Graduate Ventures launches €125M second seed fund for Dutch startups
What's the deal? Graduate VenturesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has launched its second seed fund of €125 million, backed by entrepreneurs including Frank Slootman (Snowflake), Michiel Muller (Picnic), Jonas Ruyter (DataSnipper), and Peter Wennink (ASML). Dutch state investors Invest-NLDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and Oost NLDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → are also participating. The firm has already committed €100 million of the total.
Why now? Managing partner Auke van den Hout said the fund raised €100 million in just 10 months, a sign of the "conviction that the Netherlands needs to build and retain more successful startups."
What's the endgame? The fund invests in startups in artificial intelligence, deep tech, healthcare, and climate — sectors Graduate Ventures considers key to the country's competitiveness. It now partners with eight universities and three university medical centres, giving it nationwide reach across the Netherlands.
The track record: Founded in 2021 by alumni of Delft University of Technology and Erasmus University Rotterdam, Graduate Ventures has invested in more than 90 tech startups. One early bet, Delft quantum firm QuantWare, raised €152 million in a Series B round earlier this year.
What sets it apart: Beyond capital, the firm connects founders with a network of more than 200 experienced entrepreneurial alumni. "Capital alone is not enough," said van den Hout. "Founders also need support from people who have built companies themselves."
The signal: As innovation increasingly emerges from academic ecosystems, university-affiliated funds are positioning themselves as bridges between research and venture capital — pairing money with alumni networks to keep homegrown startups in the country.
Read more: graduate.nl
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
