Brent Wissink

My newest column in Quote Magazine: Dutch Dynamism 🇳🇱 💡 Inspired by Andreessen Horowitz’ “American Dynamism” and the Not Boring newsletters of Packy McCormick about why tech is going to be much bigger, I realized there is a momentum in the Netherlands to become one of the European leaders to lead this new industrial revolution - if we double down. 💻 Historically, the Netherlands was strong in trade and banking. However, the country now leads in technology with companies like ASML, Adyen, and NXP Semiconductors as the top 10 most valuable companies, replacing former giants like Shell, Unilever, ING and ABN AMRO Bank N.V 💶 Fueled by capital, according to the latest report of Techleap; 48% Venture Capital investments in 2023 the Netherlands went to deeptech companies. 🤖 While the latest AI innovations have enhanced office jobs, the fusion of software and hardware, like physical robots, is set to revolutionize all types of labor, making tasks scalable and more manageable and cheaper. Two great examples of Dutch robotics companies are Monumental and family business Lely, that are automating less attractive jobs, like bricklaying and milking cows. ⚡ The insight is that the world's largest tech companies of the next decade will likely surpass today’s giants, and for the first time in a long time, tech companies have the opportunity to rebuild the world’s industrial base and tap into huge, existing pools of revenue at higher margins than incumbents can. Assuming the same revenue but structurally higher margins will create more valuable companies than the incumbent comps. 🇳🇱 In the Netherlands, we have access to incredible research institutes, top technical universities like Delft University of Technology, Eindhoven University of Technology, Wageningen University & Research & University of Twente, (which has its own Robotics Centre University of Twente) - incredible talent and more and more hardware friendly VC funds, (incl the support of Invest-NL) and recently the NATO Innovation Fund (NIF) with an office in NL, so I don’t see why we can’t punch above our weight and become one of the leaders to reshape the industrial foundation in Europe. Curious to hear your thoughts, what's needed to make this happen? Dutch Dynamism 🇳🇱 , het bekt toch lekker (Thanks Salar :-)). Link to article (for translation) in the comments. #HardTech #AI #Robotics #Innovation #DutchDynamism #AIRevolution #DeepTech #FutureOfWork #Netherlands #Technology

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We're doubling down! Join us for the Re-Industrialize Europe Meetup 👩‍🏭 We’re bringing together leading minds in HardTech, TechBio, and DeepTech to discuss what it will take for Europe to lead the next wave of industrial innovation. Learn more about: ➡ Farmless’ fermentation platform that allows for local protein production independent from climate and agricultural land, increasing food security. 🎤 Adnan Oner ➡ Cradle’s design platform that uses generative AI to help biologists design improved proteins and accelerate research and development, making it easier, quicker and more cost effective to create bio-based products for human and planetary health. 🎤 Jelle Prins ➡ Monumental’s AI-driven electric construction robots that are capable of building walls autonomously, solving the labour, cost and sustainability challenges crippling the global construction industry. 🎤 Salar al Khafaji ➡ ASML's involvement in the European startup ecosystem and the biggest challenges we need to tackle. 🎤 Evelien de Vries Connect, collaborate, and be inspired by ambitious founders shaping the future. Sign up here: https://lu.ma/de2uprl2 NP-Hard Ventures #FoundryMeetups #HardTech #Deeptech #TechBio #Founders #Hiring #Startups #Europe

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In recent years, the amount of capital raised in the Dutch private equity (PE) landscape has accelerated significantly. ➡️ This growth seems driven by both increased fund sizes and a rising number of funds. ➡️ Across specific asset classes (buy-out, early-stage, venture, growth, mezzanine, etc.), this pattern holds. ➡️ In fact, 2023 has been another record-breaking year despite the rough investment climate during and after the pandemic. ❓What do you think this implies for entrepreneurs, companies, LPs, and GPs? What are the crucial observations and nuances at a more granular level? 🤗 There's more behind these numbers. Let me know or reach out if you wish to discuss further!

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✨ VERY SMALL PARTICLES ✨ That's what the three co-founders of VSPARTICLE – Aaike van Vugt, Tobias Pfeiffer, and Tobias Coppejans – have dedicated their last 10 years to. VSP is a once-in-a-generation Dutch company which has developed a unique nanoparticle printing technology to bring us high-performance materials for clean energy transformation. That's why together with my colleague Taiga Ueta, we at NordicNinja VC and in partnership with Sten Tamkivi and Plural Platform, are thrilled to fund this world-class founding team. In particular, VSP’s technology is enabling the mass production of catalyst-coated Porous Transport Layers (PTLs), which are the key components in electrolyzers and are essential to the production of green hydrogen. Green hydrogen is essential to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and power a more sustainable future for industries such as shipping, transport, heating, and aviation, yet the process currently relies on using scarce resources including platinum and iridium. Combined with AI-powered material discovery and computational chemistry, VSParticle and their network of partners are able to create the most complete database of materials in the world, which can serve as an input for building an economically scalable and a sustainable clean energy future. VSParticle's technology is material agnostic and comes with high precision nanoparticle control (at nm level), requires no wet chemistry, and allows for quick experiments & production. Looking forward to working with the whole team at VSP to bring this new technology to the world!

