The 3‑Touch Email Sequence for Fintechs Expanding into the Netherlands in 2026: Steal This Campaign
After building your list in Origami, use this copy‑and‑paste 3‑touch email sequence to book meetings with fintechs entering the Dutch market. Real messaging for DNB licensing, PSD3 compliance, and market entry.
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Quick answer: If you’ve already built a list of fintech companies expanding into the Netherlands using Origami, the next step is to turn those contacts into conversations. This post gives you the exact 3‑touch email sequence I’ve used to book meetings with Heads of Expansion at fintechs navigating DNB licensing and PSD2/PSD3 compliance. It’s short, direct, and written for 2026’s buyer—no theory, just copy you can steal.
You already have the prospect list (if not, jump back to the how to build a list of Fintech Expanding Internationally into the Netherlands? Here’s How to Find and Sell to Them guide and run the prompt). This companion post is about what to do after you’ve downloaded that CSV from Origami: refining, messaging, sending, and tracking a campaign that actually gets replies.
Step 1: Revisit the Origami Prompt That Built Your List
You probably already ran this in the parent post, but here’s the prompt I typed into Origami to generate the target list you’re holding:
“Find decision-makers at fintech companies headquartered outside the Netherlands that are actively expanding or planning to expand into the Dutch market in 2026. Focus on roles like Head of Expansion, International Growth Manager, VP of Market Entry, or CEO/Founder at early‑stage ventures. Exclude companies already fully operational in the Netherlands with Dutch tax IDs.”
Origami returned a clean spreadsheet with verified names, email addresses, phone numbers, titles, company web domains, and firmographic details (HQ location, employee count, funding stage). Thanks to its live‑web search and data‑source chaining, the contacts were enrichment‑ready—no manual Google hunting.
If you haven’t built your list yet, the free plan (1,000 credits, no credit card) or the $29/month plan will get you started. Just run the prompt above, export, and come back here.
Step 2: Refine and Qualify the List for Email
A raw Origami export is already 90% qualified, but you still need to make sure every contact fits the exact ICP for your campaign. Spend 20 minutes here—it directly impacts reply rates.
Segmentation I use:
- Company size: Filter by employees. Seed‑stage fintechs (<20 people) often have the founder as the sole decision‑maker; Series A+ (30–150) will have a named Head of Expansion or Market Entry Lead. Segment them into separate sequences because the messaging angle differs (founders care about speed‑to‑market, hired leads care about de‑risking their project).
- HQ geography: North American fintechs usually face unfamiliar EU regulatory territory; Asian fintechs might need local banking introductions. Use the “HQ location” column to group prospects and tweak the email body slightly (e.g., for US fintechs you can mention “unfamiliar with DNB’s audit cadence”).
- Active triggers: Scan the list for any prospect whose company has recently posted a role for an Amsterdam‑based compliance officer, entity manager, or market entry lead. That’s a live signal they’re moving. You can quickly cross‑reference via LinkedIn or a tool like Atlan. Mark these contacts as hot.
- Funding & announcements: If Origami included a “Recent news” field, filter for those with a public EU expansion press release or a Series A/B raise in the last 6 months. Those are high‑intent.
What “qualified” looks like for this audience: A qualified lead is a fintech that has:
- Publicly announced (or strongly implied via job postings) plans to enter the Dutch market in 2026.
- A decision‑maker with a title containing “Expansion,” “International,” “Market Entry,” or is the CEO/Founder.
- Raised over $3M (so they can afford compliance infrastructure) or is backed by a known VC.
- No existing Dutch entity or DNB license already visible.
Remove contacts who work at companies that are already fully operational in the Netherlands—they’ve solved the problem you’re solving. Also strip out any obvious catch‑all email addresses (e.g., info@) unless it’s the only available contact; personally verified emails are the ones that reply.
If you’re unsure about a company, spend 60 seconds on their website: look for a “Netherlands” location page or Dutch regulatory disclosures. Move them to a secondary list if they appear too advanced.
