
We invest from the start. We are here to help Delft and Rotterdam graduates putting their brightest ideas into practice to build a successful company. We have raised 56 million and made 27 investments since April 2021 and are keeping up the fast pace we took off with.
We look for inspiring founders to partner up with at the Pre-Seed, Seed and Series A stage.
Before funds are available for most founders. If you are ready to test your idea and/or to build your product, we help you make your dream a reality. We are early and keep it simple. We provide you with ASAP funding up to €75k. Exclusively available for young founders, until five years after graduation from TU Delft, Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam and Erasmus MC.
The Seed & Series A fund is for those building the foundation of their company with a strong and ardent team. You are working towards product-market fit, establishing your customer base and growing marketing activity, showing consistent revenue flow. Ticket sizes are typically between €200K - €2M, available for founders graduated in Delft or Rotterdam of all ages.
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We have a great team and an even greater network. Our backers share our relentless enthusiasm of making Delft and Rotterdam the largest entrepreneurial community arising from their universities’ brightest minded graduates. This dream would not have been possible without them. They show us that it can be done, as well as how it’s done.
Do you want to support the Graduate Entrepreneur Fund as well? Get in touch with the Fund.
1. Niet geschoten is altijd mis. 2. No gain without pain.
Passion and curiosity is fuel for growth.
Plan for success
Grow - your team! Stretch - no boundaries! Act - clients first!
Believe in yourself but surround yourself with people to compensate for your weaknesses.
You have to be the biggest optimist that life can be because you have to wake up every morning and say yes I can do this! But you also have to wake up every night and be scared shitless of what can go wrong.
'Ik heb het nog nooit gedaan dus ik denk dat ik het wel kan' - Pippi Langkous
It begins with passion for an idea and guts. If you possess those you go to Graduate Entrepreneur!
1. Get the right people on your team 2. It's all about learning fast. Make a plan, get started, learn and adapt. 3. Customers, customers, customers!
Dare to scale-up internationally and go abroad yourself to make it happen. Take really, really good care of your customers and employees.
Gijs was also the co-founder of Greenwheels.
A business plan will, of course, never turn out the way you predicted it, but it definitely helps you and your team to make one, if only to make sure you are all aligned.
If you can’t explain your idea clearly, keep quiet, and work on it until you can!
In medtech and life science: do not trust that a great product sells itself, focus on getting to scale early on
Set your self ambitious growth targets and build an infrastructure that can support such (international) growth. Focus, focus focus
Think carefully about your business model from day one so it remains good when you grow.
Make sure that in your business plan your product is not only well defined, but also think of how to sell it. Who is my client and how will I reach that client?
Surround yourself with diverse people, be flexible to adapt your plans and just go for it!
Think big, start small, act fast.
Be true to yourselves and others - Realize your commitments - Be daring and imaginative - Create opportunities for everybody.
Don't be afraid to fail. Be afraid to miss the opportunity.
Having the right team in place is the key to success!
Start today, momentum and energy is everything!
Just do it, we're there to help!
Make sure you are well informed, but make your own choices
1. Get your first customer, quick! 2. Think big and be ready to scale 3. Create a scalable business model
A very important development in Metropool Rotterdam. There is already a very good eco system but the missing link was cooperation!
The client will notice nothing of your vision but will notice your execution!
“If you can dream it you can do it” – W. Disney
Let your internal vision, motivation and ambitions drive you. Be persistent, focused and don't let external circumstances hinder!
Start your business for the right reason (not money or ego) and show great co-founders leadership interaction. I love straightforward, professional, passionate and purpose-driven people, devoted to some crusade, as real team-players.
Don't let anybody kill your dream.
Do one thing everyday that scares you.
Rely on yourself and keep going!