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Decarbonize the aviation industry. One of the most critical yet challenging sectors. In the fight against climate change. We are working on something in this sector. Together with Satgana, through our EUVC Syndicate. https://buff.ly/4a2n6NB If you want to find out more details about it, or join us. Send me a direct message here. #venturecapital #angelinvesting #startupfunding #europe

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Vijen Patel is the founding partner of The 81 Collection, a VC fund that invests in unsexy industries. Before that, Vijen founded Pressbox, a dry cleaning startup, in 2013 and sold it to Procter & Gamble in 2018. In our conversation, Vijen shared: → What defined his upbringing → Journey with Pressbox → Building The 81 Collection → Investing in Hard Industries → The Power of Patience and Purpose → India opportunity → Sports & family & much more! Listen now 👇🏼 Youtube: https://bit.ly/3XujEs2 Spotify: https://bit.ly/3Tjeah5 Some key takeaways: 1. Breaking the Mold: Coming from a family of physicians, I chose a different path—entrepreneurship. Sometimes, success means stepping out of the expected and embracing your unique journey. 2. The Power of Risk-Taking: American culture's risk-taking spirit played a crucial role in my career. Being the first in my family to venture into technology, I realized that risk is often the bridge between dreams and reality. 3. From Actuarial Science to Building an Empire: My entrepreneurial journey started with a failed attempt at being an actuary. Yet, that experience led me to finance and eventually to founding a dry cleaning startup that grew to 1200 locations. Don’t fear pivots; they might lead you to unexpected success. 4. Investing in ‘Unsexy’ Industries: While many chase the next big tech startup, I found value in overlooked sectors. Investing in what others ignore can yield the most significant returns, both financially and socially. 5. Purpose-Driven Success: For me, entrepreneurship isn’t just about profits. It’s about creating jobs, lifting communities, and making a lasting impact. When your work aligns with a deeper purpose, the rewards are far beyond financial. What risks have you taken that changed your life or career? Share your thoughts below! #investing #entreprenurship #indiandiasporas

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As you may have seen on Dutch TV or Youtube, the Dutch version of SNL recently joked about the downfall of Europe.. If we do not act we will just be an amusement park with good cheese and nice castles for the Chinese and Americans. (link in comments) I'd like to ask you to support the following initiative which I truly believe is one of the best I've ever seen: https://www.eu-inc.org 🇪🇺 A Pan-European (start-up) Entity with: - Standardised investment processes to enable pan-European investments. - Unified employee stock options program to share startup success more widely. - Simplify cross-border operations, such as employment and capital flows. - Fully digitised the incorporation process, reducing it to just a few hours – entirely in English and online. P.s. I'm dreaming of a 'united countries of europe' #UCE model .. a 2.0 version of the #USA for a very long time. This is a good first step!

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Since 2019 more than 250 startups and scaleups have prepared their company for raising external capital by doing The Investment Readiness Process by Beels®. Our data shows that no-one has chosen a smaller ticket size than € 5K. What consequences does the ticket size have for you as a Founder? AND what does it mean for you who are an Angel Investor? 💡 If you are a Founder and want to learn more on why it is more important than ever to plan you financial journey - watch our introduction video here: https://lnkd.in/djK-5VdA 💰 If you are an Angel Investor and want to elevate your skills on financial design when investing in startups - watch our introduction video here: https://lnkd.in/dMFjKDuM #startup #investments #raising

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Should family offices invest themselves or use an external manager? Read my article in this month's Business Brief and find out! As always, thank you Amanda (Mandy) Eulenkamp for the opportunity to contribute. #founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic More at unbundled dot vc.

