About the Author

Dutch entrepreneur and consultant

Besides for Inroads and Rose which I co-founded myself, I have worked for universities, research institutes, small, large and corporate companies, and public and public-private organisations and partnerships.

Currently I work as a consultant and coach, and I am an EU expert and evaluator, a coach for EU co-funded start-ups and a visiting lecturer at Avans University of Applied Science.

How to improve business with help of innovation and with innovative products, interests and intrigues me most regarding running a company. This has kept me busy throughout my career. All the positions I have been working in, and assignments I work on, were/are somehow related to innovation and how to increase business opportunities with innovation.

My skills are on supervision, sound-boarding, counseling, business consultancy and coaching.

Nyenrode University
Semafor VI
1994-1995

University of Hasselt
Master, Business Administration
1987-1990

University of Hasselt
Bachelor, Economics
1986-1987

Avans University of Applied Science
BSc, Electrical Engineering
1969-1974

Entrepreneur and consultant; co-founder and COO of breakthrough start-up Rose. Former research engineer, R&D manager, and director of SMEs and semi-governmental and public-private organisations and partnerships.

For more detailed information about my career path and the companies I have worked for, please visit my LinkedIn profile.

Start-up or Start-app

by Henk Zeegers

This book gives a view on start-up entrepreneurship as seen through the eyes of the entrepreneur. Henk Zeegers reveals the pitfalls which start-ups encounter, comments on the support from ecosystems and governments, explains the relevance of hospitality and heritage, and provides hands-on advice and models for surviving the valley of death and becoming a successful scale-up. Regarding governments who cut back on innovation during economic downturns, he takes and substantiates the position that, on the contrary, additional investment should be available for innovation during slumps. Most books are about the successes; this book is also about failures, written by the practitioner.

BLOG ARTICLES

Testimonials & Reviews

WHAT PEOPLE SAY

Willem Middelkoop

Ex-RTLZ and DWDD, entrepreneur and angel investor

“Start-up or Start-app is a nice case study looking into the opportunities and issues that almost all entrepreneurs encounter when attempting to turn a good idea into a good company. As an angel investor, I know that the second and third rounds of financing often lead to a start-up never scaling up as it was deemed to be. Henk Zeegers’ hope, anger and frustration regarding the life and failure of start-up Rose will be very recognisable to many. Hence, why this book is an excellent addition to the existing literature from the land of start-ups.”

Joep de Groot

Chairman Board of Directors of health insurance company CZ

“In my years in Corporate Venturing I have seen that timing, business plan and the quality of the entrepreneur are crucial for start-ups, but do not explain the ‘whole picture’: also the quality of the eco system, swift access to capital, partners, and brains play an important role. Being in the middle of the beautiful, energetic chaos called a start-up, it is hard to see this picture – Henk Zeegers took the time to reflect on his first-hand experience and put it all into context. His focus on the crucial part of start-up life − the valley of death − is spot on. The questions and answers in this book will help (aspiring) entrepreneurs to see potential pitfalls, and policy makers to reflect on effective policies to facilitate successful start-ups.”

Joop Sistermans

Former president of the supervisory board of Brainport Eindhoven, and former chairman of the Advisory Council for Science and Technology of the Netherlands Government and Parliament.

“In Start-up or Start-app the entrepreneur himself tells the story of start-up Rose, which was started and discontinued in Brainport Eindhoven, where the ‘Triple Helix’ approach is the name of the game. Despite the initiatives for stimulating start-ups (faster, better, more) outlined in Brainport’s strategic and operational plan (the Brainport Navigator 2013), Rose was not successful. The experience, analysis and conclusions of Henk Zeegers are very valuable for those involved in start-ups, or are planning to start one. It is also food for thought for the Triple Helix community in Brainport Eindhoven, when looking out for measures to increase the success rate of start-ups.”

Leave a message for Henk Zeegers

Get in Touch!

Do you wish to write a review about Henk’s book? Do you want to get in touch with Henk and ask about the possibilities of Henk doing a speaker’s note at your event? Or do you simply want to leave a message for Henk? Please fill in the contact form below.