Nascent Ventures

Nascent Ventures is a seed fund in the Netherlands that sets up high-tech companies itself rather than only funding them. It draws on ground-breaking technology from Dutch research institutes and universities, especially physics.

What Nascent Ventures offers

• Find: scouts promising technologies coming out of research in the Netherlands.
• Found: creates the start-up, with the fund manager acting as its chief executive in the early years.
• Fund: supplies pre-seed and seed capital.
• Share structure: takes founder shares at nominal value, which helps limit dilution in later rounds.

Who it works with

The fund works with universities, technology transfer offices and researchers who hold commercial technology. It targets inventions that could disrupt existing markets or open new ones. Its two partners, Hans Brouwer and Steven Tan, have a long working relationship.

Key facts

• Based in: the Netherlands
• Stage: pre-seed and seed
• Partner experience: around 50 years combined in high-tech and start-ups