Wageningen, 3 March 2026 – Wageningen University & Research (WUR) and Graduate Ventures are joining forces to help turn Wageningen research into scalable ventures. With the launch of a new pre-seed fund, promising startups emerging from WUR will gain faster access to capital, backed by a network of experienced entrepreneurs and investors. For Graduate Ventures, active in Rotterdam and Delft since 2021, the expansion marks the next step in building a nationwide platform offering venture funding, network and expertise.

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WUR ranks among the world’s leading institutions. The university works on challenges that will only become more urgent in the coming decades, such as food security, sustainable agriculture and the protein transition. Through the incubator StartHub Wageningen and the European accelerator StartLife, teams and startups already receive support. However, early-stage capital and hands-on entrepreneurial experience remain limited, particularly for startups that have yet to generate revenue or prove their concept. Just as crucial is guidance from entrepreneurs who have taken that leap themselves.

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Smart venture capital

Graduate Ventures aims to change that. Behind the startup platform are more than 200 successful Dutch entrepreneurs, including former Philips CEO Frans van Houten, Picnic founder Michiel Muller, biotech entrepreneur Eline van Beest and former Unilabs CEO Jos Lamers. These alumni form the backbone of a platform designed to help the next generation scale faster by making capital, network and expertise available. Graduate Ventures refers to this combination as ‘smart capital’. Above all, it’s about the access this unlocks.

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Since its launch in 2021, the fund has already invested in more than 75 startups, including Workwize and QuantWare. With the expansion to Wageningen, Graduate Ventures takes the next step in its ambition to strengthen the Netherlands’ innovation ecosystem.

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“The Netherlands is rich in knowledge. The best ideas in the world come from our universities, yet the step from research to enterprise too often remains a structural bottleneck. That is where we are making a difference. Wageningen is a logical next step. Nowhere in the world is work being done at this level on the future of food, climate and agriculture. That knowledge deserves to reach the market and preferably through Dutch entrepreneurs,” said Auke van den Hout, Managing Partner of Graduate Ventures.

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Global challenges, Dutch solutions

Wageningen sits at the heart of Foodvalley, one of the world’s leading agrifood ecosystems. Unlike software startups, agrifood innovation often requires heavy upfront investment in equipment and facilities, such as protein synthesis installations or seed treatment technologies.

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The model also entails close collaboration with other financiers. In Wageningen, these include parties such as Oost NL (regional development agency for Eastern Netherlands), StartLife (national agrifood startup accelerator) and Rabobank, creating a financing mix tailored to the capital needs of Wageningen startups. Graduate Ventures makes pre-seed investments averaging €100,000 and seed investments ranging from €500,000 to €2 million.

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“At WUR, we are driven to put the latest scientific insights into practice. We do so in collaboration with companies and governments, and we actively promote entrepreneurship. To accelerate scaling, we not only offer guidance and an incubator, but also access to capital in that crucial early phase. WUR provides a strong pipeline of innovative startups and spin-outs, and Graduate Ventures brings expertise in mobilising alumni capital, a clear win-win,” said Sebastiaan Berendse, Director of Value Creation & Impact at Wageningen University & Research.

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Giving back to the next generation

Graduate Ventures in Wageningen focuses on students, researchers and alumni of WUR, as well as StartLife alumni and participants. Several Wageningen alumni who wish to give something back to their university are already participating in the Graduate Ventures platform. Among them is serial entrepreneur Jos Lamers, who is also leading the Wageningen expansion.

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This creates a long-term flywheel. One generation investing in the next. WUR itself also participates in the fund. All proceeds from the pre-seed fund are reinvested, allowing the capital to be used again and again for future founders.

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Ambitions

The expansion of Graduate Ventures in Wageningen fits within its strategy to build a nationwide ecosystem in which startups and spin-outs are supported by experienced entrepreneurs and assisted with pre-seed and seed funding. By connecting local ecosystems into a national network where talent across the country can thrive. Each region contributes its expertise, from deeptech to food and agritech.

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Startups can apply via the Graduate Ventures website. Key conditions include a Dutch legal entity and preferably a team of multiple founders. Alumni and others interested in contributing to Graduate Ventures are also invited to get in touch. 

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