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Dutch VC Volve Capital Closes €9 Million Fund to Back Founders From 'Day Zero'

Amsterdam-based venture capital firm Volve Capital has closed its inaugural €9 million fund, aiming to support early-stage startups in Europe from their earliest stages.

Volve Capital, founded in 2022 by Jasper Hoogewerf and Lotte van Dijk, focuses on backing founders "from day zero" - before they may have even incorporated their businesses. The firm says it will write initial checks of €100,000 to €500,000 and follow on in later rounds.

"We want to be there for founders right at the start, when they are still figuring things out and need that first bit of capital and guidance," Hoogewerf told EU-Startups. "Too often, promising ideas and talented teams miss out on funding because they haven't yet built a full business plan or hit certain milestones."

Volve's debut fund attracted commitments from a mix of institutional investors, family offices and angel investors, the firm said, without disclosing specific backers. The new capital will allow Volve to invest in around 20-30 startups over the next 3-4 years, with a focus on fintech, enterprise software and sustainability sectors.

The Dutch VC landscape has seen steady growth in recent years, with funds like Rockstart, Peak and Brabanders closing larger vehicles to deploy more capital into the region's burgeoning startup ecosystem. However, early-stage funding, especially for first-time founders, remains a key challenge.

"There's a lot of focus and capital flowing into the later-stage startups, but the seed and pre-seed space is still quite fragmented," said van Dijk. "We want to be a reliable partner for founders at the very beginning, to help them build something meaningful."

Volve will typically take ownership stakes of 10-20% in its portfolio companies. The firm said it will leverage its operational experience - both Hoogewerf and van Dijk previously worked at startups - to provide hands-on support to founders.

While the fundraising environment has become more challenging amid the broader economic slowdown, Volve's backers believe the firm's differentiated approach will resonate.

"Early-stage funding is always crucial, but even more so in tougher times when founders need that extra support," said an investor familiar with the fund. "Volve's focus on truly backing founders from the ground up could make a real difference."