INGEN HOUSZ

Fireside chat of Melissa Ablett-Jordaan with Matthijs Ingen-Housz at Upstream Festival, on why this is the best time ever to be a startup entrepreneur, trends in the Dutch VC market, and much more! https://lnkd.in/eHfMwUdG

Amsterdam-based Findest™ a company specialising in R&D software solutions, has secured €2.2M in a fresh funding round led by Stockholm-based Partinc, a European investment firm. Findest will use the funds to accelerate its international growth and support the launch of its platform — “The R&D Universe.” Additionally, the company will use the capital to grow its team from 30 to 45 people. “Partinc is a Swedish innovative B2B SaaS fund run by former entrepreneurs. They are extremely ambitious and fast, appealing to a startup with similar growth ambitions. Furthermore, they are willing to invest in the next generation of products. Their expertise and experience scaling software products will help Findest reach the next stage.” says Vincent Franken, Co-founder & CEO at Findest. Founded by Roel Boekel and Vincent Franken, Findest is a spin-off from @ VU Amsterdam. It is a technology scouting company that develops IGOR^AI to help customers like ASML, Philips, Unilever, and Shell find technologies for R&D challenges. Companies using the Universe platform have reported that Findest can increase their R&D output by up to 40 per cent. They have shared that “what normally takes them 10 hours of desk research, they can now do it in 30 minutes.” “We see enormous potential in the Universe product for R&D departments. In today’s world, the need for sustainable solutions has never been more pressing. R&D plays a critical role in developing technologies and practices that address global sustainability challenges. All companies must expand the innovation of new and existing products to keep up with these goals. Therefore, new tools like Universe from Findest will be necessary to improve output and enhance the efficiency of existing R&D organisations,” says Jan B. Sundelin, partner at Partinc. INGEN HOUSZ (Quirijn van Veen, Frans Ruijs, Meelf van Oosten) advised Findest™.

Sendcloud, an e-commerce shipping platform, announced today its intent to acquire isendu, a shipping automation platform serving more than 1,000 online businesses. Both companies have reached a mutual agreement on the principal terms of their acquisition, which is anticipated to be finalised by the end of Q3, 2024. Isendu enables merchants to streamline shipping processes, generate labels quickly, monitor shipments through a unified interface, and enhance post-purchase customer experiences, aligning with Sendcloud’s goal to transform global shipping solutions. Rob van den Heuvel, CEO and co-founder of Sendcloud, says, “Shipping is the biggest expense in e-commerce, yet it remains the primary bottleneck to growth.” “While most online stores lack the power of e-commerce giants like Amazon and Zalando, consumers still expect the same level of service and experience. isendu shares this belief, aligning perfectly with our mission to solve shipping globally.” INGEN HOUSZ (Joep Wolfhagen, Frans Ruijs) advises Sendcloud.

Axelera AI attracts $68M Series B investment round Axelera AI is a leading provider of custom-designed edge AI chips. This funding brings the total amount raised by Axelera AI to more than € 111 million. The market for edge AI chips is undergoing a significant shift from cloud-based to so-called edge-based solutions, driven by the need for energy efficiency and real-time processing capabilities. Axelera AI has developed a digital in-memory chip, leading to 3-5 times higher efficiency and performance. Invest-NL co-lead the round. Other investors in the consortium include the European Innovation Council Fund, Samsung Catalyst Fund, the Strategic Partner Fund of Innovation Industries, Verve Ventures, along with existing investors such as Innovation Industries and CDP Italy. Johan Stins, Senior Investment Manager at Invest-NL: "Europe has some catching up to do when it comes to fabless chip developers, which focus on designing and developing semiconductor chips without manufacturing them. Our investment in Axelera AI strengthens the European and Dutch semiconductor industries and promotes the development of our knowledge economy and future earning potential. Axelera AI's innovative edge AI solutions can achieve significant progress in artificial intelligence." INGEN HOUSZ (Matthijs Ingen-Housz, Joep Wolfhagen, Berend Veenstra, Eeke van Vegchel - Kenninck, Frans Ruijs) advised Samsung Catalyst Fund and Invest-NL.

