Graduate Ventures Launches €125 Mn Second Seed Fund to Back Dutch Startups

The new fund is backed by several well-known entrepreneurs, including Frank Slootman of Snowflake, Michiel Muller of Picnic, Jonas Ruyter of DataSnipper, and Peter Wennink of ASML. Dutch investment organisations Invest-NL and Oost NL are also participating.

Alongside the new seed fund, Graduate Ventures also runs a pre-seed fund. Both funds invest in startups working in areas such as artificial intelligence, deep tech, healthcare, and climate technology. The firm sees these sectors as important for the Netherlands’ future economic growth and competitiveness.

“It is great to see such a large group of successful entrepreneurs and alumni in the Netherlands coming together through the Graduate Ventures platform to help the next generation of entrepreneurs with venture capital and hands-on support from their networks,” says Frans van Houten, co-founder and chairman of Graduate Ventures. “This fully aligns with Peter Wennink’s message – former CEO of ASML and author of the report 'The Road to Future Prosperity'.”

“Innovation often emerges from ecosystems surrounding academic centres. Graduate Ventures works closely with universities and medical centres in Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam, Eindhoven, Wageningen, Twente and Leiden,” says Auke van den Hout, managing partner at Graduate Ventures. “But capital alone is not enough. Founders also need support from people who have built companies themselves, who can think alongside them and open doors. That is why we connect startup founders with our extensive network from day one. The fact that we have already raised €100 million for our second fund in just ten months demonstrates the level of support for this approach – and the conviction that the Netherlands needs to build and retain more successful startups.”

Universities are also embracing Graduate Ventures’ approach. “Strong research is often the foundation for innovation-driven entrepreneurship, and therefore for tomorrow’s economy. Through Graduate Ventures, our entrepreneurial students and researchers gain access to capital and a nationwide alumni network. At the same time, we give our alumni the opportunity to contribute to the next generation of entrepreneurs,” says Luc Sels, President of the Executive Board of Leiden University.

Peter Wennink, former CEO of ASML, also shows his support: “Startups and scale-ups are essential to the future of a prosperous Netherlands. Graduate Ventures meets the need for venture capital and support to help these startups and scale-ups succeed.”

Graduate Ventures was founded in 2021 by Frans van Houten, former CEO of Philips; Sandro van Hellenberg Hubar, co-founder of Xindao; Gert Jan van der Hoeven, founder and managing partner of H2 Equity Partners; and Menno Antal, former managing partner of 3i Group. The four founders now serve on the board of the Graduate Ventures Foundation.

The organisation is led by Managing Partner Auke van den Hout, along with a team of 10 professionals. Graduate Ventures also gives students the opportunity to gain practical experience in venture capital.

Around 20 students work with Graduate Ventures each year, helping them learn about venture capital while connecting with startup ecosystems around its partner universities. The platform also has more than 200 entrepreneurs and university alumni who actively support its work and the startups in its network.

Read Also-