Ryan Sarver

Welcome ecoLocked to the Climentum Capital portfolio! We are proud to have led the €4M funding round together with Matterwave Ventures, and delighted to have existing investors Counteract, Startup Family Office, Sabancı Building Solutions, and VOYAGERS.io joining the round. The investment will support ecoLocked’s mission to revolutionize the construction industry with carbon-negative building materials. Concrete production accounts for 8% of global CO2 emissions, making innovations in this field crucial for achieving net-zero goals. ecoLocked is leading the change by converting carbon captured from biomass into functional, carbon-negative building materials. This funding will accelerate ecolocked's efforts to turn buildings into carbon sinks, scaling their innovative biochar-based solutions and enabling 1Gt carbon removal by 2040. Doerte Hirschberg Morten Halborg Stefan Maard

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In my conversation with Michel Bauwens, founder of the P2P Foundation, we explore a profound shift: from selling our labor to becoming passionate contributors. This clip shows how open-source communities pioneered a new value-creation model that reshapes traditional work. Why This Matters: Michel shares how our systems are changing: -Since the 1980s, Global finance has escaped traditional state control -Political Impact: Voting left or right has a diminishing effect on real change -Generational Difference: Today's young people experience a fundamentally different world from previous generations The clip shows an alternative already working: -Open-source communities demonstrate a new model of value creation -Major corporations (Apple, Amazon) now depend on these communities -People contribute through passion, not just for pay Example: IBM's Linux project combines 2,000 employees with 25,000 community contributors Curious about what comes next? In our full conversation, Michel explores: -How blockchain enables new forms of value creation -The emergence of the "fourth civilization" -Signs of transformation already happening worldwide 🎥 Watch on YouTube: Progress Reimagined 🎧 Or listen wherever you get your podcasts #FutureOfWork #OpenSource #Innovation #Web3 #DigitalTransformation #NewEconomics #ProgressReimagined

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Amsterdam-based telecom startup Firsty. app raises €5.1M in Seed funding led by Speedinvest. It has also partnered with Uber. Check out the article to understand why. Vince Vissers, Gauthier Thierens, DFF Ventures (Dutch Founders Fund), Jeroen Arts, Laurens Groenendijk

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Erik Noyes writes on how entrepreneurs should consider using AI tools to analyze customer data at scale, extract valuable insights, and make informed decisions. At risk of repeating others, here’s the quick take: 🔷Otter.ai - for transcribing focus group sessions or interviews in seconds 🔷Microsoft Azure - detects emotional cues and tones in customer conversations, by aggregating this data over time we can more deeply understand how customers feel about the brand, product or service. 🔷MeaningCloud - voice of the customer (feedback at scale) aggregated from social, product reviews and customer support tickets. 🔷Claude - iterate/generate variations on messaging based on customer feedback 🔷Copy.ai - to create product descriptions that resonate with a target audience It has become clear that the future belongs to those who understand how to leverage AI effectively. Onwards! #AI #Entrepreneurship #CustomerExperience #DataManagement #Marketing

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Netherlands based Innovation Industries recently launched their third fund to back deep-tech start-ups and scale-ups. 💸 €500M Innovation Industries Fund III, with backing from PME pensioenfonds, Pensioenfonds Metaal en Techniek ( PMT ), bpfBOUW, Pensioenfonds ABP, KPN, Pensioenfonds TNO, ABN AMRO Bank N.V., Athora Netherlands, Rabobank, Oost NL, InnovationQuarter, Brabantse Ontwikkelings Maatschappij (BOM), Wachstumsfonds, Invest-NL, European Investment Fund (EIF) and KfW Capital 💡 Innovation Industries Fund III invests in technology companies that offer innovative solutions to societal challenges, including #energysupply, #circularity, #healthcare, and #agrifood. The fund generally invests between €10 million and €30 million in each company over multiple funding rounds. 🌍 #Benelux and #Germany 📈 Innovation Industries has invested into more than 30 #deeptech companies including beeOLED, Battolyser Systems, EnOcean, Carbyon, Pharrowtech, Protealis, Onera Health, Axelera AI, among others. 💭 "Investing in deeptech is very attractive from various perspectives. Nevertheless, deeptech companies still face significant challenges in raising capital. With our third fund, combined with the Strategic Partners Fund, we are taking an important step in addressing this issue for Dutch deeptech companies." - Nard Sintenie, partner at Innovation Industries. 💭 “Our investment in the Innovation Industries Fund III underlines our commitment to highly innovative companies in the Netherlands.” - Nicolaas Heij, Senior Investment Manager, Invest-NL. 🗞️By Vigneshwar Silicon Canals - European Technology News https://lnkd.in/dabHmYQA 👏 For the #AudaciousInvestors unleashing innovation and empowering tomorrow🚀 Chris I Harm I Nard I Sander I Caaj I Tom I Vincent I Pleuni I Margherita I Rogier I Tobias I Tom I Claire I Team Innovation Industries … #venturecapital #vc #funds #startups #entrepreneurs #funding #tech #entrepreneurship #technology #innovation #Netherlands #dutch

