Amsterdam is not only the logistics capital of Europe but has also become a design hub in recent years. A new generation of Dutch founders is combining the country’s famous supply chain efficiency with a minimalist, Dutch Design aesthetic to build global consumer brands. Whether it’s leasing jeans to save water or engineering stain-repellent shirts, the Amsterdam D2C scene is defined by thought and effort wrapped in beautiful packaging.
Here are the 10 D2C startups in Amsterdam you need to watch in 2026.
Veloretti
Ferry Zonder founded Veloretti to disrupt the bicycle market with a philosophy of forever design. While the Dutch bike market was saturated with clunky, heavy utility bikes, Zonder introduced a sleek, lightweight aesthetic reminiscent of classic 1950s racers but engineered for modern urban life. The brand experienced a surge in popularity with the launch of their electric models, the Ivy and Ace, which feature automated gear shifting and integrated navigation. By selling directly to consumers, they offer premium craftsmanship at a mid-market price point. Their recent acquisition by Pon Holdings (the conglomerate behind Gazelle and Cervélo) has given them the capital firepower to scale their stylish electric fleet across every major European city.
Crisp
Tom Peeters, Michiel Roodenburg, and Eric Klaassen launched Crisp to fix the broken link between local farmers and urban tables. Unlike traditional supermarkets that rely on long storage times and preservatives, Crisp is an app-only supermarket that operates on a zero inventory model for fresh produce. Farmers bring their goods to the warehouse only after orders are placed, ensuring that customers get food that is days fresher than store-bought alternatives. Having raised over €75 million, they have proven that a hyper-local, quality-first grocery model can scale, effectively digitising the shopping experience at a high-end farmers’ market.
Ace & Tate
Mark de Lange founded Ace & Tate with a rebellious idea: glasses should be an accessory you change as often as your sneakers, not a medical device you keep for five years. By handling everything from design to manufacturing in-house, they undercut the Luxottica monopoly, offering stylish frames at a flat, transparent price. The brand has evolved into a sustainability leader, pioneering the use of Acetate Renew (recycled bio-plastic) and launching a reframe program to refurbish and resell used glasses. They have successfully scaled from a website to a pan-European retail empire, proving that D2C brands can breathe new life into the high street.
Wakuli
Yorick Bruins and Lukas Grosfeld founded Wakuli to eliminate the lengthy chain of intermediaries in the coffee industry. They ship coffee beans directly from farmers in countries like Ethiopia and Brazil to consumer doorsteps in Amsterdam, roasting them locally to ensure peak freshness. This Direct Trade model enables them to pay farmers up to three times the market rate while selling to consumers at a price lower than that of supermarket luxury brands. Their subscription model is highly sticky, driven by a narrative of impact and quality that resonates with the ethically conscious Dutch consumer.
Labfresh
Kasper Brandi Petersen and Lotte Vink founded Labfresh to address a universal problem of clothes becoming dirty and smelly. They engineered a proprietary cotton fabric that repels red wine, ketchup, and sweat while remaining breathable and soft. Unlike fast fashion, their thesis is long fashion, clothing that requires less washing and lasts longer, reducing the environmental footprint of your wardrobe. Starting with a record-breaking Kickstarter, they have built a profitable direct-to-consumer (D2C) business that appeals to tech-forward professionals seeking a capsule wardrobe that can withstand the rigours of a messy workday.
Stoov
Teun van Leijsen founded Stoov with a simple energy-saving premise: heat the person, not the room. Stoov creates wireless infrared heating cushions and blankets that warm up the user directly. This product became an unexpected essential during the energy crisis, enabling households and restaurants to lower their thermostats while maintaining comfort. With a focus on sustainable fabrics and repairability, Stoov has grown from a niche Dutch product into a European household name, redefining personal comfort in an era of high energy prices.
Swapfiets
Founded by a group of Delft students, Richard Burger, Martijn Obers, and Dirk de Bruijn, Swapfiets is often likened to Netflix for bikes. They recognised that people want mobility, not maintenance. For a monthly fee, users receive a bike with the iconic blue tyre. If it breaks, Swapfiets swaps it for a working one within 48 hours. This subscription model completely de-risks bike ownership. While they have physical stores, their digital-first acquisition model makes them a D2C powerhouse. Now backed by Pon, they are the world’s first “Bicycle as a Service” company to achieve mass scale, operating in cities such as Paris and London.
MUD Jeans
Bert van Son founded MUD Jeans to prove that the fashion industry doesn’t have to be linear. They pioneered the “Lease a Jeans” concept, where customers pay a monthly fee to wear a pair of organic denim jeans. After a year, they can keep them, swap them for a new pair, or return them for recycling. This circular business model ensures that the raw materials are never wasted. MUD Jeans has become a global case study for the circular economy, attracting a loyal following of eco-minimalists who want premium denim without the ecological guilt.
Smyle
Almar Fernhout founded Smyle to eliminate the billions of plastic toothpaste tubes that end up in landfills every year. They reinvented toothpaste as tablet-sized mints stored in refillable glass bottles and compostable paper sachets. It is a classic D2C disruption: taking a boring, commoditised daily habit and turning it into a sustainable, design-led ritual. Their subscription model ensures high retention, and their sleek branding has enabled them to expand rapidly from an online-only presence into major retail chains across the Benelux.
Matt Sleeps
Joep Verbunt founded Matt Sleeps to wake up the sleepy mattress industry. Frustrated by confusing sales tactics and expensive showrooms, he created a perfect mattress that can be adjusted at home. The mattress has different firmness layers that users can unzip and flip to find their preferred comfort level. Known for their guerrilla marketing stunts, such as hosting Hangover Bars with beds, Matt Sleeps has built a brand with personality in a typically dull sector. Their 120-day trial and direct shipping model have made them the top-rated mattress startup in the Netherlands.
