About us

The Tech Entrepreneur Community (TEC) is an association of entrepreneurs of all kinds of experience levels, together aiming to boost entrepreneurship and to lead the way for a new generation of entrepreneurs. TEC wants talented students to explore their abilities to disrupt markets and commercialize technology. To do so, TEC has developed a world-class action learning programme called the TEC eXperience (TEC-X). Students at TEC-X will be guided and assisted by leading entrepreneurs and mentors, to work on business challenges and to develop their own ideas for a start-up with fellow participants. All people involved are part of a lively and growing community where talent is explored and success is accelerated.

TEC was founded in 2014 by Patrick van Gent, Jurriaan Pröpper and Toon Buddingh, who know eachother from their student days in Delft. Their ambition to boost entrepreneurship in the Netherlands evolved into the TEC-X programme, wich is now organized in four major student cities: Amsterdam, Delft, Enschede and Groningen. In 2016 more than 100 students participated in the programme and can call themselves TEC alumni now.

Fred Matilda

The Hague/Delft (TEC 2)

Hi my name is Fred and I am a Chemical Technology student in The Hague. I became aware of the TEC-experience by a classmate of me that was also into entrepreneurship. We actually become more into entrepreneurship when we attended a presentation at a career event, whereby a lot of people in the chemical field became entrepreneurs without a business background. This program was one of the best things ever that happened to me, because this program gave a lot of perspective and opened a lot of doors for me! The best thing about this experience is the fact that you start from scratch and grow every week with lots of nice advice, help and guidance from people involved with TEC ( like other members and mentors etc.). Because of that, I not only learned about entrepreneurship but also a lot about myself. At times it became tough to keep believing in yourself and your product/company but at TEC we kept motivating each other every week which really helped and made it a very nice experience!!

Joost Nijdam

Groningen (TEC 3)

Hi, my name is Joost Nijdam and I am currently studying International Economics and Business at the University of Groningen. I gained my interest in TEC through a friend of mine, who has done the previous TEC programme (TEC 2). I have always been interested in entrepreneurship and the TEC programme gave me the opportunity to not only learn about the theoretical side of entrepreneurship, but also really putting it in practice by creating a start-up. One of the main reasons I joined the TEC-Experience was because of the 24 Hour challenge, which has taught me a lot about myself personally and how I engage in a group. It is also very interesting to see how people from different studies react to different situations/challenges we have faced when creating our business ideas. I would recommend everyone to join the TEC honours programme as it is a very knowledgable and exciting Experience!

Scato De Smit

Groningen (TEC 2)

Hi my name is Scato. I am studying Spatial planning and Design. I heard from my former housemate of his experiences with TEC, about his participation in the first program. He was very enthusiastic about its content of the. I was looking for an ancillary activity, next to my study, where I could develop myself personally and develop several practical skills, such as pitching, giving presentations and networking. TEC has given me this opportunity and therefore I applied for TEC Groningen.
Because of that, I not only learned about entrepreneurship but also a lot about myself. At times it became tough to keep believing in yourself and your product/company but at TEC we kept motivating each other every week which really helped and made it a very nice experience!!

Vincent Pigeaud

Groningen (TEC 2)

Hi! My name is Vincent and I am currently studying Industrial Engineering. Setting up a startup goes with ups and downs. The one week you think that you are really on a verge of starting something really big, but the other week everything flunks. These weekly fluctuations are sometimes difficult to cope with, but this process is very instructive afterwards. It is not an experience that can be gained at the university, and that's what makes TEC so knowledgable.

Loes Raasveld

Groningen (TEC 3)

Hi my name is Loes. I am studying Econometrics and Operations Research. During the past 5 months I learned how to develop a business idea from scratch. The combination of gaining knowledge of theoretical topics and training practical skills was particularly valuable. Furthermore, working together with other students with different backgrounds, qualities and personalities was truly beneficial for the work in progress. Learning with and from each other is what this program is about!

