Student Investment Team - Graduate Ventures

Our Story

Graduate Ventures was established in 2021 and is funded by donor and alumni capital. The fund manages a total of €59 million, of which €9 million is dedicated to an early-stage investments fund led by the Student Investment Team. We invest in startups across MedTech, DeepTech, DigitalTech, and ClimateTech, sectors where innovation meets real-world impact. As students from EUR and TU Delft, we form the bridge between academic innovation, technical solutions and venture capital. Our team manages the fund and the end-to-end deal flow: we scout promising founders, conduct initial assessments, perform due diligence, and prepare investment proposals for the Investment Committee. We offer ticket sized € 75.000,-. Our mission is to empower the next generation of founders emerging from our universities by providing the funding, expertise, and network they need to grow.

Each year, a Student Investment Team dedicates one full-time year (Monday to Thursday) to this role. It’s a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience in venture capital while contributing directly to the growth of the Delft–Rotterdam startup ecosystem. Graduate Ventures is the most active fund in the Netherlands. Adding to that, we’re currently expanding our pre-seed fund to a national scale: broadening our impact even more.

As students we get the opportunity to not only study innovation, but also invest in it.

Eva Post, Head of Pre-Seed Fund

“It is always exciting to welcome a new student board each year and support them as they grow, ask the right questions, and build a real understanding of the investment process.”

Responsibilities as Student Investor

As a Student Investor at Graduate Ventures, we work from Monday to Thursday. Each day is dynamic and hands-on. We start by meeting with founders to learn about their ideas, technologies, and business models. Together with the team, we dive deep into understanding the product and its technical foundations, consulting with experts from within and outside our network to assess the feasibility and innovation behind each concept.

Once a startup captures our interest, we conduct due diligence: analyzing everything from market potential, technical foundation and competition to go-to-market strategies and financial projections. This process allows us to form a clear picture of the opportunity and evaluate both the risks and the long-term growth potential.

Based on these insights, we discuss and decide whether an investment fits our portfolio. If the startup is a strong match, we gather additional information to write a comprehensive investment proposal, outlining the opportunity, the rationale behind the investment, and the expected impact.

Beyond evaluating new deals, Student Investors also stay actively involved with portfolio companies. We help founders navigate challenges and connect them with the right experts and partners to accelerate growth.

Alongside these responsibilities, every team member contributes to broader workstreams, such as organizing events like the Graduate Meetup and Founder’s Forum, engaging in portfolio management, marketing, and personal development.

Louis Euverink, Consultant at McKinsey & Company

Louis Euverink, Consultant at McKinsey & Company

“Being part of the Student Investment Team gave me a unique perspective of where innovation in the Netherlands is heading. Working closely with entrepreneurs at the forefront of the next wave helped me develop a stronger business sense.

Even now at McKinsey, in a very different environment, the fundamentals are the same.”

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