These are Groningen’s best student entrepreneurs of 2026

Ten thousand euros for Matias, and another ten thousand for Rosalie and Milou. The final evening of this year’s two entrepreneurship competitions turns into a spectacular celebration for Groningen’s student entrepreneurs.

Matias di Rico studies International Business. Anyone involved in international trade has to cross borders, and at those borders stands customs. Before the physical or virtual barrier is lifted, customs officials want all sorts of information. Documents, forms, declarations, filings, you name it. It can be a complicated process. How convenient would it be to know exactly what customs will ask for and which documents need to be submitted? Better still, imagine having everything completed and ready well in advance.

All seven finalists are surprisingly skilled at pitching their businesses

That is exactly what Matias’ company, RoamAI, does for businesses. The details remain a trade secret, but Matias has no doubts. RoamAI, an AI-powered customs broker, fills a major gap in the market. The judges of the Rabo Entrepreneur Award 2026, two representatives from Rabobank, completely agree. They name Matias the winner and put their money where their mouth is, awarding him a giant cheque worth €10,000.

The final evening of Take Your Business to the Stage is a festive spectacle centred around the seven student entrepreneurs who have made it to the final. Or rather, the finals, because two competitions are decided tonight: the Rabo Entrepreneur Award (for the best business) and the Anner Award (for the best entrepreneur). The seven finalists pitch their companies to both the judges and a packed audience in the Rabo Studio at the Forum Groningen. And pitching is something they all seem remarkably good at.

Having your name on a packet of free sanitary products may be better than seeing it on a football stadium advertising board

The four students competing for the Anner Award each present ventures that add social value. Daphne Perdon, who studies Fashion at the Alfa-college, creates made-to-measure clothing for people with disabilities and hopes to bring her services directly to clients through a mobile workshop.

Something for Nothing, the company founded by Business student Jesper Smit, sells precisely nothing. The sanitary products and menstrual care items it distributes are free, at least for the women who receive them. The companies that make those products available, however, do have to pay. In return, they can place their name on the packaging. In short, they link their brand to a worthwhile cause. One of the judges remarks that this may be more valuable than seeing your company name displayed on an advertising board in a football stadium.

Milou and Rosalie offer both practical support and a shoulder to cry on

Milou Bosscher and Rosalie van der Velde also have an idea aimed at making the world a little better. Their company begins where traditional funeral services end. The first week after a death is usually well organised, but after that week, support largely disappears, something Milou and Rosalie know from personal experience. Yet the period that follows is often filled with grief, loss and the long process of saying goodbye. Milou & Rosalie’s Funeral Guidance and Aftercare provides practical support and emotional assistance throughout that journey.

The pair address a serious issue, according to the judges, one for which ‘it is strange that no solution has existed until now’. The jury is deeply impressed by the two Social Work students and rewards them with the Anner Award, which also comes with a prize of €10,000.

Jesper Smit wins the audience award, deservedly so, although he may simply have brought the largest support group

It is a genuine prize-giving extravaganza, an evening dedicated entirely to putting student entrepreneurs in the spotlight. There are fireworks, musical performers and an atmosphere of celebration throughout. Supervising lecturers beam with pride, while parents and grandparents glow with delight. Tristan Hofman effortlessly guides the audience through the evening.

Jesper Smit takes home the €500 audience award. Deservedly, of course, although it may also help that he seems to have brought the largest number of friends and supporters. They are certainly present in force.

The final two contestants can hardly be faulted for a lack of ambition. Both are already well on their way with their businesses. Juzu Spirits has sold more than 400 bottles of handcrafted limoncello, and its elegant bottles can already be found in thirteen retail locations. The key ingredient, the lemons, comes from the Amalfi Coast, exactly as it should. Mees Jongerius, a recent graduate of Entrepreneurship & Retail Management, already has ambitious expansion plans. Within a year, he hopes to triple everything: bottle sales, revenue, points of sale and product range. Alongside limoncello, Juzu also produces orangecello and limecello.

Apparently it works, because Myrthe Jong’s beer rings are selling like hot cakes

Myrthe Jong is also making strong progress. The problem her product solves appears to be a common one. Her invention is a beer ring: an elastic band placed around the neck of a beer bottle, allowing partygoers to recognise their own drink after a trip to the dance floor, for example.

Apparently it works, because the beer rings are selling like hot cakes. At least, that is what Myrthe says. The judges describe her as ‘sparkling and enthusiastic’. The Communication student certainly has plenty of energy. In addition to the beer rings, she has already added drinking card games to her range, while her head is full of ideas for other party gadgets. Over the coming year, she plans to spend three days a week on her business rather than the three hours a week she devoted to it over the past year. That certainly sounds promising.

Photo: the finalists of Take Your Business To The Stage (left to right): Jesper Smit, Milou Bosscher, Rosalie van der Velde, Daphne Perdon, Mees Jongerius, Matias di Rico and Myrthe Jong. (Photographer: Marnix Dufourny).