AtVenture DealFlow

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AtVenture Dealflow brings you conversations with Europe’s fundraising founders and the investors who back them. Every week, host Laurie Lancee talks to ambitious startup founders who are raising capital and the angels, VCs, and ecosystem builders who support them. You’ll hear honest fundraising stories, insider investor perspectives, and lessons on: – Pitching and fundraising strategies – What investors look for in early-stage startups – Building diverse and inclusive companies – Europe’s evolving startup & investment landscape 👉 Join the community at atventureplatform.com and see you at the next great deal!

  1. 4d ago

    Birgitta de Gruijter, fundraising founder of Nestpod

    Episode 25 - Birgitta de Gruijter - NestpodIn this episode, Laurie Lancee speaks with Birgitta de Gruijter, co-founder of Nestpod. Nestpod is building the new standard for lactation facilities in Europe: a freestanding, fully equipped nursing pod for workplaces, airports, shopping centres and anywhere else mothers need a proper space. Three out of four breastfeeding mothers quit earlier than they want to, simply because it is too hard. One out of three young moms leave their job within eighteen months of returning from maternity leave, and replacing them can cost up to 150% of a yearly salary. Nestpod offers a plug-and-play pod that only needs a power socket, fully soundproof and ventilated, designed by mothers for mothers, so companies and public spaces can finally offer a facility that actually works. Key Metrics: Sector: FemTech / Workplace Infrastructure Country: the Netherlands Business model: B2B hardware, sold or rented, plus an annual maintenance and cleaning service Market: workplaces, airports, shopping centres, museums, zoos and other public and semi-public spaces across Europe Market size: 10,000+ companies in Europe already fit the target profile for a workplace pod, and the category itself barely exists yet Value proposition: A freestanding, fully equipped nursing pod designed by mothers for mothers, ready to use with just a power socket Listen to the full episode on AtVenture DealFlow. More: www.atventureplatform.com See you at the next great deal!

    Birgitta de Gruijter, fundraising founder of Nestpod

  2. Aug 18

    Velina Veleva - Angel Investor at AtVenture Platform

    Episode 24 - Velina Veleva: From Angel Accelerator to 3 investments in 6 monthsIn this episode of AtVenture DealFlow, Laurie Lancee speaks with Velina Veleva, angel investor and alumna of AtVenture's first Angel Accelerator cohort. At the time of recording, Velina had made her first two angel investments shortly after completing the programme. And just recently, her portfolio had grown to three investments: Billie Wonder (sustainable diapers), Goodoo (ice cream) and Johnny Cashew (sustainable cashews). These companies were also featured in earlier episodes of AtVenture DealFlow. Velina shares how she learned to combine gut feeling with due diligence, how her investment thesis evolved from a FemTech focus into a broader investment lens, and what earns her confidence, or raises questions, when a founder pitches. She also explains why the community became the most valuable part of her accelerator experience. Thinking about becoming an angel investor yourself? The AtVenture Angel Accelerator helps aspiring angels build the knowledge, confidence and network to start investing through practical training, curated startup deal flow and a community of fellow investors. Explore upcoming cohorts: https://www.atventureplatform.com/angel-accelerator Angel Snapshot: Background: Business developmentAccelerator: Alumna of AtVenture's 1st Angel Accelerator cohortPortfolio: 3 investments within 6 months: Billie Wonder, Goodoo and Johnny CashewInvestment interests: Started with FemTech, now exploring a broader range of sectors, including the protein transitionLooks for: A strong team, grounded ambition, founder-market fit and a business she can understand and believe inYellow flag: A leadership team that lacks diversity without showing awareness or plans to address itAdvice for aspiring angels: Invest responsibly, build a diversified portfolio and be patientMost valuable part of the accelerator: The community and the opportunity to learn and invest alongside others Listen to the full episode on AtVenture DealFlow. More: www.atventureplatform.com See you at the next great deal!

