State-Backed Investor Pledges Ten Million Euros to Boost Dutch University Startups
Rotterdam, Tuesday 6 October 2026
Invest-NL has committed €10 million to Graduate Ventures’ new seed fund, securing a €100 million first close to help Dutch university spin-offs commercialise scientific research.
Bridging the Academic Funding Gap
On 5 October 2026, Dutch venture firm Graduate Ventures officially launched its second seed fund, Graduate Ventures Seed II, securing an initial close of €100 million [2][4]. This significant first close was achieved over a ten-month fundraising period leading up to the announcement [2]. With a final target of €125 million, the fund has a remaining gap of 25 million euros left to raise [2]. A key driver behind this milestone is the Dutch state-backed impact investor Invest-NL, which committed €10 million to the first close [1]. This capital injection is specifically designed to address the early-stage financing bottleneck that frequently prevents academic research and scientific breakthroughs from successfully transitioning into commercially viable market products [1].
A Nationwide Network of Academic Spin-offs
Originally founded in 2021 by alumni from Delft University of Technology and Erasmus University Rotterdam, Graduate Ventures has rapidly expanded its footprint [2]. With this latest fund launch, the firm has officially extended its partnership network to encompass eight Dutch universities and three university medical centres (UMCs) [4]. This extensive network covers key academic hubs across the Netherlands, including Rotterdam, Delft, Amsterdam, Eindhoven, Wageningen, Twente, and Leiden [2]. By integrating these institutions, the fund establishes nationwide coverage, positioning itself as the largest university-linked venture fund in the country [4]. The firm operates a tiered investment structure, utilizing a student-led Pre-Seed Fund alongside its professional Seed Funds to capture and nurture promising ideas directly from university laboratories [4].
Combining Capital with Corporate Experience
The investment strategy of Graduate Ventures relies heavily on the philosophy that capital alone is insufficient to guarantee startup success [2][3]. To address this, the fund has mobilized a powerful network of over 200 experienced entrepreneurial alumni who provide hands-on support and open doors for young founders [2][3]. The fund’s second seed initiative has garnered backing from prominent Dutch regional development agency Oost NL, alongside a distinguished roster of individual entrepreneurs and tech executives [2][3]. Among the notable private backers are Frank Slootman (Snowflake), Michiel Muller (Picnic), Jonas Ruyter (DataSnipper), and Peter Wennink (former CEO of ASML) [2][3]. This collaborative ecosystem connects academic research directly with seasoned corporate operators, keeping homegrown Dutch innovations firmly rooted in the local economy [3].
Driving Deep Tech and Scale-up Success
Graduate Ventures focuses its investments on critical, high-growth sectors including artificial intelligence (AI), deep tech, healthcare, and climate technology [2][3]. The viability of this university-led investment model is highlighted by the success of portfolio companies like Delft-based quantum computing startup QuantWare [1][2]. Graduate Ventures first backed QuantWare during its seed stage in 2021 [1][2]. Following subsequent growth-stage backing from Invest-NL in 2025, QuantWare successfully closed a massive €152 million Series B funding round earlier in 2026 [1][2]. Such success stories have earned Graduate Ventures international recognition, including being named one of Europe’s most active startup investors by Sifted in 2025, and earning a spot in the Financial Times ‘Europe’s Leading Start-up Hubs’ ranking for 2026 [2].