Qblox, a Delft-based company developing quantum computing technology, has raised $26 million, closing its Series A funding round. The round was led by Quantonation and Invest-NL. Qblox supplies dedicated, fully integrated quantum control stacks, a fundamental quantum computer part. In this way, quantum computers can be controlled efficiently without needing weeks of preparation or meters of electronic racks. “This Series A funding marks a significant milestone in Qblox’s journey to drive quantum innovation forward, ” said Niels Bultink, co-founder and CEO of Qblox. “It has always been clear to us that quantum technology should be seen as a value chain where we work with dedication on one crucial layer of the stack, currently serving over one hundred customers. Almost uniquely in the industry, this has allowed us to grow the company exponentially, fueled by revenue rather than investments. With our first equity investment, we secure our long-term growth, positioning Qblox as the enabler of industrial-scale quantum systems. “ “We have closely followed Qblox’s impressive journey over the past four years. Their achievements have been remarkable, and we are thrilled to invest in Qblox alongside Invest NL to help accelerate their transition to the industrial market, commented Olivier Tonneau, Partner of Quantonation. “Their expertise in control stack development and their unique modular and scalable technology make them a standout player in the field. We look forward to seeing the impact of this investment on their continued progress.” “Investing in quantum technology is crucial for pioneering complex technologies that provide solutions to societal challenges. We believe that Qblox is well-positioned to shape the future of quantum computing,” stated Yvonne Greeuw, Investment Manager at Invest-NL. “We are impressed by the team and proven track record of innovation and growth, demonstrating their ability to impact the industry significantly. We at Invest-NL are excited to be a part of their journey.” INGEN HOUSZ (Matthijs Ingen-Housz, Berend Veenstra, Eeke van Vegchel - Kenninck) advised Qblox on this investment round including any required BTI filings ('Wet Vifo').

Keen Venture Partners investeert in Avalor AI om militaire onbemande systemen te verbeteren. Het Nederlandse defensietechnologie softwarebedrijf Avalor AI heeft 2 miljoen euro opgehaald. De seed-ronde wordt geleid door Keen Venture Partners en wordt aangewend om de autonomie van onbemande militaire systemen te verbeteren. Avalor AI is opgericht door Maurits Korthals Altes, Jeroen Lappenschaar, en Marc Derksen. Avalor AI ontwikkelt slimme systemen voor onbemande voertuigen, gericht op missies zoals het verzamelen van informatie en surveillance. Met hun software kunnen deze voertuigen autonoom opereren, meerdere voertuigen besturen en integreren met bestaande systemen. INGEN HOUSZ (Daan Gieben, Frans Ruijs) adviseerde Avalor AI.

MicroAlign, a spin-off from the Eindhoven University of Technology, has closed €1 million in seed-funding to accelerate the commercialization of high-accuracy fiber arrays. The funding round was led by the Dutch venture capital firms DeepTechXL and PhotonVentures. MicroAlign’s technology can impact quantum photonic computing, data communication, and AI computing, by providing an interconnection component that reduces the system energy consumption and improves the related functionality performance. Marco Fattori, CTO of MicroAlign: “Over the past three years, MicroAlign has developed technology to manipulate optical fibers with unmatched precision, generating already four patents describing revolutionary approaches in the critical optical fiber alignment operation. This technology is based on the smallest fiber alignment actuator in the world and represents a groundbreaking solution for the industry. We are currently laser sharp focused on developing further our technology to realize ultra-high accuracy fiber arrays.” CEO Simone Cardarelli explains how MicroAlign can support the quantum photonic computing development: . “MicroAlign's fiber array product is a key enabling technology for quantum photonic computing applications, where every photon counts in the fiber-to-chip connection. Exponential benefits in quantum computing efficiency can be indeed achieved with a high-accuracy fiber array component. At the same time, the technology trends driven by the growing demands for data traffic and AI computing show that low-loss optical interconnections are more and more a point of concern, opening a huge application opportunity for MicroAlign in the near future.” DeepTechXL managing partner Teska van Vuren: ”DeepTechXL shares MicroAlign’s vision to make an impact by solving one of the main technical bottlenecks for quantum photonic computers. DeepTechXL will support MicroAlign in scaling up and becoming the number one in low coupling loss fiber arrays." PhotonVentures general partner Ewit Roos: “MicroAlign is the only company in Europe that has proven to meet the stringent requirements for fiber alignment in the still small but promising and already very demanding quantum photonic computing domain. With their excellent technology and the continuous focus on customer needs and delivery, I am convinced this MicroAlign team is ready to facilitate successfully the growth of this industry and other sectors that require ultra-low loss fiber coupling solutions.’’ INGEN HOUSZ (Joep Wolfhagen, Joukje Baur) advised DeepTechXL.

