About Demonstrator Lab
So… you have this promising idea that might be the start of a business
Then Demonstrator Lab is the entrepreneurship laboratory where you can transform your ideas into a tangible product or service. Demonstrator Lab is a learning-by-doing environment open to students and staff members. Its goal is to foster an entrepreneurial culture in Amsterdams higher education ecosystem and to boost research driven innovation by giving its members the opportunity to get their feet wet at no cost.
What you can expect from us?
We can help you throughout the entire idea-to-market process. From forming the team, to developing a prototype. From working out the most efficient marketing strategy to find the resources needed to deploy that strategy. Supported by our vast network, we provide you with the business tools that help you explore whether your idea can make it. As the saying goes, there is no failure: you either succeed or you learn.
- Advice on all aspects of the idea-to-market process
- Lab facilities, lab space, and office space
- Access to mechanical, electronic and technical workshops of the UvA and that of VU
- Seed grant (no-string-attached, minimal bureaucracy) of up to € 15,000
- Connection to the Demonstrator Lab network
For whom?
Demonstrator Lab is open to students, staff and researchers from all disciplines from HvA, UvA, VU and Amsterdam UMC. Participants enter the lab at the very early phase of the idea-to-market process.
The Lab offers an entrepreneurial-minded academic environment where, in parallel with your everyday activity, you can:
- Identify the actual customer added value hidden in your abstract idea
- Fix your entrepreneurial goals and their affordable losses
- Create the network of collaborators (including first customers) needed to test the idea
- Build a prototype – Minimum Valuable Product (MVP)
- Test the prototype with customers
- Move on: make a new MVP or find further funding or pivot or abandon and try again.
Why would you bring your idea into Demonstrator Lab?
Whether you’re a student or a researcher, you might be wondering whether you are the right person to bring your idea to market. The good news is: we are here to help. Our team supports you in all the critical stages of developing your idea into tangible customer value. The strength of the Lab stems from an active engagement with the research community and from the possibility to access a wealth of facilities – not only in the field of sciences but also in the field of product development (e.g. for fast prototyping).
By joining Demonstrator Lab you minimize your risk exploring different hypotheses to bring your idea outside the lab, surrounded by well-connected professionals. You get the opportunity to carry out a conceptual or technical feasibility study and perform business research.
Do not hesitate: if you are in doubt, contact us. We would be more than happy to discuss with you whether and how we can help you.
Demonstrator Lab is made possible with a contribution of the City of Amsterdam.
Presenting the 28 pre-finalists of the Amsterdam Science & Innovation Awards 2025
Get to know the 28 pre-finalists of the Amsterdam Science & Innovation Award (AmSIA). The selected ideas offer solutions to a wide range of contemporary challenges, including (mental) health, climate, energy, nutrition, education, sports, and more.
News
Meet the DLAB team: Tana Antón García
A short introduction Tana is an open book. She really likes ducks, she is a yogi, a huge electronic music nerd, always dancing, she’s a science girl and a bit of a history fanatic – 3D printing busts of Augustus for fun and, much like him, bringing peace and vastly gaining popularity at the DLAB, just […]
News
EVENT > 12 March | Funding Routes
Discover your best funding options & connect with investors. This event is co-organized with AMS Startup Booster and will be held at the AMS Institute. Get your ticket: https://lu.ma/j0kfwcnb (Extra registration form for startups at the bottom of this page). Funding Routes – Demonstrator Lab x AMS Institute Join us for Funding Routes, an event […]
News