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Anterra Capital and SaaS Masters Join Forces to Accelerate the growth of Anterra’s incubated businesses and portfolio companies Amsterdam, The Netherlands – 8th of January 2025 SaaS Masters and Anterra Capital are excited to announce a partnership focused on helping Anterra’s portfolio grow and succeed. This collaboration brings together Anterra’s experience in incubating and supporting SaaS companies with SaaS Masters’ hands-on expertise in tackling the operational challenges many startups face. Anterra Capital is known for incubating and backing companies at seed and Series A, like Smartwyre, ZebiAI, and Agryco.com and has been a strong supporter of SaaS businesses. With this partnership, Anterra is strengthening its commitment to helping its portfolio scale effectively and sustainably. SaaS Masters specializes in providing practical, fractional leadership through a network of experienced B2B professionals. By teaming up with Anterra, they aim to offer actionable guidance and support that addresses the everyday needs of growing SaaS companies. Maarten Goossens, Founding Partner at Anterra Capital, commented: “The partnership with SaaS Masters increases the access to talent for both our incubated businesses and portfolio companies. As a specialist VC we’ve been fortunate to work with great entrepreneurs and industry leaders. Now, with SaaS Masters, we can help them tackle day-to-day operational challenges as they navigate their way to long-term success.” Wolter Rebergen, Co-Founder of SaaS Masters, added: “A lot of the SaaS businesses we work with come to us while preparing for funding rounds or exits, looking for the expertise they need to stand out. By partnering with Anterra Capital, we can bring that expertise directly to their portfolio companies, helping them hit the growth targets and build the compelling stories they need to attract investors and buyers.” In 2025, SaaS Masters and Anterra Capital plan to co-host several SaaS-focused events to share insights, strategies, and tools with SaaS companies. Stay tuned for updates on this partnership and details about upcoming events.

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Interesting post about the difference between the big upstarts in the US versus the EU. I think regulation is indeed one of the killers. I have been setting up some new startups in the Netherlands recently. Even before we set up an entity, I got nausea from the way the tax system works. Trying to tax 'value growth' of an early stage startup, making it practically impossible to transfer shares without paying taxes is not a great incentive. Another problem besides the regulations is the mindset of Europeans. I think we're simply lazier and more risk averse than the US. https://lnkd.in/gUjkrwPm

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Rubio Impact Ventures has shown that social impact and financial returns can go hand in hand, and Geri Stengel (Forbes) recently spotlighted this journey, featuring our founders, Willemijn Verloop and Machtelt Groothuis. I'm proud to be part of a team that challenges the status quo—linking 100% of carry to measurable #impact, fostering a gender-diverse team, and showing that impact-focused businesses can thrive financially. This article highlights not just our achievements, but also the bold choices and lessons learned along the way. It’s a testament to how venture capital can deliver results for people and planet. 🌍 Curious to learn more? Check out the full interview in #Forbes (link in comments) Warner Philips Ilonka Jankovich Edward van der Hout Eline de Haan Helmer Schukken Charlie Macdonald Ata Şenkon Kirstin Valkonet Talita Ferguson Tijl Hoefnagels 👉 Let's keep pushing boundaries in impact investing. #impact #impactinvesting #venturecapital #forbes #teamrubio #finance

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I love this article from Ian Hogarth! The US has shown what's possible, but here in Europe (and especially in the UK), we have a tremendous opportunity to follow the American footsteps. That is why, in 20 years, I don't think I've ever seen such a good time to be investing: - the platform shifts we're seeing today operate at an extraordinary scale, and much of the fundamental innovation underpinning this is coming out of Europe - repeat, successful entrepreneurs are building again, at pace - society has become inherently entrerpreneurial ("starting a business" is now the top career choice for undergrads at many UK universities) - there is funding available now at all stages of a company's lifecycle - as was clear at Slush last week, the market is now 'back' - risk is back on, deals are being done, funds are being raised, - but valuations are sensible; good for investors but good for companies too as expectations are in check with reality - and the upside is considerable! 10 years ago, we couldn't have imagined there being even 1 trillion dollar company; now we have 7! A good time to be building, a good time to be investing, a good basis for optimism. AlbionVC, John Thornhill, Matt Clifford, John Taysom, Sherry Coutu CBE Max Bautin, Andy Phillipps, George Coelho, Tom Nugent, Brent Hoberman, Hussein Kanji, Chris Smart, CAIA