Dutch startup Neople raised a €6 million investment round led by Newion and Simon Capital. They are joined in this round by their current investors Peak and Curiosity VC. Neople offers a software solution that creates AI co-workers for e-commerce customer support teams. The company will use the investment to enter the German market and launch the first AI-training center for digital co-workers. Neople was founded in 2023 by Hans de Penning, Bas Ploeg, Job Nijenhuis, Menno Zevenbergen. The company is on a mission to solve customer support challenges. Consumers demand high-quality support, but support teams struggle with high workloads. Neople solves this problem by offering a digital co-worker. By now, over 100 leading Dutch and German e-commerce businesses have hired a Neople. AI is not widely used in support roles yet, because it often delivers incomplete, incorrect, or poorly toned responses. This is a big deal in highly competitive markets. Neople's new training center enables senior staff to train AI colleagues so they can eventually provide the best customer service fully autonomously. Hans de Penning, co-founder and CEO of Neople, explains: “We are on the verge of a shift to a new way of working with technology. Soon, AI colleagues with the right soft skills will automate all repetitive and time-consuming tasks exactly as instructed. This future collaboration is what we call 'Collegial AI.' Customer support teams are often the bottleneck of an e-commerce business, dealing with numerous cases, including those from annoyed or even rude customers. Collegial AI makes their jobs more enjoyable and allows them to focus on the edge cases. Thanks to the investment, we're launching an AI training center to train Neople to reply autonomously. We are also receiving positive signals from businesses outside the Netherlands. It's about time we expand Neople's presence globally.” With pan-European investors Newion and Simon Capital on board, Neople has strong partners for its next growth phase and international expansion. The company will be opening a second office in Berlin in September, providing better access to grow their German client base. Dorus Olgers, Principal at Newion, explains: “We are impressed by Neople's humanized approach on AI, driven by deep vertical understanding of the markets they serve. This has resulted in a product their customers love, which has disrupted their traditional approach on customer support” Since its establishment in January 2023, the young company has onboarded over 100 Neople in the Netherlands, making it one of the fastest-growing startups of the Netherlands. Clients like Rituals, The Social Hub, PSV Eindhoven, PON Bikes and Vitaminstore have employed a Neople. INGEN HOUSZ (Quirijn van Veen, Daan Gieben) advised Neople.

Piton Capital, DFF (Dutch Founders Fund), MillionMonkeys and INGEN HOUSZ are hosting TNW After Drinks! 🍹 We are inviting marketplace founders and investors for drinks and bites in the sunkissed courtyard at our offices Fosbury & Sons. A few spots are still available. Founders, operators and investors can apply via the link the comments. Entrance on registration only.

Leuke blog van Rebecca Rodnite over Upstream Festival : “Tijdens het Upstream Festival gaf Matthijs Ingen-Housz een boeiende lezing waarin hij zijn ervaringen en inzichten deelde als VC-advocaat en adviseur voor zowel investeerders als ondernemers. Mathijs speelt een cruciale rol als gids voor startups en investeerders, waarbij hij hen helpt bij het navigeren door investeringsrondes en het opstellen van overeenkomsten. Als marktleider in Nederland begeleidt zijn kantoor jaarlijks ongeveer 100 investeringsrondes, wat hun expertise en invloed in de sector onderstreept. Hij benadrukte dat het nu een fantastisch moment is om een startup te beginnen. Ondanks de uitdagingen is de markt herstellende en zijn er volop kansen voor ondernemers. Hij moedigde aan om de sprong te wagen, vooral omdat AI-technologie het nu mogelijk maakt om met een beperkt aantal mensen aanzienlijke inkomsten te genereren. Dit maakt het ondernemerschap toegankelijker dan ooit tevoren. Een ander belangrijk punt dat Mathijs deelt, is dat ondernemers de vrijheid en ruimte nodig hebben om te opereren. Hij wees op de belangrijke rol van Invest-NL die nu steeds meer investeert in deep tech. Fundraising was een ander cruciaal thema in zijn lezing. Mathijs benadrukte de hernieuwde activiteit in de markt. Hij moedigde ondernemers aan om deze kansen te benutten. Mathijs zijn boodschap tijdens het festival was helder: voor ondernemers is dit een tijd van ongekende mogelijkheden. Door de combinatie van gunstige marktomstandigheden, de groei van technologie en de steun van investeerders, is het starten van een bedrijf niet alleen haalbaar maar ook buitengewoon opwindend. Zijn advies aan potentiële ondernemers is simpel: grijp de kansen, maak gebruik van de beschikbare technologieën en durf te investeren in je eigen visie.” #shapingtheneweconomy