanding of the startup's needs is realised, and the joint objective and roadmap for the 12 months are set.
Ongoing, tailored coach meetings
Ongoing, tailored support will be provided by the coach. In principle, the startup and coach will have contact, either face-to-face or virtually, at least once every three weeks, preferably bi-weekly.
Additional ad-hoc support provided when needed
- Practical support by WorldStartup’s support team is available when needed. This includes questions and requests as well as relevant information and connections.
- Access to advice from experts in areas like legal, tax, IP, marketing and finance. The first consultation will be free of charge. Further consultations are on demand and at reduced rates to be agreed on a case-by-case basis.
- Access to WorldStartup’s in-house developed training and skills development material.
- Becoming part of the WorldStartup community of founders from around the globe.
- Amplification of the startup’s stories and achievements to our global startup community.
- Progress monitoring on milestones.
- Additional support for non-EU founders interested in relocating to the Netherlands during the programme. For this, we can provide help in applying for the Dutch startup visa, opening a bank account and incorporating the business, as well as providing office space at one of the hubs. An additional fee applies for this support.
If you have further questions, feel free to reach out to the programme manager Alice Pavin
Alice Pavin
Programme & Investment Manager
Previous Alumni
Making it Possible: Drones with X-ray Vision
SpectX develops drones with X-ray vision to detect internal defects in hard-to-reach infrastructure, such as wind turbines. After completing the Next Valley programme, the company received a €1.74 million grant from RVO, formed a pilot consortium with Avular Robotics and the Eindhoven University of Technology, and founder Akhilesh Goveas was nominated for the MIT Innovators under 35 Europe.
Akhilesh Goveas
Founder