    Velina Veleva - Angel Investor at AtVenture Platform

  3. Jun 23

    Freek Wessels - Fundraising Founder of Johnny Cashew

    Episode 23 - Freek Wessels - Johnny CashewIn this episode, Laurie Lancee speaks with Freek Wessels, CEO of Johnny Cashew. Johnny Cashew is flipping the cashew supply chain. 60% of the world's cashews come from Africa, yet 90% get shipped to Asia to be processed. Johnny Cashew processes the nuts where they grow, in Tanzania, paying living wages to 600 to 800 women, buying the whole harvest including broken nuts, and selling a fully traceable certified product into European retail. We talk about how a broken global supply chain became a business opportunity, what it takes to grow 40 to 50% per year with minimal marketing budget, and why Lidl came knocking rather than the other way around. Key Metrics: Sector: Sustainable FMCGCountry: NetherlandsBusiness model: B2B2C brand + private label + upcycled byproductsTraction: €4m run rate, 40- 50% growth, listings in NL, UK & DEValue proposition: The first fully traceable cashew brand, processed at origin: "Peel it where you plant it" Listen to the full episode on AtVenture DealFlow. More: www.atventureplatform.com See you at the next great deal!

    Freek Wessels - Fundraising Founder of Johnny Cashew

  4. Jun 9

    Julia Bialetska - Fundraising Founder of S.Lab

    Episode 22 - Fundraising Founder: Julia Bialetska - S.LabIn this episode, Laurie Lancee speaks with Julia Bialetska, co-founder of S.Lab. S.Lab is replacing polystyrene packaging with a material grown from plant waste and mushroom roots. It is 100% compostable, home biodegradable within 30 days, and produced at price parity with conventional polystyrene. With 15 billion kilograms of polystyrene produced every year, and 90% ending up in landfills, the need for a scalable alternative is urgent. S.Lab has developed a proprietary, mold-free production process using robotics and bioprocessing, and is already running pilots with L'Oreal, Nespresso and JTI. They are raising a €2.5M seed round to deploy 50 mini factories across Europe and scale their direct packaging sales. Key Metrics: Sector: DeepTech / Sustainable MaterialsCountry: SpainBusiness model: B2B direct sales + technology licensing (mini factory subscription)Market: Protective packaging, €300B globally, €80B in EuropeValue proposition: Sustainable packaging at the speed, scale and price the market needs Listen to the full episode on AtVenture DealFlow. More: www.atventureplatform.com See you at the next great deal!

    Julia Bialetska - Fundraising Founder of S.Lab

  5. May 5

    Emily Firth - Fundraising Founder of TruthWorks

    Episode 21 - Fundraising Founder: Emily Firth - TruthWorksIn this episode, Laurie Lancee speaks with Emily Firth, co-founder of TruthWorks. TruthWorks is doing for HR consulting what Booking.com did for travel. A digital talent marketplace where organisations can find, compare and book trusted People and Culture experts on demand. No six-month procurement cycles, no opaque agency fees. Just the right expert, ready to go. HR consulting is a €50B market growing 7% year on year. But it still runs on legacy models that serve neither buyers nor experts well. TruthWorks is changing that. In just 2.5 months since launch, they have 50+ clients, 120+ experts and over €350K in GMV. We discuss the problem with legacy HR consulting, how TruthWorks verifies and scales quality, what their 70% repeat booking rate says about product-market fit, and why AI makes this model stronger, not weaker. Key Metrics: Sector: HR Tech / Marketplace Country: Netherlands Business model: Two-sided marketplaceMarket: €50B global HR consulting market (SHRM) Traction: 50+ clients, 120+ experts, €350K+ GMV in 2.5 monthsRaising: €450,000 seed round Listen to the full episode on AtVenture DealFlow. More: www.atventureplatform.com See you at the next great deal!