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Let me tell you a great story of the perseverance and skills, of a younger Dutch founder with an AI company, whom I am helping to broker capital... To keep it vague, he was looking for an amount between 500k and 1 million eur. We met in the last days of October and started to work together at the beginning of November. He had a broker already, who had done some amazing work but things were taking longer than anticipated and they needed to move. The problem was: 🟣 Speed needed to move 🟣 Current investors were out, not investing further 🟣 Fractured cap table 🟣 End of runway was December 31st. 🟣 Buyout of all shareholders needed 🟣 A significant debt stack 🟣 Being a young, 1st time founder When he went by many VCs by himself, he noticed that was a problem, alltogether but the fractured cap table and buyout was the first hurdle. Now here's where the great story begins and I have seen this founder respond in a very remarkable and mentionable way. With such a fractured cap table, VCs but in general, all investors, found it uninvestable. He knew he needed to model a consolidation. He then rallied the investors who wanted out, to agree to a conversion to a loan instead of paying them out directly, which could then be paid off, over time. More so he convinced these investors to be bought out in cash but then to reinvest this amount as a straight loan. The creativity is simply brilliant. Because a buyout meant the money of new investors, wouldn't end up going for 50% to secondaries, which is money from one investor to the other, to buy up EXISTING shares, vs NEW shares (primaries). Investors often don't like that they want their investment to fund the business and growth, not a buyout. Noticed that still wasn't enough, because the second hurdle was the general debt stack of this venture. He then got to work by: 🟣 Talked to all creditors (all) and managed to agree they would drop the debt. 🟣 Got current investors to drop the extended loans and accept a discount on their shares when being bought out. 🟣 Discussed with the bank and they dropped their loan and related debt in full. 🟣 Team agreed to - with mutual consent - terminate some members so the company can continue within its current revenue structure. "It's a young founder," some told me. Honestly, this is some of the most elegant and brilliant things I've ever seen in my career so far - wow. I congratulated and applauded him for his coldbloodedness and resourcefulness, going so towards and beyond the end of the runway... And still being able to bring this home, by literally rallying EVERYONE behind him. All of this now means they need less than half of the original capital needed, which means they're fine with a couple of lower tickets (relative) to form that amount. We ended up with multiple of our capital partners being interested and meeting the founder. Where one party has committed to matching whatever is raised. This is why I broker. What a story. What a guy.

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𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞’𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬? According to Innovation Origins, it is! A recent analysis by Dealroom.co reveals that our country boasts an impressive 14.9x ratio between ecosystem enterprise valuation and venture capital investments over the past decade. Additionally, Dutch startups secured 2.4 times as much late-stage funding compared to the same period last year. This capital efficiency and diverse investment landscape signal robust growth and innovation for the Dutch tech ecosystem. It’s an exciting time to be part of the Dutch tech sector! What are your expectations for the Dutch tech sector in the coming years? Read the full publication by Innovation Origins here: https://lnkd.in/eTxGZwcK #innovation #tech #startups

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The trend is picking up. Investing in #deterrance & #defence to further support competitiveness and resilience of #European countries. This time Netherlands Ministerie van Defensie is joining other #EU MoDs and national development agencies to facilitate access to funding for #defence #DualUse and #security innovations. Our fund Coinvest Capital was the first in the region, fully authorised to invest in pure #defense already back in March 2023, shortly joined in April by Baltic Sandbox Ventures with #DeepTech focus and the launch of dual-use accelerators by ScaleWolf in October. Just our fund alone already coinvested 6.8mEUR in #aerospace and #defense, including one of the largest regional #VC rounds in Unmanned Defense Systems. Today we will be watching and supporting two teams from #Lithuania - winners of our joint prizes with DEPO Ventures - pitching on stage at #DefSec innovation challenge hosted by Dr. Kristina Soukupova with their solutions for #cyber #security and #drone enhancement, that enables all drone makers to get faster time-to-market. Wishing the best of luck and a solid pitch to the teams of AI Drone.Tech with co-founders Laurynas Česūnas and Domantas Brucas, winners of our prize at the defence #hackathon The Flaming Shield of Lietuvos šaulių sąjunga , and CBRX with co-founder Kazimieras Sadauskas, winners of our prize at the Startup Lithuania annual event #StartupFair

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StartCapital Partners is a venture capital firm that is based in Blaricum, Netherlands and primarily invests in Dutch tech start-up organizations. The network consists of many experienced investors who invest in high-potential startups. Similarly, StartCapital Partners organize 1-2 pitching competitions each year and select startups that are profitable and can easily scale on an international level. Investors also have a strict criterion of only investing in businesses led by experienced individuals. The investment range of StartCapital Partners can go up to $500,000.

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#KLM #ZeroAvia KLM and electric aviation solutions startup ZeroAvia announced plans for a zero-emissions demonstration flight using hydrogen-electric engines powered by liquid hydrogen. The test flight plans come as a series of initiatives are underway to target rapid aviation sector decarbonization, such as electrified propulsion or sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Hydrogen, however, is viewed by some in the industry as a more promising long-term solution, given its potential to be produced through carbon-free methods, and its energy attributes. https://lnkd.in/dSZtA6CF

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