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In June of last year we launched our product ProtectMyOrder This was a pivot from our previous product: Mule We raised over £1m in VC/Angel funding for Mule. In the end, it just wasn’t profitable and we had to go back to the drawing board After shutting down Mule, we dug into once of the biggest problems in ecommerce: Deliveries going wrong It turns out 1 in 3 shoppers are worried about their ecommerce delivery going wrong. Shoppers told us they would happily pay a small fee to get peace of mind that if something did go wrong with their delivery they would get cover We built an MVP. The MVP enabled ecommerce merchants to upsell delivery protection at checkout Our first customer (an online perfume seller) found that over 60% of their shoppers purchased delivery protection They were making £1000s per month in net profit through the upsell Since delivery issues are generally rare, most shoppers who purchased delivery protection didn’t need to redeem the service Since June of last year, our revenue has grown at 8% per week Merchants are generating £m’s in net profit through the upsell each year “I wish I had known about your app sooner” is something we hear often from new merchants However, this wouldn’t have been possible without the 100+ partners and advocates of our product in the Ecom community We met so many amazing new people in the last 12 months Though too many to list, we thank each and every one of you for your support

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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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🌱 𝐖𝐞'𝐯𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐢𝐠 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞!  🌱 Downland is honored to be featured in the Foodbytes by Rabobank 2024 End of Year Report, recognized for sustainable business models driving growth. Downland supports landowners during generational wealth transfers, especially when they don’t have an heir to manage their farmland. We ensure their legacy stays rooted in agriculture by connecting them with new farmers and ranchers committed to regenerative practices. Through baseline carbon drawdown measurements, we set these farms up to add carbon offsetting as a supplemental revenue stream—creating financial and environmental resilience. It's about ready, aim, fire—methodical practices, patient observation and a scientific mindset in managing soil from the start. But here’s the key: the benefits of regenerative agriculture only happen if we build a skilled workforce and ensure access to land. That’s the future we’re working toward. Here’s to a regenerative future where farmland thrives, legacies endure, and new farmers rise. 🌾 #RegenerativeAgriculture #FutureOfFood #CarbonDrawdown #FutureofFarming #FutureofWork

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𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗡𝗮𝘃𝘆𝗮 𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗮 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝟴 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸𝘀! Navya (name changed for privacy as she’s still in a full-time job 😄) reached out to me in early November. She was passionate about starting her own venture but didn’t know where to begin. Fast forward 8 weeks, and here’s what we achieved together at Founders First Network: • Finalized her customer segments. • Built basic branding and pitching materials. • Made her initial customer pitch without a product. • Sourced samples, started offering them to prospects, and even made her first sale—all using lean methodologies. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹-𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗷𝗼𝗯! At Founders First Network, we specialize in helping aspiring entrepreneurs like Navya turn their ideas into ventures using lean, iterative experimentation. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲, 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆, 𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵. Excited to get started on your idea? 👉 DM me to learn more. 👉 Or apply through the first link below to schedule a discovery call. Your idea could be next! 🚀

