Volve Capital Closes €9M Fund I to Lead Europe’s Earliest Pre-Seed Rounds

Volve Capital wasn’t designed to look like a traditional venture firm. When Dutch founders Joost BijlsmaDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and Maurits HoviusDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → created it in 2024, they started from a feeling they knew well: how hard the earliest days of company-building can be. Before revenue, before traction, sometimes even before the product exists, founders often find themselves searching for investors who understand the uncertainty and intensity of “day zero.” Volve’s model was built to be that early partner.

After a year of fundraising, the Amsterdam-based firm has now closed its first fund at €9 million. It’s a modest sum compared to the mega-funds raised across Europe in recent years, but that’s by design. Volve is sharpening its focus on the very earliest stage of the market — pre-seed — where it believes there is still a gap for investors willing to lead rounds before proof points appear. Initial investments will range from €150,000 to €500,000, with follow-on capacity of up to €1 million per company.

The firm’s approach borrows more from startup culture than from classic venture playbooks. Instead of layers of partners and associates, Volve operates with a small team supported by a network of operators in tech, data, go-to-market, marketing, operations, and finance. The goal is not just to provide capital, but to give founders hands-on help during the moment when it matters most — the transition from zero to one. Seven investments have already been completed, including EddygridDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, NOX EnergyDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, StipplDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, ConservioDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Whisper, TwindoDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, and SuppliedDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →.

Backing the fund is a group of around 30 Dutch entrepreneurs and industry veterans, among them Tony’s Chocolonely’s Henk Jan Beltman, former Conclusion founder Roelof Bijlsma, Peak Capital’s Heleen Dura van Oord, and former Waterland partner Mathieu Zwinkels, who also sit on the firm’s advisory board. Additional capital came through the Dutch government’s RVO Seed Capital program, giving Volve extra runway to support founders at the riskiest inflection points.

With Fund I now fully closed, Volve’s focus shifts to deploying its first 12 to 15 investments and solidifying its reputation as an early-stage lead investor. If the model works, Bijlsma and Hovius plan to continue with a second fund, doubling down on a simple premise: the venture ecosystem doesn’t just need more capital — it needs investors willing to show up at the very beginning, long before the market does.

Source:
EU-Startups

A.M.