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Crowdfunding has become a mainstream funding channel in the Netherlands, offering Dutch retail investors access to investments in startups, SMEs, real estate and more. In this report, readers will learn about the size and growth of the Dutch crowdfunding market, its regulatory environment, and the range of crowdfunding models and platforms operating in the Netherlands. We highlight why crowdfunding is important for Dutch SMEs and projects (often filling gaps left by banks), and show the strong investor potential – including high returns and portfolio diversification – in this alternative finance sector. Crowdfunding (including crowdlending and equity crowdfunding) has grown dramatically in the Netherlands in recent years.
In 2024 Dutch platforms raised a record €1.137 billion (up ~20% from 2023). This boom is largely driven by business loans and real-estate lending: around 90% of the funded volume is loan-based and about 90% of all crowdfunding funding goes to companies and real estate. In contrast, equity investment remains a smaller but fast-growing niche (Dutch startups and scale-ups raised about €79 million via equity crowdfunding in 2022). Sectoral leaders include real estate, green/sustainable ventures, and SME finance – as illustrated by the top platforms (Mogelijk, Collin Crowdfund, NLInvesteert, etc.). Recent developments like Collin Crowdfund passing €1 billion in SME loans and major platforms expanding abroad (e.g. Collin into Germany and Mogelijk into Belgium) demonstrate a maturing, internationally-minded market. Overall, crowdfunding in the Netherlands offers retail investors growing opportunities to fund and profit from a variety of projects, in a market that has consistently set new records.
The Dutch crowdfunding market is remarkably large and dynamic relative to the country’s size. According to industry data, total crowdfunding volumes in the Netherlands jumped from €417 M in 2020 to over €1.08 billion in 2022, and reached €1.137 billion in 2024. That 2024 figure was a new high (+20% vs 2023) and shows continued strong growth. Much of this volume comes from business financing: Dutch SMEs and startups raised about €972 M via crowdfunding in 2022. Real estate projects (financed via lending) are especially popular, driving the lending segment to roughly 90% of total funds. In fact, 2022 data show 88% of Dutch crowdfunding funding was in loan form (only 12% via equity or convertible notes).
Key sectors include property financing (both development and mortgages), sustainable/green projects, and small business loans. For example, platforms like CrowdRealEstate and Max Crowdfund specialize in real-estate loans (these grew ~297% in 2022), while DuurzaamInvesteren targets energy and sustainability projects. Consumer loans (crowdfunding for personal use) have also surged (doubling to €72 M in 2022). Creative and social projects (via donations/rewards) remain smaller: cultural projects raised only €12 M in 2022l and community projects ~€25 M.
The Dutch crowdfunding landscape is diverse. By late 2023, AFM’s register listed about 40 licensed platforms active in the Netherlands. Of these, roughly 19 are Dutch-headquartered and 21 are foreign platforms passporting in under EU rules. Almost all major platforms focus on lending (platforms like Collin Crowdfund, NLInvesteert, and Geldvoorelkaar), with a smaller number offering equity or hybrid products (e.g. Symbid/SeedBlink for startup shares, or Eyevestor for convertibles). In 2022, the market leaders by volume were NLInvesteert (€140 M) and Collin Crowdfund (€139 M) for lending, while CrowdRealEstate (€101 M) and DuurzaamInvesteren (€71 M) led among niche lenders. Newer platforms like Mogelijk (focused on commercial mortgages) have quickly risen to the top; in 2024 Mogelijk was the largest single platform at €311 M.
Recent developments underline a maturing market. Collin Crowdfund accelerated to over €1 billion in SME financing by early 2025. Platforms are professionalizing under EU regulation (see below) and even creating proprietary investment funds to channel more capital. Cross-border growth is also underway: Dutch platforms like Collin and Mogelijk are expanding to Germany and Belgium. Overall, the trends suggest further steady growth and consolidation. Retail investor interest remains high – over 85% of crowdfunding investors in the EU sample were retail** – and the Netherlands’ conservative investor culture still finds appeal in secured loans and tangible investments (real estate, business debt) in its local market.
