Graduate Ventures Launches Second Seed Fund with a Target Volume of 125 Million Euros

Dutch early-stage investor Graduate Ventures is launching its second seed fund with a target size of 125 million euros. According to the investor, 100 million euros of that amount has already been committed. In addition to public investors, the fund is backed by numerous well-known Dutch entrepreneurs. Investments will focus in particular on startups in the fields of artificial intelligence, deep tech, healthcare, and climate tech.

Graduate Ventures closely integrates its investment model with the Dutch higher education ecosystem. The organization now collaborates with eight universities and three university hospitals, giving it a nationwide presence, according to its own statements.

100 of 125 million euros already committed

Supporters of the second fund include several prominent technology entrepreneurs. Among those named are Frank Slootman of Snowflake, Picnic co-founder Michiel Muller, DataSnipper co-founder Jonas Ruyter, and former ASML CEO Peter Wennink.

The Dutch state-owned investment company Invest-NL and the regional development agency Oost NL are also participating.

In total, Graduate Ventures has already secured commitments totaling 100 million euros within ten months. This leaves a shortfall of 25 million euros to reach the target fund size of 125 million euros.

In parallel with the new seed fund, Graduate Ventures operates a pre-seed fund. This allows the investor to support startups from a very early stage.

Focus on Universities and Academic Ecosystems

Graduate Ventures was initially established in 2021 within the networks of Delft University of Technology and Erasmus University Rotterdam. The network has since expanded to include other university locations.

Today, the partner network includes eight Dutch universities as well as three university hospitals. Academic ecosystems in Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Delft, Eindhoven, Wageningen, Leiden, and Twente are represented.

Graduate Ventures thus specifically targets startups that emerge within the context of universities and research institutions.

“Innovation often arises in ecosystems surrounding academic centers,” explains Managing Partner Auke van den Hout. However, capital alone is not enough. Founders also need access to people who have built companies themselves and can provide support through their experience, contacts, and market access.

A Network of More Than 200 Entrepreneurs and Alumni

In addition to capital, a network of more than 200 experienced entrepreneurs and alumni is therefore an integral part of the model.

These individuals are intended to support portfolio companies with expertise, contacts, and introductions to potential business partners. Graduate Ventures thus seeks not only to use university networks to identify new startups but also to reintegrate alumni into their respective ecosystems as investors and supporters.

Since its launch in 2021, Graduate Ventures has, according to its own figures, already invested in more than 90 technology startups.

The organization is led by Managing Partner Auke van den Hout and a team of ten. In addition, around 20 students work at Graduate Ventures each year, gaining hands-on experience in venture capital.

QuantWare as a Success Story to Date

As an example of its investment strategy to date, Graduate Ventures points to the Delft-based quantum computing company QuantWare.

Graduate Ventures invested in the then-fledgling company as early as 2021. In 2026, QuantWare closed a Series B funding round totaling 152 million euros.

With its second seed fund, Graduate Ventures now aims to provide early-stage financing to additional companies in technology-intensive sectors. In addition to quantum technologies and other deep tech fields, the focus is particularly on artificial intelligence, healthcare, and climate technologies.

The Netherlands aims to scale up more technology companies within the country

The fund is also driven by the question of how Dutch research can be leveraged to develop more internationally successful technology companies.

To this end, Graduate Ventures aims to combine capital with the networks of successful founders and managers. The organization’s founders include former Philips CEO Frans van Houten, Xindao co-founder Sandro van Hellenberg Hubar, H2 Equity Partners founder Gert Jan van der Hoeven, and former 3i managing partner Menno Antal.

With its second seed fund, the model now has significantly more capital available for the next generation of academically driven startups. The 100 million euros already committed demonstrate that a substantial capital base exists for this purpose.

The key will be whether Graduate Ventures can leverage its access to Dutch universities and its alumni network not only to provide early-stage funding for academic spin-offs but also to keep them within the Dutch or European ecosystem as they scale internationally later on.