About Maarten van der Heide
Hi, I'm Maarten, founder of Momentum Labs Consulting. For over 20 years, I've designed, built, and shipped hardware across connected devices, consumer electronics, and physical products. From lab bench to factory floor to executive leadership.
Hardware is unforgiving. A single mistake in physics, scoping, or vendor selection can consume a company's entire runway. I started Momentum Labs to give founders and investors a shortcut to the lessons I've learned shipping products at companies like Sonos, Polaroid, Spinn, and Dott.
Currently based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, I work with hardware teams and investors globally.
The Foundation
I come from a Physics background and cross-disciplinary R&D. I've spent two decades getting my hands dirty building connected products across mechanical, electrical, RF, firmware, audio, and optics. I've worked from the lab bench to the factory floor to leading global R&D organizations as a VP. This gives me the perspective to tell the difference between a prototype that works in a pitch deck and a system that will actually survive mass production.
My Approach
Momentum in hardware is about removing the friction that slows teams down. I focus on three pillars:
Product: Ensuring technical architecture and the business case are aligned before the burn accelerates.
People: Mentoring product leaders and professionalizing R&D teams so they can execute with confidence.
Process: Implementing lightweight phase-gate systems that provide governance without adding unnecessary bureaucracy.
Why Momentum Labs?
In physics, momentum (p) is the product of mass and velocity. In product development, it's the product of a solid team and the speed of their decision-making. I help teams increase both.