LUNARTECH is proud to launch BuildNL (Build Netherlands), a fellowship and apprenticeship initiative designed to develop the next generation of exceptional engineers in the Netherlands and beyond. Following the strong momentum of BuildUSA, this program brings the same hands-on, mentorship-driven approach to individuals who want to work on serious technology and grow far beyond the boundaries of conventional early-career roles.
BuildNL is built for people who want more than passive learning. It is for those who want to work on real systems, move through complex topics quickly, and gain access to environments that most people simply never reach early in their careers. This is not just about training—it is about transformation.
There remains a clear gap between what many people learn and what it actually takes to build and ship systems in the real world. Many individuals have knowledge, but lack execution experience, system-level thinking, and the confidence to operate in complex environments.
BuildNL exists to close that gap—not by teaching more theory, but by developing people through real execution.
We believe the strongest engineers of the future are those who can move across domains, connect ideas, and turn complexity into action. These are the people who don’t get stuck—they figure things out, they build, and they deliver.
Participants are exposed to real, high-impact work across modern technical domains. Rather than being limited to a single track, they develop a broader understanding of how systems are actually built.
They may work across:
They also gain exposure to industries such as healthcare, education, legal systems, aerospace, and advanced AI applications.
This combination is intentional—it allows participants to see how different layers connect, which is where real capability is built.
BuildNL is not about watching tutorials or completing isolated exercises. It is about doing real work, in real environments, with real expectations.
Participants are expected to contribute, to think, to solve, and to improve. At the same time, they are supported with mentorship, structure, and feedback so they are not navigating complexity alone.
The philosophy is simple:
you do not become strong by consuming—you become strong by building.
At LUNARTECH, we focus on developing what we call 20x engineers—individuals who are not limited by narrow roles, but can operate across multiple layers of execution.
In practice, this means learning to combine:
But more importantly, it means becoming someone who can figure things out and get things done.
You are no longer dependent on perfectly defined tasks. You are able to take ambiguous problems, break them down, and move them forward. You understand how systems connect. You move faster because you are not waiting on others to fill in the gaps.
That shift is what changes everything.
People join BuildNL for themselves—and what they gain goes far beyond the duration of the program.
By the end of the experience, participants don’t just “know more.” They operate differently.
They gain:
Most importantly, they gain a shift in identity—from someone who is learning, to someone who is capable of executing.
This is why companies value these types of engineers so highly. They don’t just follow instructions. They create progress.
BuildNL supports this transformation with a full ecosystem designed for growth:
This is not about giving people information. It is about giving them the conditions to grow quickly and effectively.
BuildNL is selective by design. It is not for everyone—and it is not meant to be.
We look for individuals who are:
The program is open to individuals in the Netherlands, Dutch nationals abroad, and selected international applicants.
The structure of BuildNL is designed to turn potential into real capability. We are not interested in creating a loose or vague experience where participants simply “take part” in a program and leave unchanged. Every stage is meant to move people forward in a deliberate way: from interest, to immersion, to execution, to a much stronger professional and technical identity. The process is designed to help individuals not only learn faster, but also become far more capable of delivering meaningful work in real-world environments.
The program begins with an application and selection process that is designed to identify genuine potential, seriousness, and builder mentality. Applicants are asked to share their background, interests, and proof of work, whether that comes in the form of projects, GitHub repositories, technical case studies, prototypes, or other concrete signals of effort and capability. While credentials can provide context, they are not the main thing we optimize for. What matters far more is whether someone has shown curiosity, initiative, discipline, and the ability to think through problems in a practical way.
We are highly intentional in this stage because BuildNL is not meant to be a passive or generic experience. We want participants who are ready to move quickly, take feedback seriously, and grow through challenge. The selection process is therefore not only about assessing what someone already knows, but also about understanding how they think, how they approach complexity, and whether they have the mindset required to thrive in a demanding, high-growth environment.
Once accepted, participants enter an onboarding and foundations phase that is designed to prepare them properly for the intensity and quality expectations of the program. This stage includes environment setup, skills assessment, alignment on expectations, and the creation of a clearer development path based on the participant’s current level and future direction. Rather than throwing people into work without context, we make sure they have the structure needed to start building with clarity.
This stage matters because strong growth does not come from chaos alone; it comes from the right combination of challenge and support. By establishing the right technical foundations early, participants are able to move into more advanced work with greater confidence and far less friction. It also allows us to tailor parts of the experience so that each person is pushed appropriately, rather than being placed into a one-size-fits-all track that ignores their strengths and gaps.
At the core of BuildNL is project-based execution. This is where the program becomes real. Participants work on actual tasks, real systems, and meaningful deliverables in environments that reflect how modern technical work is done. Instead of staying in theory, they engage directly with the realities of shipping, problem-solving, iteration, and technical decision-making. This is where the deepest transformation happens, because participants are no longer simply learning about execution—they are practicing it.
Working in this way changes how a person grows. They begin to understand how different systems connect, how real constraints shape decisions, and how to move from ambiguity to action. Over time, they become more comfortable with complexity, more capable of taking ownership, and far better at turning ideas into outcomes. This stage is one of the most important parts of the program because it is what allows participants to build real confidence based on evidence, not just theory.
Growth at this level requires strong feedback loops, which is why regular reviews and mentorship are built into the structure of the program. Participants receive guidance on their technical work, thinking process, execution quality, and overall development. This is not feedback for the sake of formality; it is feedback designed to sharpen judgment, improve standards, and help individuals accelerate much faster than they would on their own.
One of the reasons many talented people grow slowly is not a lack of effort, but a lack of close, high-quality feedback. BuildNL is designed to solve that problem. Through regular reviews, participants gain clearer insight into what they are doing well, where they need to improve, and how to approach problems at a higher level. Over time, this compounds into stronger technical instincts, better decision-making, and a much more professional way of operating.
By the end of the program, participants leave with much more than a line on a résumé. They leave with real outputs, stronger judgment, deeper technical ability, and a clearer sense of what they are capable of. Depending on the path they take, that may include shipped features, technical artifacts, case studies, stronger portfolios, or practical work that demonstrates real execution. Just as importantly, they leave with a stronger internal foundation: more confidence, more speed, and more ability to contribute in demanding environments.
The next step after BuildNL is not meant to be a question mark. The purpose of the program is to help individuals move into the next stage of their journey with greater clarity and leverage—whether that means pursuing a role within our ecosystem, stepping into stronger opportunities elsewhere, or continuing to build independently. In that sense, BuildNL is not just a program; it is a mechanism for helping people become the kind of engineers who can create opportunities, rather than waiting for them.
BuildNL is also a way for us to give back to the Netherlands.
By helping develop engineers who can operate at a high level—who can solve complex problems quickly and build meaningful systems—we contribute to a stronger technical ecosystem. These are the kinds of individuals who raise the standard around them, contribute to companies, and help drive innovation forward.
Our goal is to help produce engineers whose level of execution is rare and increasingly recognized as world-class.
Success means participants leave as fundamentally different operators.
They are no longer waiting for instructions.
They are capable of creating outcomes.
In practical terms, success means individuals who:
LUNARTECH’s commitment is long-term.
We invest in people because we believe that strong individuals create strong systems, strong companies, and strong ecosystems. BuildNL is our way of turning that belief into something real.
We are excited to work with individuals who are ready to grow, build, and step into a much higher level of capability.
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