Crowdfunding in the Netherlands is overseen by the Autoriteit Financiële Markten (AFM) under the Dutch Financial Supervision Act. Since November 2023 all crowdfunding platforms in the EU (including Dutch ones) are required to hold a European Crowdfunding Service Provider (ECSP) license. In practice this means any platform mediating capital raising up to €5 million (per campaign or rolling 12-month period) must be licensed. At the time of writing, roughly 40 platforms hold such a permit (19 Dutch companies and 21 passporting from abroad).
AFM (and previously DNB) has set rules for investor protection. Platforms must conduct strict due diligence on projects and disclose risks. Dutch guidelines historically advised retail investors to limit crowdfunding investments to about 10% of their investable assets (to ensure diversification). Under the ECSP Regulation, platforms must give clear risk warnings, check investors’ knowledge/experience if they invest above set thresholds, and follow standardized governance and reporting rules. For example, the ECSP requires marketing fairness, regular project reporting, and, for lending-based platforms, thorough credit assessments.
Currently there is no single Dutch crowdfunding association, but Dutch platforms often participate in industry networks (like the European Crowdfunding Network, “Eurocrowd”) and follow codes of conduct. Useful legal information for investors includes recognizing that crowdfunding investments are not protected by bank deposit guarantees, and are typically considered high-risk. Investors should review each platform’s license status (listed on the AFM register) and understand fees and default rates before investing. For fundraisers, it’s important to comply with disclosure requirements (e.g. presenting business plans, budgets, and how funds will be used) and sometimes engage a legal adviser since equity campaigns often involve issuing securities. In summary, the Dutch regulatory framework is robust: AFM oversight and ECSP rules ensure platforms are governed like other financial service providers, providing transparency and investor safeguards while still allowing retail participation in crowdfunding.
Real estate crowdfunding is a leading segment in the Dutch market. Here, investors collectively finance property projects (development or buy-to-let) and earn returns via interest or rental income. It has grown rapidly: in 2022, the Dutch real estate crowdfunding platform CrowdRealEstate lent over €101 M, up 297% from 2021. Other active platforms include, VastgoedInvesteren, and GreenFund Holland. These sites list housing or commercial property projects; investors can contribute modest amounts (often €500–€5,000) to mortgage or project loans.
Dutch real estate crowdfunding is attractive to retail investors because mortgage-backed loans tend to be lower risk (above-equity security), and interest rates often beat bank savings. However, it’s still subject to property market cycles. In recent years, platforms have tightened underwriting and introduced fund-style products. For example, Mogelijk.nl (AI overview)offers mortgage loans to SMEs for commercial properties and achieved €311 M in 2024. In summary, real estate platforms dominate Dutch lending crowdfunding, offering individual investors a way into the property market with moderate minimums and (so far) solid performance.
Crowdlending (also known as business debt crowdfunding) is by far the largest category in the Netherlands. In this model, investors fund loans to small businesses or entrepreneurs. Top platforms include Collin Crowdfund, NLInvesteert, Geldvoorelkaar, DuurzaamInvesteren, and AndersFinancieren. Collin and NLInvesteert each originated over €138 M in 2022, making them the leading SME lenders. These loans range from short-term working capital to growth financing. They are typically unsecured (or second-ranking) loans with attractive interest (often 5–10% annual), and durations of 1–5 years.
These crowdlending platforms share features: professional loan screening, standardized contracts, and a spread of short-term to medium-term loans. They typically charge servicing fees (1–5%) and do due diligence on borrowers. Retail investors in these loans earn fixed interest, but face default risk if businesses fail. Dutch data suggest loss rates have been low (often 2–5% annual defaults) thanks to careful underwriting. Importantly, Dutch SMEs often prefer debt to equity (to avoid ownership dilution), so demand for loans is strong. This cultural preference and the regulatory ease for debt crowdfunding (versus equity) explain why lending dominates the market. Overall, SME crowdlending provides Dutch retail investors with professional-caliber loan deals that were previously the domain of banks.
