Before the buzz of DPW Amsterdam began, I had the privilege of spending a quiet day ahead of the conference at the Rijksmuseum—standing before masterpieces that have endured for centuries. Works by Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Hals—each brushstroke preserved through wars, revolutions, and generations—remind us that true craftsmanship withstands the tests of time.
It was a striking contrast to what awaited later that week: the fast-moving, high-decibel world of procurement and supply chain technology, where innovation cycles turn in months and yesterday’s breakthrough can quickly become tomorrow’s memory. At the Rijksmuseum, permanence is celebrated; at DPW, impermanence is reality. The question that lingered as I left the museum was the same one that echoed through the conference halls: what in this rapidly shifting landscape will truly endure—and what will fade just as quickly as it arrived?
Another DPW Amsterdam has come and gone. The music, lights, and unmistakable energy of the world’s most forward-leaning procurement and supply chain conference still echo a week later—but so do the questions. Beneath the spectacle lies a deeper conversation about what’s next: which technologies, companies, and ideas will truly shape the year ahead—and which might quietly fade before we meet again next fall.
This year’s event was bigger, louder, and more crowded with vendors than ever before. The exhibition floor reflected the growing gravitational pull of procurement and supply chain tech as a magnet for innovation. Yet amid the booth activations and slick demos, what stood out most was the rise of start-ups—scrappy, ambitious teams determined to define the next wave of digital transformation. They represent the foundation of future innovation but also its inherent volatility.
Practical Founders (2025) estimated that for every 100 software or SaaS startups, roughly 10% advance past each meaningful growth stage, suggesting that only about 1 in 10 ever reach sustainable revenue or multi-year viability. That sobering reality hung in the air as founders pitched, networked, and hustled to make an impression in a crowded market.
Adding to the complexity, the majority of startups at DPW were European—many of whom operate in a funding environment that is fundamentally different from the U.S. landscape. According to Forbes, less than 1% of small businesses in the United States receive funding from venture capital firms, while roughly 26% of European startup founders rely on VC backing. That dependency shapes both the optimism and the urgency felt at events like DPW, where visibility, investor access, and early traction can make or break a company’s runway.
Hype Meets Reality
The questions being asked at DPW were not new—but they carried a sharper edge this year.
When does hype become reality? Which vendors will still be here next year? And how many will quietly disappear—whether through cost-cutting, acquisition, or the simple math of survival in an over-invested market?
The AI narrative, unsurprisingly, dominated discussions. GenAI and the emerging concept of Agentic AI were front and center, but so were the anxieties they’ve unleashed. Everyone—from procurement leaders to startup founders—seemed to be asking the same thing: How do I adopt AI without overreaching? How do I move fast enough to stay competitive, but not so fast that I trip over my own ambition?
This tension—between speed and readiness—was everywhere. Many attendees are still in early pilot stages, experimenting with generative insights, contract summarization, and predictive decisioning. But scaling those capabilities into enterprise-grade reliability remains an unsolved puzzle. The mood, while positive, was not euphoric—it was cautiously optimistic. The crowd seemed more grounded, more focused on execution than excitement.
Standing Out in a Sea of Start-Ups
For the startups exhibiting, another question loomed large: How do you get noticed? With dozens of new vendors competing for the same thirty seconds of attention, differentiation has never been harder. A well-designed booth, clever tagline, or flashy AI integration isn’t enough. Buyers, analysts, and investors are looking for something deeper—proof, not promise.
Standing out now means showing evidence of traction, customer references, and credible results. It means having a clear story about where your product fits, not just in a category, but in the day-to-day of procurement and supply chain professionals. The vendors who manage to communicate that clarity—who demonstrate trustworthiness and commercial readiness—will be the ones still standing when the noise dies down.
Looking Toward 2026
As we head toward the close of Q4 2025, the big question remains: what will DPW 2026 look like?
Who will still be there—and who will not? Some of this attrition will be natural—acquisitions, pivots, market corrections—but some will reflect the deeper truth of our industry: that even great technology is no guarantee of survival.
The next year will likely bring consolidation, sharper messaging, and a renewed focus on ROI. But it will also bring opportunities for those who can bridge the gap between AI potential and practical impact. The ones who balance ambition with readiness—who engage the market early but execute with discipline—will emerge stronger.
Key Takeaways from the Startup Genome Project
If DPW is any indication, 2025 will continue to test how resilient these emerging firms truly are. The Startup Genome Project offers several insights that resonate deeply with what was on display in Amsterdam:
- Validation takes longer than expected. Early-stage startups need to spend up to 3x longer validating their target markets than founders anticipate—one of the main reasons cash flow and focus are so critical in the first 18 months.
- Ideas are often overvalued. Founders tend to overestimate the worth of their intellectual property by up to 255%, highlighting the gap between vision and market reality.
- Pivoting can be a strength. Startups that pivot once or twice during early growth can see 3.6x faster user growth and 2.5x higher returns than those that don’t pivot—or pivot too often.
- Survival improves with stage. Generally, the failure rate decreases with each round of funding, underscoring why deliberate market engagement and credible traction matter more than speed alone.
These findings echo a common truth seen across DPW: success rarely comes from technology alone—it comes from focus, clarity, and adaptability.
That’s also where Liberis Consulting helps startups chart a sustainable path forward. By guiding early-stage B2B technology providers in defining their market position, sharpening their go-to-market strategy, and engaging analysts and investors with credibility, Liberis helps founders reduce the guesswork between product promise and market proof. In a world where hype cycles move faster than business models, disciplined positioning and execution are the new differentiators.
Just as the art in the Rijksmuseum endures because it was built with intent, depth, and mastery, the technologies that will last in procurement and supply chain will be those grounded in purpose and precision—not just noise and novelty.
For now, the glitz of Amsterdam has given way to the grind of Q4. The questions asked on the DPW stage will be answered not by next year’s buzzwords, but by how companies act in the coming months—how they prioritize, execute, and deliver real value when the spotlights turn off.
About the Author:
Constantine Limberakis is the Founder of Liberis Consulting LLC, a boutique consultancy focused on helping B2B technology providers in procurement and supply chain define market strategy, sharpen positioning, and accelerate growth.
