Observed Signal · Oct 6, 2026 · Funding · Source: Tech.eu (European Tech & Deals) · Impact: 1/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Graduate Ventures launches €125M second seed fund for Dutch startups
Dutch investor Graduate Ventures has launched its second seed fund of €125 million, with €100 million already committed. Since its founding in 2021 by alumni of Delft University of Technology and Erasmus University Rotterdam, the firm has invested in over 90 tech startups and now partners with eight universities and three university medical centres across the Netherlands. The new fund will focus on sectors including AI, deep tech, healthcare, and climate. Notable backers include Frank Slootman (Snowflake), Michiel Muller (Picnic), Jonas Ruyter (DataSnipper), and Peter Wennink (ASML), with participation from Invest-NL and Oost NL. The firm also operates a pre-seed fund, and its portfolio company QuantWare recently raised €152 million in a Series B round.
This news is relevant to the broader tech investment ecosystem, but it is not directly focused on advertising, marketing, or media technology. The fund will invest in a range of sectors, and while AI is mentioned, there is no specific adtech or martech focus. Therefore, it has limited impact on the AdTech industry.
Track Snowflake Signals & Market Shifts in Real-Time
Polaris7 autonomous intelligence agents track regulatory filings, primary sources, executive changes, and deal flow 24/7. Create your free Explorer workspace to monitor these entities.
Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Graduate Ventures launched a second seed fund of €125 million, with €100 million already committed.
- The fund will invest in Dutch tech startups in sectors including AI, deep tech, healthcare, and climate.
- Backers include Frank Slootman, Michiel Muller, Jonas Ruyter, Peter Wennink, Invest-NL, and Oost NL.
- Graduate Ventures has invested in over 90 tech startups since its founding in 2021.
- Portfolio company QuantWare raised €152 million in a Series B round earlier this year.
Connected Companies & Entities
3 Entities mapped“backed by a large group of entrepreneurs, including: Frank Slootman (Snowflake)...”
“backed by a large group of entrepreneurs, including: Michiel Muller (Picnic)...”
“Peter Wennink, former CEO of ASML...”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Seed Capital closes €130M Fund V for Nordic startups
Copenhagen-based seed investor Seed Capital announced the closing of its fifth fund at €130 million, targeting 15-17 companies with first checks of €3-6 million in FinTech, cybersecurity, resilience, and AI-driven B2B sectors. The fund will expand beyond Denmark into the Nordics, with a strategic focus on Sweden. The firm also announced leadership changes: Christian Brøndum, former CEO of Planday, steps in as Managing Partner, and Geeta Schmidt, former CEO and co-founder of Humio, joins as General Partner. Seed Capital has already made initial investments from Fund V in Fortiv, Moxso, Repodo, and Oplane. The firm plans to evaluate opening a Swedish office to strengthen its close-to-founders approach. Its portfolio includes notable companies like Trustpilot, Flatpay, and Lunar.
DIG Ventures Closes $120M Fund III for European AI Infrastructure Startups
European venture capital firm DIG Ventures, founded by MuleSoft's Ross Mason, has closed its third fund at $120 million (€106 million) to invest in early-stage companies building AI-native enterprise and cloud infrastructure. Backed by institutional LPs including Horsley Bridge, Sofina, Granite, and a leading US university endowment, as well as entrepreneur LPs from Slack, Datadog, Nord Security, Cast AI, Supercell, and Dash0, the fund will back approximately 30 European pre-seed and seed-stage companies focusing on AI control points such as data, identity, compliance, and orchestration. The firm aims to lead most rounds and leverage its operational experience to support portfolio companies with go-to-market strategies and US expansion. Notable Fund II portfolio companies include Dash0, which achieved unicorn status after a $110 million Series B, and Taktile, which raised a $110 million Series C led by Goldman Sachs.
NewSchool VC closes €10M Fund I for B2B tech
Belgian venture capital firm NewSchool VC has closed its first fund at €10 million to invest in early-stage B2B technology companies. The fund reached its target after raising €6.1 million at its first close last September. It is backed by around 50 investors, including six family offices and entrepreneurs from the Belgian business community. NewSchool focuses on pre-seed and seed stage B2B tech companies, with about 75% of investments in Belgium. The fund has made 32 investments to date, with recent deals in Talentir (Switzerland) and Outline (Paris). Founder Christophe Morbee, also CEO of Belgian payroll provider besox, contributed 25% of the fund himself. NewSchool combines capital with go-to-market, sales, and storytelling support for startups automating established industries.
Track Real-Time Market Signals & Shifts
Set up custom watchlists to receive automated, evidence-grounded executive digests whenever material signals or shifts occur across your tracked landscape.