    Emily Firth - Fundraising Founder of TruthWorks

  6. Apr 21

    Catharina Savelkoul- Fundraising Founder of legml.ai

    Episode 20 - Fundraising Founder: Catharina Savelkoul - legml.ai In this episode, Laurie Lancee speaks with Catharina Savelkoul, co-founder and CEO of legml.ai. legml.ai is building the platform that brings sovereign, customised AI to every organisation. Not a chatbot. The actual infrastructure to deploy private, fine-tuned AI models inside a company's own systems, in hours rather than months. 95% of enterprise AI pilots fail. The reason is structural: regulated companies cannot send confidential data to public APIs, generic models don't understand internal workflows, and traditional implementation takes six to twelve months. legml.ai solves all three by automating data curation, fine-tuning, and deployment inside the client's own infrastructure. Data never leaves. We discuss how Catharina found her co-founder Mo on LinkedIn, why their sector-specific models outperform much larger frontier models, and why she believes the biggest barrier to AI adoption is not the technology but trust. Key Metrics: Sector: Deeptech / AICountry: Netherlands / FranceBusiness model: B2B, deployment fee + monthly subscriptionMarket: €12 trillion enterprise AI opportunityValue proposition: Private, fine-tuned AI deployed inside your own infrastructure, in hours not months Listen to the full episode on AtVenture DealFlow. More: www.atventureplatform.com See you at the next great deal!

    Catharina Savelkoul- Fundraising Founder of legml.ai

  7. Mar 24

    Mahmoud el Wakil- Fundraising founder of Homemade

    Episode 19 - Fundraising Founder: Mahmoud el Wakil - Homemade In this episode, Laurie Lancee speaks with Mahmoud el Wakil, fundraising founder of Homemade. Homemade is building the Airbnb of food delivery. A platform that connects people who love to cook from home with customers looking for affordable, authentic, high-quality meals. Chefs start their restaurant from home with zero upfront cost and personally deliver to neighbours within a few kilometres. With 2,000+ chef sign-ups, 10K+ app users, €10K+ MRR and 7 cities live across the Netherlands, Homemade is proving that real food, real connection and a sustainable business model can beat the giants. We discuss the idea behind Homemade, the business model, how they tackle logistics without a delivery fleet, and why Mahmoud believes distribution is the most important skill right now. Key Metrics: Sector: Marketplaces / FoodTechCountry: The NetherlandsBusiness model: Commission-based marketplace (10-14%)Market: Dutch food delivery (€10B TAM) / Global ($460B TAM)Traction: 10K+ app sign-ups, €10K+ MRR, 7 cities live, 2,000+ chef sign-upsValue proposition: Home-cooked food, chef-delivered, 35-40% cheaper than mainstream apps Listen to the full episode on AtVenture DealFlow. More: www.atventureplatform.com See you at the next great deal!

    Mahmoud el Wakil- Fundraising founder of Homemade

  8. Mar 17

    Anna Brueva- Fundraising founder of ChemReclaim

    Episode 18 - Fundraising Founder: Anna Brueva- ChemReclam. In this episode, Laurie Lancee speaks with Anna Brueva, fundraising founder of ChemReclaim. ChemReclaim develops nanomaterials from precious and rare earth metals, enabling industries like semiconductors and advanced ceramics to reduce material usage while improving performance. With increasing pressure on supply chains and pricing, driven by Europe’s dependence on imported rare earth metals, ChemReclaim offers a solution that can reduce metal usage by up to 5 to 10 times, translating into significant cost savings for customers. We discuss the technology behind their materials, the market opportunity in nanomaterials, and how ChemReclaim is positioning itself within critical supply chains. Key Metrics: Sector: DeepTech / Advanced MaterialsCountry: the NetherlandsBusiness model: B2B materials technologyMarket: Nanomaterials for semiconductors, energy and ceramicsMarket size: €9-9.5bn global market, €200–300m target segmentValue proposition: Reduce metal usage while improving performance Listen to the full episode on AtVenture DealFlow. More: www.atventureplatform.com See you at the next great deal!

    Anna Brueva- Fundraising founder of ChemReclaim
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About

AtVenture Dealflow brings you conversations with Europe’s fundraising founders and the investors who back them. Every week, host Laurie Lancee talks to ambitious startup founders who are raising capital and the angels, VCs, and ecosystem builders who support them. You’ll hear honest fundraising stories, insider investor perspectives, and lessons on: – Pitching and fundraising strategies – What investors look for in early-stage startups – Building diverse and inclusive companies – Europe’s evolving startup & investment landscape 👉 Join the community at atventureplatform.com and see you at the next great deal!

Information

  • Creator
    AtVenture Platform
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    25
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 AtVenture Platform
  • Show Website
    AtVenture DealFlow