Step 3: The 3‑Touch Email Sequence (Copy‑Paste Ready)
Below are the three messages I send over 7 days. They’re written for a persona who’s tasked with launching a fintech product in the Netherlands and is feeling the pressure of DNB licensing timelines, PSD3 uncertainty, and local partnering.
Timing: I send Email 1 on a Tuesday morning (CET), Email 2 on Thursday morning, and Email 3 the following Tuesday. For North America‑based prospects, shift to their local timezone but keep the same cadence.
Email 1 — Day 1: Direct Pain Introduction
Subject: DNB licensing without the 12‑month stall
Preview: A faster path to Dutch market entryHi [First Name],
I noticed [Company] recently announced European expansion—congrats. Most fintechs underestimate how quickly a Dutch payments license grinds to a halt when you’re missing one local banking partner. We’ve cut time‑to‑license from 9 months to 11 weeks for firms like yours by pre‑building the regulatory infrastructure.
Worth a 15‑minute call this week?
Why it works: It hooks into a universal pain point (DNB license delays), offers a specific outcome (time reduction), and uses a low‑friction CTA. The preview text reinforces the value.
Email 2 — Day 3: Trigger‑Based Follow‑Up
Subject: Quick thought on your NL setup
Preview: One thing most expanding fintechs missHi [First Name],
Saw your job posting for an Amsterdam‑based compliance lead—smart. But a single hire can’t accelerate DNB registration unless they’re backed by a ready‑to‑go reporting framework. We built ours around PSD3’s upcoming requirements so you’re not redoing it in 2027.
Open to a brief chat on Wednesday?
Why it works: Uses a real‑time trigger (the job post) to show you’ve done your homework. Positions your company as the infrastructure that makes the new hire successful, not a replacement.
Email 3 — Day 7: The Breakup
Subject: Closing the file on [Company]
Preview: Were I in your shoesHi [First Name],
I know you’re swamped, so I’ll leave you with this: the Dutch regulator (DNB) now expects a live local entity and operational compliance officer before they’ll even review your license. If you’re still 4+ months out from that, you’re risking Q3 revenue.
We handle the entity + compliance layer in 30 days. If it ever makes sense, I’m here.
Why it works: The “closing the file” subject line consistently gets high opens. The specific DNB requirement (live entity + officer) creates factual urgency without fear‑mongering. The offer is concrete, not vague.
Customization tips: Replace placeholders. For the trigger email (Email 2), if you can’t find a relevant job post, use a funding announcement or a LinkedIn post by the CEO about EU expansion. Always tailor the trigger line to something publicly available.
All three messages stay between 50 and 100 words. No fluff. Every sentence either calls out a pain point or introduces a solution.
Step 4: Send and Track the Sequence
Tools: I use Outreach or Salesloft for larger sequences because they handle throttling and analytics well. For smaller batch testing, Apollo sequences or Instantly (with its warm‑up feature if you’re sending from a new domain) work great. Even a simple Gmail + Streak mail merge can run this campaign if you’re under 200 contacts.
What to expect: With a freshly‑built, tightly‑qualified list of 100 fintech expansion leads, I typically see a 12–15% positive reply rate (e.g., “Yes, let’s talk,” not auto‑replies). About 20–25% will open at least one email, though Apple Mail Privacy Protection makes opens less reliable. Track positive reply rate as your true north.
When to iterate:
- If overall open rate across the sequence is below 25% (using a tool that still captures real opens), test new subject lines. I’ll often swap “DNB licensing without the 12‑month stall” with “11 weeks to a Dutch license” and A/B test.
- If opens are healthy but replies are zero, the body isn’t landing. Try a different pain point: for instance, replace the licensing angle with “local acquiring partner” challenges.
- If a particular segment (e.g., Asian fintechs) never responds, revisit the list. Maybe they need a different reference (mention MAS equivalence, not just DNB). Refine the qualification criteria and rebuild a micro‑list in Origami.
A note on deliverability: For cold email to European prospects, use a domain that’s been warmed. Avoid spam‑trigger words like “free” or “guarantee.” Keep links to a minimum. GDPR note: you’re reaching out on a legitimate interest basis if you’re targeting professional expansion roles with relevant services. Still, include a clear unsubscribe link.