Thomas Lam

Groningen (TEC 2)

Hi, my name is Thomas and looking back at my time at TEC where I could develop my ideas in a setting where I got the right support. For me it was awesome how we could work on ideas in a group and develop them in a way that they really came to life and others saw the possibilities.
It was great to experience that when you put people with different backgrounds in a group you would get totally different outcomes than you would think of at the start.
Using your creativity in a the group is also the most fun part.
Sometimes it's difficult to agree on the fact that the idea you came up with doesn't work in a business model. That's hard to admit when you've put a lot of time and effort in it. That's the life of an entrepreneur, you have to keep on going and think about a better one!

David Seidell

Groningen (TEC 3)

Hi my name is David and I’m currently studying International Business at the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen. My most memorable experience has to be the 24-hour challenge, in which you learn a lot about yourself and your functioning within a group in a short period of time. I came in contact with TEC through some of my friends who participated in previous’ TEC programme. They made nothing but laudatory remarks about the whole programme, after which I was immediately sold. Working with your own team on ideas that might seem silly at first result in some very funny moments. Throughout the TEC programme you will experience a lot of ups and downs, which can be frustrating at times. However, through the help of the tutors and mentors you will always be able to work on improving your idea and eliminate possible flaws.

Friso Kuiters

Groningen (TEC 3)

Hi my name is Friso. I am studying Economics and Business Economics. The TEC honours programme enables you to put theory into practice by starting your own company, together with fellow ambitious students. By means of weekly sessions, experienced entrepreneurs give advice on how to resolve several obstacles. This, in combination with the 24-hour challenge, makes it a great opportunity for students to get a sneak peek in the world of entrepreneurship! Therefore, I would recommend everyone with an interest in entrepreneurship, to apply for this programme!

Djoeke Siemssen

Delft (TEC 1)

Hi my name is Djoeke and I am studying in Delft. I have participated last year at TEC. The best memory of my experience at TEC are the evenings with the mentors. It is nice to receive constructive feedback from experienced entrepreneurs.

Joeri ten Kate

Groningen (TEC 1)

Hi my name is Joeri. I am a Econometrics and Operations Research student. I am currently working on my masters in Rotterdam at the RSM. I participated in TEC two years ago. The best thing of TEC is that it broadened my view of possible carrier perspectives in entrepreneurship.

Rik Bouwman

Groningen (TEC 1)

Hi my name is Rik. I am currently studying Accountancy and Controlling. The best thing of TEC is the collaboration with students from different studies! I would recommend everyone to do this programme!

Rosalie Becker

Groningen (TEC 3)

Hi! My name is Rosalie Becker and I am currently studying International and European Law. I joined the TEC community, because I was interested in exploring the world of entrepreneurship and developing myself in a different field than law. When I started the program I didn’t actually had a clear idea of what it entails to be an entrepreneur and how to start a business. However, due to the clear structure and learning goals the TEC program has introduced me in the interesting and exciting world of entrepreneurship in no time!

Nutte van Belzen

Tutor (Co-founder CC Diagnostics)

As being a mentor for the TEC experience programme I was surprised to see the dedication of the students. They were very eager to learn and extremely innovative. New ideas and solutions were brought to the table every week. My feedback was been taken very seriously and I could see the teams progress week to week. As a former student I'm happy to support other students in their current journey towards entrepreneurship

Jelle van der Meulen

Tutor ( ForecastXL & Develop Your Career)

The TEC programme is a great initiative since, especially at universities, the availability of courses and workshops about entrepreneurship is quite low. By offering a programme like this, the students are able to get an idea what entrepreneurship is about. Being one of the TEC mentors is good fun, because during the meetups I always experience a lot of enthusiasm and eagerness to learn and innovate among the students.

David Lo Dico

Tutor (Founder & CEO Braincaps)

I have attended multiple meetings of TEC Groningen, in which I helped the student-entrepreneurs with their business ideas. I enjoyed the eager of the students to better understand what it means to be an entrepreneur. All participants learnt a lot during the TEC project and showcased their newly gained skills in inspiring final pitches!

About us

Meet our students, tutors and the advisory board!

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