Graduate expands nationally to Amsterdam and Eindhoven to fast-track the next generation of Dutch top entrepreneurs

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AMSTERDAM, 13 May 2026 – The University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC and Vrije Universiteit are entering close partnership with Graduate Ventures. Since 2021, this fund, founded by leading Dutch entrepreneurs, has invested in more than 80 startups and scale-ups. Beyond capital, portfolio companies gain access to the network and experience of over 200 alumni entrepreneurs. TU Delft, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Erasmus MC and Wageningen University had already opted for this distinctive approach.

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With this collaboration, the universities and Graduate Ventures are tackling a structural Dutch challenge. The Netherlands ranks among the top five most innovative countries in the world. Yet only one in five startups grows into a scale-up. In the United States, more than half do, according to research by TNO.

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The main cause: a structural shortage of both capital and guidance. Graduate's founders, Menno Antal (former Managing Partner at 3i Group), Frans van Houten (former CEO of Philips), Sandro van Hellenberg Hubar (co-founder of Xindao) and Gert Jan van der Hoeven (founder of H2 Equity Partners), brought together a large group of leading entrepreneurs to address that gap.

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A Giving Back ecosystem

With the support of high-profile "founding supporters" including Michiel Muller (founder of Picnic), Frank Slootman (former CEO of Snowflake), Kees Koolen (founder and former CEO of Booking.com), Raymond Cloosterman (founder of Rituals) and MedTech entrepreneur Eline van Beest, they are building an ecosystem comparable to those around leading American universities such as Stanford and MIT.

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There, successful alumni invest significant amounts of money and time in supporting the next generation of top entrepreneurs. Thanks to this "Giving Back" culture, startups and scale-ups gain faster access to funding, as well as the networks and expertise of battle-tested entrepreneurs. The strength of this Giving Back ecosystem is now also becoming evident in the Netherlands.

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Among Europe's most active tech investors

Within five years, Graduate has already financed 80 startups: 62 received a pre-seed investment of up to 75,000 euro. Eighteen startups, including high-profile names such as Workwize, QuantWare and Eddy Grid, received seed investments of several million euro.

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The pre-seed fund of nearly 10 million euro consists entirely of donations from successful alumni and entrepreneurs raised through the affiliated university funds. The first for-profit seed fund of 50 million euro is backed largely by the same investors. The new second seed fund will total 80 million euro. Sifted, the Financial Times' startup publication, named Graduate Ventures one of Europe's most active investors last year.

Promising ideas from universities

Since its launch in 2021, TU Delft, Erasmus University Rotterdam and Erasmus MC have worked closely with Graduate. Earlier this year, Wageningen University joined as well. The expansion to Eindhoven and Amsterdam was announced yesterday during Graduate Connect, the fund's annual networking event.

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Alongside a professional investment team, Graduate also works with student teams responsible for identifying and presenting promising ideas. From September, these teams will also be active at the University of Amsterdam (UvA), Vrije Universiteit and Amsterdam UMC. In addition, Graduate Ventures will partner up with the Amsterdam student startup fund ASIF Ventures, and in Eindhoven the same applies to the Brabant-based pre-seed VC fund Round One Ventures.

University of Amsterdam:

"Our researchers and students produce strong and promising ideas. Graduate offers them an additional springboard with matching ambition: not only funding, but also the experience of mentors who have walked this path themselves," says Richard Goldstein, Vice President of the Executive Board of the University of Amsterdam. "That combination makes Graduate Ventures a valuable partner for us in this collaboration."

Amsterdam UMC:

"In the medical field, it often takes years for a promising discovery to move from the lab to the patient. That requires not only funding, but also entrepreneurs who know the way," says Hans van Goudoever, Chair of the Executive Board of Amsterdam UMC. "Graduate Ventures brings both capital and experience to help our researchers take the step to market."

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam:

"VU Amsterdam wants knowledge not only to be developed, but also to contribute to people and society. That is why we believe it is important for ideas emerging from research and education to grow into ventures with societal impact," says Margrethe Jonkman, President of the Executive Board of VU Amsterdam. "In that earliest phase, guidance, experience and access to the right network are essential. Graduate Ventures brings exactly that expertise and fits well with our ambition to further strengthen valorisation and entrepreneurship from within the university."

Graduate Ventures: "Nationwide results for new entrepreneurs"

"With this step, we are making meaningful progress on our ambition to make a national difference for new entrepreneurs from the university ecosystem," says Managing Partner Auke van den Hout. "The combination of capital and the active involvement of more than two hundred committed entrepreneurs has proven its value in Rotterdam and Delft. I am confident that it will deliver strong results in Amsterdam and Eindhoven as well."

About Graduate Ventures

Since 2021, Graduate Ventures has invested in companies emerging from the Dutch university ecosystem. It is an initiative of successful Dutch entrepreneurs Menno Antal (former Managing Partner at 3i Group), Frans van Houten (former CEO of Philips), Sandro van Hellenberg Hubar (co-founder of Xindao) and Gert Jan van der Hoeven (founder of H2 Equity Partners).

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The fund is backed by high-profile founding supporters including Michiel Muller (founder of Picnic), Frank Slootman (former CEO of Snowflake), Kees Koolen (founder and former CEO of Booking.com), Raymond Cloosterman (founder of Rituals) and MedTech entrepreneur Eline van Beest.

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Together with more than 200 other successful alumni, they provide capital, expertise and network access to entrepreneurs in deeptech, medtech, climate tech and AI/software development. The fund was launched in 2021 from Erasmus University Rotterdam and TU Delft. Day-to-day leadership is in the hands of Managing Partner Auke van den Hout.

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