How EUSA PR supports Philips Innovation Award startups with international PR positioning

Each year, the Philips Innovation Award brings together some of the most promising student-founded technology startups in the Netherlands. Many of these companies are building solutions with global relevance but often lack early access to international media visibility.

Together with partners Philips, Equinix and Rabobank and many other partners, the program supports founders not only with funding and mentorship, but also with strategic exposure to international markets.

As international PR partner, EUSA PR helps participating startups translate technical innovation into stories that resonate with global media.

The challenge: strong technology, limited international visibility

Early-stage startups often describe their innovation from a Dutch or European perspective. International journalists, however, are looking for stories that connect to developments in their own markets.

That difference determines whether a startup remains local news or becomes internationally relevant.

Within the Philips Innovation Award program, EUSA PR works with founders to position their innovation as part of larger global shifts in technology, sustainability, mobility, health or digital behaviour.

Our approach: positioning innovation within global trends

During strategy sessions with participating teams, EUSA PR helps founders:

• translate technical breakthroughs into media narratives
• connect their innovation to US and international market developments
• identify journalists covering their category
• prepare for conversations with international media
• understand how outlets like Bloomberg, TechCrunch or The New York Times select stories
• position themselves as category challengers rather than regional newcomers

The goal is simple: make startups internationally media-ready before they expand in Europe and the US.

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“I heard from all the startups and my colleagues that they were extremely enthusiastic about EUSA PR.”
Zizi and Leonore, Philips Innovation Award

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International media coverage for Philips Innovation Award startups

Several startups connected to the Philips Innovation Award later secured coverage in leading international outlets after positioning their innovation within global developments instead of a local Dutch narrative.

Loop Biotech featured in The Wall Street Journal

Loop Biotech gained international visibility in The Wall Street Journal after positioning its mushroom-based coffin as a response to sustainability challenges in the US funeral industry.

Read the article:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/mushroom-caskets-make-the-final-resting-place-eco-friendly-8ccac598

Breeze covered by The New York Times and CNN

Breeze was featured by The New York Times as part of a broader shift away from swipe-based dating culture in New York.

Read the article:
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/28/style/cerca-breeze-dating-apps-privacy.html

The company was also highlighted by CNN during Valentine’s Day coverage about changing dating behaviour in the United States.

Watch the interview:
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/02/13/business/video/breeze-dating-interview

Lightyear featured by Bloomberg

Lightyear appeared in Bloomberg as part of international reporting on next-generation solar-powered mobility.

Read the article:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-11-30/dutch-startup-begins-production-of-world-s-first-solar-car

What founders learn inside the program

Through EUSA PR sessions within the Philips Innovation Award trajectory, participants learn how to:

• move beyond “Dutch startup storytelling”
• position their company within global industry developments
• identify journalists covering their sector internationally
• build credibility before entering the US market
• increase visibility among investors and partners
• prepare for coverage in outlets such as Bloomberg, TechCrunch, Forbes and The New York Times

For many founders, this is their first exposure to international PR strategy.

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