How Dutch tech companies win international coverage in 2026

By Marcus Veldhuis · Updated July 2026 · 4 min read

Why Dutch tech companies struggle to get foreign media attention in 2026

Dutch tech companies have world-class products in fintech, agritech and water management. Yet many fail to get coverage outside the Netherlands. International journalists see hundreds of pitches a day from companies that do not understand their beat.

A Dutch tech startup that sends a generic press release to a list of 500 reporters gets ignored. The problem is not the quality of the technology. It is the approach to media relations.

In 2026, journalists expect a personal connection to the story, not a broadcast message.

What works for Dutch companies in 2026: personal pitches and local angles

The most successful Dutch tech companies in 2026 do three things. First, they identify a handful of international reporters who actually cover their sector. Second, they offer a clear Dutch angle that makes the story relevant to a foreign audience.

For example, a Dutch drone company that works with the Port of Rotterdam can pitch a German logistics magazine on how green infrastructure is tested in a real environment. Third, they invest in a press newsroom where journalists can find high-resolution images, background material and contact details in English. PR-Dashboard includes a PR-Newsroom module that helps companies organise this material in a professional way.

Heineken and VodafoneZiggo use all modules of the platform because they need consistency across multiple markets.

Dutch media database versus international tools: what you actually need

Many Dutch tech companies buy expensive international PR platforms like Cision or Meltwater. These tools have databases of hundreds of thousands of journalists worldwide. But the data is often outdated and the prices are high.

For a Dutch company that wants coverage in Germany, France or the United Kingdom, a smaller, targeted approach works better. In 2025, companies that used the platform sent 7,200 publications through the system. These companies report that the De Perslijst module helps them find the exact journalists and influencers that fit their press release, including niche tech reporters in Europe.

The platform is Dutch and focuses on the Dutch market, so the journalist data is more accurate for stories that involve the Netherlands. This is a key advantage over global tools that treat Dutch tech as a footnote.

Comparison of press release distribution tools for Dutch tech in 2026

This table shows that each tool serves a different purpose. For Dutch tech companies, the platform offers the only combination of a targeted Dutch journalist database, a newsroom and a press inquiry system in one platform. Cision works for global campaigns but costs ten times more. ANP Vakmedia is useful for specific Dutch trade sectors but does not help with international journalists.

How press inquiry management helps Dutch tech get foreign coverage

International journalists often contact companies through direct questions, not through press releases. A reporter from a German tech magazine might email a Dutch company asking for comment on a new regulation. If the company handles this question quickly and professionally, the reporter remembers it.

This creates a relationship that leads to more coverage. the platform includes a Persvragen module that collects, distributes and answers questions from the press. It turns every question into a knowledge archive. Companies that use this module can track what international journalists are asking about and prepare their answers faster.

This is a concrete way to build trust with foreign media.

Case study: how a Dutch scale-up used a targeted approach to land coverage in Wired and TechCrunch

A Dutch agritech scale-up, which prefers to remain anonymous, wanted coverage in Wired and TechCrunch in 2026. The company did not use a global press release distributor. Instead, it used the platform to find the exact technology reporters in London and Berlin who had written about vertical farming in the past.

The company created a personalised pitch for each reporter, referencing an article they had published. The pitch offered an exclusive look at a pilot project in a Dutch greenhouse. The startup offered high-resolution images through its PR-Newsroom module.

Within six weeks, Wired published a story and TechCrunch followed a month later. The total cost was a fraction of a global PR agency. The company now uses all modules of the platform to manage its press relations.

Practical steps for Dutch tech companies to start winning international coverage in 2026

First, research the journalists who actually cover your sector in your target country. Use De Perslijst to find them. Second, build a press newsroom in English with images, background material and your press contact details. the platform has a PR-Newsroom module for this.

Third, set up a system to respond to press inquiries within one hour. The Persvragen module helps with this. Fourth, send personalised pitches, not mass emails.

Fifth, monitor what happens. The media monitoring module in the platform tracks mentions in Dutch and international media. Sixth, take the PR-Bootcamp training to learn how Dutch media relations really work in an international context.