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For those who missed the Truvity workshop on Decentralised Identity and are interested in participating in the Hackathon see below posting from the Decentralized Identity Foundation (DIF) and recording of the workshop. Further details of the Hackathon can be found on the DIF Discord. Building SSI Solutions: An Introduction to Truvity SDK: https://lnkd.in/eEfiyNWX

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Talking about selecting the right Founders: That's a great essential start, and I agree, it is a prerequisite for any venture or investment to grow. (but, you are still a long way to scale and succeed, but we will come to that question of 'end-to-end having a repeatable process' to build great companies another day. Or, like, I prefer to say -How can I "Industrialize Innovation") For today, let me share one quick point - YES, that a founding team ought to be passionate but having a lot of passion - that hand waving - we will change the world - is NOT enough! IMHO, "Oh - I invest in a passionate team" - is such flawed investment model. Its good to have raw energy but not good enough to succeed. You could be simply running in wrong direction. Therefore, "passion combined with deep-domain-expertise" is ESSENTIAL. Where Founders know that despite them knowing so many nuances - it may be a long run - could be a marathon - a roller coaster ride - challenging - that you may still fail - and hence you would always be open to learning new things - from others - all the time - and still stay positive and energetic. That is the hallmark of a resilient Founder's DNA - makings of a successful foundation. And then, secondly, and equally importantly - is that the Co-founders you choose - must come together for VALUES and not for mere complimentary skills. You know Power Point and I know Excel is not what you need - Are your deep core values and purpose aligned? https://lnkd.in/eSB9bqdE Best, Suresh

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I was glad to have attended the recent event hosted by our Plug and Play Netherlands team with AmCham. It was a real pleasure to meet so many interesting "innovators". I had a great time and engaging discussions. We saw a lot of interest in open innovation from companies across all industries aiming to innovate further, more efficiently and faster. Most of them are already collaborating with startups but are still interested in increasing their ROI from their open innovation activities. In terms of tech focus areas, the highest interest was in Sustainability and having AI impacting the business in a tangible way. 🚀 #PNPTCNetherlands #Sustainability

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🚀 57% of our investments are certified B Corp! We just added 2 to the mix: #Untamed | B Corp™ and #KoRo! At Five Seasons Ventures, we do as we preach, so we are also B Corp certified ourselves. Even though the label is far from perfect, it certainly has its advantages: - Fast growing community: from 1.2k certified companies 10 years ago to over 9k today. - Trusted and recognized by consumers and investors - Holistic approach: B Corp offers a comprehensive framework, recognizing companies that prioritize ESG, but also giving companies extra points if their products "promote the health and wellness of individuals" or "reduce toxins or pollution" for example (aka impact) According to our head of Impact Gaetan Kerloc'h: 'there is a strong correlation between certified companies and my own evaluation of their sustainability practices. With the new framework currently in development, I believe this alignment will only grow stronger.' 💚

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Innovation Industries is paving the way for deep-tech startups and scale-ups in the Benelux and Germany with a new fund launch! 💡🚀 The fund — Innovation Industries Fund III, has a size of €500M. As part of the Dutch Future Fund II programme, it will receive a €10M contribution from Invest-NL and €74M from the European Investment Fund (EIF). Additionally, pension funds PME pensioenfonds and Pensioenfonds Metaal en Techniek ( PMT ) are also investors in this fund. Know more here: https://lnkd.in/dabHmYQA #InnovationIndustries #TechStartups #ScaleUps #Innovation

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What can you do for the climate? I've gone through the whole journey of measuring and reducing my personal carbon footprint (a blogpost I might share later), aligning work with my personal goals (with Hauster) but still: the impact you have as an individual is limited. Which is why I invited over 25 entrepreneurs and friends (and family!) to an inspirational session at Carbon Equity to discuss our personal entrepreneurial journey (with Bas Beek, Jeff Gomez and myself) but also nudge everyone to consider their own impact: - through their personal footprint - through their business (where you can leverage your impact) - through their investing Will this be enough? I don't know: we need more policy and regulations! So let's see where this journey ends... come join me! (or send me a PM with your questions)

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