From Improving to Connecting

Ten years ago, Accompanied began as a small consultancy with one clear goal: helping organisations work better together. Today, that goal remains at the heart of what we do – though its meaning has grown far beyond its original scope. What started as process improvement within Dutch public institutions has evolved into an international network promoting sustainable development across Brazil and Europe.

The Early Years – Where Systems Met People

In the early days, the focus was on administrative innovation and process optimisation, especially for municipalities struggling with complex regulations and poor coordination. One of our first major assignments was rebuilding Amsterdam’s Migration Desk – a single point where legal, political and human interests came together.

That project captured the essence of Accompanied’s approach: building bridges between policy and practice, between systems and people. Not the rules, but the reality of citizens should come first. That conviction still lies at the heart of everything we do.

From Amsterdam to Ceará

Around 2019, our perspective shifted from local governance to international collaboration. The world faced major challenges – climate, energy, migration – and real opportunities lay in cooperation across regions.

During that period, we established our first partnerships in Ceará, in the northeast of Brazil. A region with immense natural and economic potential, where Accompanied began bringing together local governments, businesses and knowledge institutions. The idea was as simple as it was ambitious: sustainable development starts with shared responsibility and knowledge exchange.

Today, Ceará is one of Accompanied’s key focus areas. Supported by Accompanied Brasil, based in Fortaleza and led by Joquebede Mesquita, we are developing projects in floating solar energy, circular production, water management and industrial innovation.

A Company Growing with Its Ideals

Over the past decade, Accompanied has continually evolved while staying true to its core. Where our first clients were municipalities, we now work with international consortia of businesses, governments and universities. Where once we wrote reports, we now deliver projects – from floating solar parks to applying Dutch horticultural technology in Ceará’s drylands.

To support that growth, we founded Accompanied Collective – a joint venture of three equal partners who complement each other in expertise and mindset:

• Accompanied BV – strategic coordination, international cooperation and project development.
• Toolbot Robotics – led by Marcus Seeliger, specialising in asset management and the environmental impact of maritime operations.
• Avand Management – led by Arnoud van Druten, providing technical advice and implementation of renewable energy projects.

Our Collective functions as an ecosystem: transparent, flexible and built on collaboration rather than hierarchy.

A Dutch Mindset with a Brazilian Soul

Those who work with Accompanied recognise a unique blend of professionalism and idealism. Dutch pragmatism meets Brazilian warmth and resilience – a combination that makes our partnerships both human and effective.

For us, sustainability is not a buzzword but a daily practice. We don’t sell technology; we connect people and ideas. Whether it’s solar energy, water management or modular housing, we always start with context: what works here, with these people, under these conditions?

The Strength of Human Ingenuity

Ten years of entrepreneurship have taught us one thing: sustainable development is not a technological challenge, but a human one. It’s about listening, observing, connecting and creating together.

From the public desk in Amsterdam to the dams of Ceará, one thread runs through it all: confidence in our ability – in human ingenuity, in collaboration, and in the power to make the world more beautiful.

Looking Ahead

Our tenth anniversary marks the beginning of a new chapter. In the years ahead, we’ll continue to focus on international Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and launch new initiatives in other Brazilian states and in Cape Verde.

What began ten years ago as a small consultancy on a Dutch island has grown into an enterprise with a global outlook and local roots. And our commitment remains unchanged:  Let’s brighten up tomorrow.