Heroyam secures over €1 million for further growth and social impact

Zwolle-based social employment agency Heroyam has secured over €1 million in funding to accelerate its growth. The company connects newcomers, including refugees, asylum seekers, and status holders, with jobs in the Netherlands. Thanks to strategic investments from international impact investor Shaping Impact and Rabobank, Heroyam can further expand its mission: helping all newcomers in the Netherlands find work in a humane and personal way.

Heroyam and Shaping Impact share the same vision: creating a diverse, inclusive labor market where all talents are fully utilized. Shaping Impact specializes in investments that contribute to positive change on a large scale: “Heroyam demonstrates that social impact and economic value are not opposites, but rather reinforce one another. The team proves that tapping into unused talent both helps people move forward and offers solutions to businesses. These are exactly the kinds of enterprises we invest in,” says Dave Dirks, Managing Partner at Shaping Impact.

Heroyam started in 2022 by guiding Ukrainian refugees towards employment. The scope has since broadened, and since 2023, the agency has been assisting all newcomers across the Netherlands. By heavily investing in their development and guidance, the staffing agency has already helped hundreds of individuals secure jobs. These efforts have not gone unnoticed: Heroyam won the ‘Starter of the Year’ award that same year and can now proudly call itself a top 1% B Corp. This certification confirms that the company meets high standards of sustainability, ethics, and transparency.

With this growth capital, Heroyam aims to make an even greater impact on the labor market in the coming years, where shortages remain persistent. “In an era of an aging population and a shrinking workforce, utilizing all available talent is not a luxury, but an economic necessity,” states co-founder Hans Drijver. “We envision a future where newcomers are no longer sidelined, but form the essential solution to staff shortages and productivity.”

The goal for the coming years is clear: helping even more newcomers find sustainable employment, thereby alleviating labor market shortages. Co-founder Bart Dikkeschei adds: “Inclusivity and solving business challenges go hand in hand. We are incredibly pleased that, with the investments from Shaping Impact and Rabobank, we are able to take these next steps.”