Voorcompagnie
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A voorcompagnie (pre-company) is the name given to trading companies from the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands that traded in Asia between 1594 and 1602, before they merged to form the Dutch East India Company (VOC). The pre-companies were financed by merchants from the Northern Netherlands and rich immigrants from the Southern Netherlands. The government forced the smaller trading companies to unite and form the (United) East India Company. In turn, it received exclusive rights to trade with Asia for the following 21 years.[1]