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For the 22nd time, het Financieele Dagblad hosted the FD Gazellen awards, one of the most prestigious entrepreneurship awards for the fastest-growing companies in the Netherlands.
The full list of FD Gazellen 2025 was published on November 25th, along with the winners in each category.
This also applies to the winner of the national Oryx Award: Matt Sleeps, which is recognized as the company with the most remarkable growth performance. The Oryx Award is determined and presented by an experienced jury, consisting of Loes daniels (founder of Experiencegift), Kees de Jong (serial entrepreneur and founder of nlgroeit), and Marcel Broersma (investor and founder of bedrijfsdokter Peak Value).
Het Financieele Dagblad regularly receives questions about the criteria for the FD Gazellen awards. When can a company call itself an FD Gazelle? The simplest explanation is: all companies whose revenue has grown by at least 20 percent for three consecutive years. This year, the base year is 2022, and revenue must relate to a full twelve-month financial year.
Being named an FD Gazelle says a lot about a company’s financial position and sustainable growth potential. It also provides a snapshot of the state of Dutch business. This recognition is not limited to large companies: SMEs, widely regarded as the engine of the economy, are equally eligible.
There is also a regional component: the FD Gazellen are divided into four regions, and then into three categories per region. In each of the twelve categories, there are three additional awards for the top three: the bronze, silver, and gold FD Gazellen awards. These go to companies that score highest in the combination of revenue growth, relative staff growth (measured in ftes), and highest (net) profit margin.
On November 25th, FD Gazellen reached its peak with an event attended by 1,200 people. FD Gazellen also has many other formats. For example, there is the podcast series FD Gazellen: “het moment”, in which FD journalist Elvanie toe Laer speaks with the entrepreneurs behind the fastest-growing companies in the Netherlands. What were the defining moments in their lives? From a bankruptcy to a world-news-making event, everything is covered.
On the central platform fd.nl/gazellen, visitors can also regularly find new background articles. A series of articles based on a survey among FD Gazellen participants, for instance. This content is published both in the newspaper and online.
Take a look on fd.nl/gazellen for all winners and updates!
