Amsterdam’s female-led startup Pro Parents bags €1M to support working parents

Pro Parents, an Amsterdam-based company in the Femtech sector, has secured €1M in growth capital. This brings its total funding to €3.3M. 

Pro Parents will use the funds to support growth, expand collaborations with academic partners such as Radboud University, and enable entry into other European markets.

Investors supporting Pro Parents

New investors include Mike de Boer (Knab Bank), Andre Grimbergen (Albelli), the fund Quantum Leap Capital, and informal investors Lara Koole (Carbon Equity), Jeroen ter Huurne (Collin Crowdfund), among others. Existing investors Oost NL, Peakfijn, and Bram Smeets also contributed. 

Mike de Boer, Quantum Leap Capital, former CFO & co-founder Knab Bank, says, “Pro Parents shows how to really make a difference: healthy employees and a better workplace. Founder Joyce Knappe has vision, drive and combines that with domain knowledge, entrepreneurial power and a clear impact mission.”

The company previously received support from the Goldschmeding Foundation and the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport.

Supporting working parents through HR technology

Founded in 2013 by Joyce Knappe, Pro Parents offers HR technology that helps employers support employees during pregnancy, the postpartum period, and while managing work and parenthood. The company has supported over 8,000 parents and their employers.

Knappe started Pro Parents after experiencing gaps in care during her own transition into parenthood. Her company’s platform is designed to provide guidance for parents returning to work, including access to resources and professional support.

Joyce Knappe, CEO and founder of Pro Parents, says, “The past few years have been about understanding how our solution fits the needs and constraints of parents and employers. The coming years are about system innovation and impact.”

Pro Parents also assists employers with meeting ESG goals and D&I strategies, while aiming to lower absenteeism, reduce turnover, and manage healthcare costs.

Why does this funding matter for Pro Parents and the FemTech sector?

The FemTech market is projected to grow to $103B by 2030, driven by the need to address the global health gap for women. Although women live longer than men, they often experience more health issues and receive care that does not reflect differences in how illnesses affect them. 

Addressing these issues could contribute $1T to the global economy by 2040, creating new opportunities for companies focused on women’s health.

Pro Parents closed its latest funding round during a period of reduced venture capital activity. According to Techleap’s ‘State of Dutch Tech 2025’ report, in the Netherlands, total tech investments fell from €800M in 2021 to €400M in 2024. The decline is linked to economic uncertainty, higher interest rates, and investor caution. 

Access to capital for female-led startups remains rare, with less than 1 per cent of venture investments going to companies founded by women. Despite these barriers, Pro Parents secured new funding to continue its work.

Joyce Knappe, CEO and founder of Pro Parents, says, “The decisive factor is that in recent years we have developed a razor-sharp vision of what works, for whom and why. And the value that HR technology offers in structurally strengthening employers in their vitality and well-being policy.”

“We now have the breadth and depth to bring about change on a large scale in the needs and obstacles of parents and employers. The next ten years will be all about transformation and impact.”