Graduate Ventures Launches €125M Second Seed Fund to Support Dutch Tech Startups
Graduate Ventures has launched its second seed fund with a target size of €125 million, with €100 million already committed.
Founded in 2021 by alumni of Delft University of Technology and Erasmus University Rotterdam, Graduate Ventures has backed more than 90 technology startups to date. Its platform has also grown into a network of over 200 experienced entrepreneurial alumni who support founders with industry expertise, valuable connections and introductions to potential markets and partners.
Graduate Ventures now works with eight universities and three university medical centres across the Netherlands. This nationwide network allows the firm to provide startups with both funding and hands-on support from investors, experienced entrepreneurs and alumni from its partner institutions.
Alongside the new seed fund, Graduate Ventures also manages a dedicated pre-seed fund. Both funds focus on startups working across areas such as artificial intelligence, deep tech, healthcare and climate technology—sectors the firm sees as essential to building a more competitive and prosperous future for the Netherlands.
“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.
QuantWare is a strong example of how Graduate Ventures’ investment strategy can support ambitious technology startups. The firm invested in the Delft-based quantum technology company in 2021, when it was still in its early stages. Earlier this year, QuantWare went on to raise €152 million in a Series B funding round.
Graduate Ventures’ second fund is backed by a broad group of experienced entrepreneurs, including:
- Frank Slootman, former CEO of Snowflake
- Michiel Muller, co-founder of Picnic
- Jonas Ruyter, co-founder of DataSnipper
- Peter Wennink, former CEO of ASML
Invest-NL and Oost NL are also participating in the new fund.
Peter Wennink, former CEO of ASML, shared:
“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.”