The Netherlands benefits from a surge in European AI investment

European AI startups raised a record $23 billion in investments during the first half of 2026. For the first time, more than half of all European venture capital flowed to AI companies. The Netherlands is also playing an increasingly significant role in this development, according to the new European AI Economy Report by Crunchbase and HumanX.

This wave of investment underscores how AI is evolving from a promising technology into an economic engine. According to the researchers, Europe’s growth is driven primarily by companies working on AI infrastructure, robotics, chips, and new foundational AI models.

Dutch companies attract major investments

Although the United Kingdom, Germany, and France attract the most AI investments, the report notes that the Netherlands is standing out more and more prominently. For example, the British-Dutch company CuspAI, which uses AI for materials development, raised $450 million in a Series B funding round. General Intuition, founded by Dutch entrepreneur Pim de Witte, closed a $320 million Series A round. Both rank among the largest early-stage investment rounds in Europe this year.

AI accounts for the majority of investments

In total, about 55 percent of all European venture capital investments in the first half of 2026 went to AI startups. That represents a significant increase compared to a year earlier, when AI accounted for just over a third of the investment volume. At the same time, capital is highly concentrated: nearly three-quarters of all AI investments went to just 38 companies, each of which raised more than $100 million. Companies in robotics, data centers, semiconductors, healthcare, and defense are particularly benefiting from growing investor interest.

Europe is building its own AI position

According to the researchers, Europe is increasingly charting its own course in AI. New AI labs are attracting talent and building European alternatives to the dominant players from the United States (US). The report states that Europe’s strength lies not only in basic research but also in sectors where the continent has traditionally been strong, such as medical technology, defense, and advanced manufacturing.

Nevertheless, the gap with the US remains wide. US AI companies raised over $334 billion during the same period, with nearly two-thirds of that amount going to OpenAI and Anthropic. The challenge for Europe is therefore not only to attract more capital but, above all, to help companies grow into global players.