Dutch Startups In2Dialog and Ixly Secure AI R&D Grant
Utrecht, Friday, 25 April 2025.
In2Dialog and Ixly receive MIT R&D grant from Utrecht to integrate AI with linguistics and psychometrics, aiming to set new standards in recruitment technology.
Groundbreaking Partnership in AI Recruitment
In a significant development for the Dutch AI sector, Utrecht-based In2Dialog and Ixly received the MIT R&D collaboration grant on April 14, 2025 [1]. The funding, part of the MIT scheme (MKB-innovatiestimulering Regio en Topsectoren), aims to stimulate innovation among Dutch SMEs through collaborative research and development projects [2]. For 2024, the national funding pool amounts to €3.1 million, with Utrecht province specifically allocating €2.46 million to support regional innovation initiatives [3].
Technology Integration and Innovation
The collaboration focuses on developing advanced technology that leverages Large Language Models (LLMs) to analyze language patterns and derive psychometric insights [3]. This initiative combines In2Dialog’s expertise in AI-driven recruitment tools with Ixly’s specialization in psychometric assessments [1]. The project builds upon In2Dialog’s recent success, having won both the RecruitmentTech Award 2024 for Best Tool and the Benelux Award 2024 for Best AI Application in Recruitment [4].
Strategic Impact and Leadership
The project’s timing is particularly significant, as In2Dialog recently strengthened its leadership team with the appointment of René Zwijnenburg as Chief Operating Officer on April 18, 2025 [5]. Diddo van Zand, CEO of In2Dialog, emphasizes that this grant validates their approach to combining AI, linguistics, and psychometrics for improved organizational matching [1]. Meanwhile, Ixly’s CEO, Dirk-jan van de Werfhorst, highlights their aim to establish new standards for fairness and scientific rigor in candidate assessment [2].
Addressing National Innovation Gaps
This initiative addresses a crucial gap in the Dutch AI landscape, as recent reports indicate that early-stage AI investments in the Netherlands lag behind European leaders such as Switzerland and the United Kingdom [3]. The MIT scheme’s support for AI projects like In2Dialog and Ixly’s collaboration demonstrates the Dutch government’s commitment to closing this gap by making research less risky and accelerating the development of indigenous technological solutions [3].