Entrepreneurship is important for several reasons, from driving innovation to enhancing societal development. In many countries, entrepreneurship is often seen as the catalyst for economic growth and employment.
In the last decade, Europe, particularly the Netherlands, has been dedicating a great deal of attention to entrepreneurship. Notably, this has been reflected in countless developments in the country.
In the Netherlands, cities like Amsterdam, Delft, Rotterdam, and others are contributing to a more sustainable society through disruptive technologies. Among them, Rotterdam and Delft are known for their unique entrepreneurial mindset of capitalising on opportunities.
Graduate Entrepreneur
Graduate Entrepreneur is one such initiative that aims to stimulate the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the Netherlands. As a part of the initiative, the Graduate Entrepreneur provides capital, network, and hands-on support.Â
Graduate Entrepreneur is a combined initiative of TU Delft, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Erasmus MC, and a group of well-established, successful alumni and run by students. It unites the startup ecosystem: connecting all existing organisations in Delft & Rotterdam.
As per the company’s claims, the fund is a student-led pre-seed investment fund investing in students and alumni from Rotterdam and Delft.
In the latest development, Graduate Entrepreneur has unveiled the list of three startups it has invested in for the very first time. The companies are Focus, Clickdrive, and Workwize.
Focus
Founder/s: Jard van Ingen and Thijs van de Poll
Focus is an AI company that gives predictive insight into the technological landscape of the future. With the platform, the companies can get crucial insight, enabling them to make better investment decisions.
“Founders Jard & Thijs have shown tremendous traction with their company and already received positive validation from the market. We are highly confident that this amazing team will expand their activities and grow over the coming months. This investment round, funded by Graduate Entrepreneur and a group of business angels, will enable them to do so,” says Graduate Entrepreneur.
Clickdrive
Founder/s: Joost van Suijlekom, Bart Buurma and Roel Bloys
Clickdrive is a data-driven marketplace platform for driving lessons, where students can compare, choose, and book their instructor(s) in three clicks. Based on the preferences and personality traits of the students, Clickdrive creates a shortlist with the best instructors for them.
Graduate Entrepreneur says, “We believe Clickdrive is a perfect fit for Graduate Entrepreneurs. The government and the industry acknowledge issues in the current outdated industry for both students and instructors. Clickdrive already passed the MVP phase and has a highly functioning platform with massive traction. Graduate Entrepreneur’s investment and coaching will help Clickdrive optimise the app/platform, accelerate marketing and sales, and become a leading player in the driving school industry.”
Workwize
Founder/s: Sebastiaan Scholten, Michiel Meyer, Victor Dik and Dirk Kranendijk
Workwize is a procurement platform that makes working from home easy. The platform empowers employees with customisation, offers transparency for the employer, and helps suppliers create new revenue streams effortlessly.
Graduate Entrepreneur says, “Workwize was born to support and accelerate the transition to a hybrid work environment, and the company is a perfect example of the innovativeness and boldness of young individuals. With a customer base of companies including a large listed company, one of the Netherlands’ fastest-growing scaleups, and one of the fastest-growing Fintech’s in the Netherlands, Mollie, Workwize has demonstrated their ability to create a product that their customers love. With the >500k funding from Graduate Entrepreneur, ASIF Ventures, angels, and others, Workwize is set on to improve their product while expanding on their sales and customer success operations.”