Dutch Peer-to-Peer Lending (Private Loans)
Peer-to-peer (P2P) lending to private borrowers is a smaller segment in the Netherlands, but exists for retail investment. This typically involves Dutch consumers borrowing for a car, home improvement or debt consolidation, funded by other individuals. Key platforms include Lender & Spender and Peerby (formerly FiK). These platforms list personal loan projects much like car, house-renovation, or education loans.
In recent years, the Dutch consumer credit market has also seen fintech growth. DNB data show fintech loans doubled from €1.8 billion to €4.4 billion (2021–2024)dnb.nl, indicating robust demand for alternative private borrowing. For retail investors, P2P consumer loans offer higher yields than savings accounts (often 3–7%) but come with credit risk. Many platforms mitigate this by reserve funds or buyback guarantees on default. As a niche, P2P private lending remains attractive to cautious investors seeking to support individual borrowers, but it is less emphasized than business lending in the Netherlands.
Dutch Donation Crowdfunding
Donation crowdfunding in the Netherlands is a well-developed sector, focusing on social, cultural and philanthropic projects. These platforms collect funds without financial return for donors, often for non-profits or community causes. Leading Dutch donation platforms include Voordekunst, Voor je Buurt, 1%Club, Doneeractie.nl, and Geef.nl.
While donation crowdfunding does not target investors (since contributors give money without return), it is still part of the crowdfunding ecosystem. In 2020 the Dutch market saw nearly 9,000 social projects financed by donation/reward crowdfunding. These platforms serve retail funders who want to support causes. From an investor’s perspective, donation crowdfunding has no financial upside; we mention it here for completeness. It shows that the Dutch public is comfortable with online giving, which in turn fuels familiarity with crowdfunding overall.
Reward-based crowdfunding lies between donation and investment. Backers fund a project and get a product or service in return. In the Netherlands this model is mainly used by creative startups (tech gadgets, games, art) to pre-sell products. The best-known global platform is Kickstarter, which is available to Dutch projects and investors alike. But specifically Dutch sites include Voordekunst (for arts, as above), Crowdfunding voor je Buurt (projects deliver local rewards), and WeMakeIt (Dutch-Belgian site for creative endeavors).
For example, Dutch startups have launched on Kickstarter or Indiegogo, but also on local portals like Crowdfunding voor je Buurt which offers small-scale rewards (a plaque with donor’s name on a new park bench, etc.). The reward model is important for entrepreneurs launching new products: it provides capital and market validation. For retail backers, the “return” is the delivered product or service plus the satisfaction of supporting innovation. Typical successful campaigns in the Netherlands include technology gadgets, board games, or design products. However, reward crowdfunding is a smaller slice of the market (tens of millions annually) and more unpredictable than lending. We list it here as a viable crowdfunding type for creatives and tech startups, but Dutch investor interest is comparatively moderate, favoring the tangible returns of lending and equity.
Beyond the main categories above, the Dutch market hosts specialized niches that attract certain investor interests:
In all these niches, the key point is that Dutch crowdfunding provides a variety of investment themes. Retail investors can choose projects that match their interests – whether it’s funding wind turbines, backing a local artist, or owning a slice of a vineyard. The platforms mentioned above (Oneplanetcrowd, DuurzaamInvesteren, Voordekunst, Lendahand, etc.) illustrate the breadth. Each offers 2–3 sentence project descriptions on its site, and retail investors can participate with as little as €50–€500 in many cases. While niche campaigns may raise smaller amounts than mainstream loans, they add diversity to the market and let individuals invest according to their values or passions.
Key Takeaway: The Dutch crowdfunding ecosystem is extensive and still expanding. Retail investors benefit from platforms that now cover nearly all forms of crowdfunding: debt for businesses, equity in startups, and various cause-driven projects. Strong growth figures and professionalized platforms suggest good potential. However, investors should do their due diligence on each platform (checking AFM registration, reading prospectuses) and treat crowdfunding as higher-risk, higher-reward than conventional savings. With proper care, crowdfunding can be a valuable addition to a diversified Dutch investment portfolio.