Equity capital capitalist henQ out of Amsterdam has actually efficiently introduced its 5th fund, having actually elevated EUR67.57 million out of their EUR90 million target– with the intent of purchasing 8-12 B2B software application groups throughout Europe, with preliminary check dimensions of EUR1-10 million.
For this fund, henQ significantly enhanced its base of business LPs with, to name a few, creators of firms such as Optiver, Specific, Mendix, SEOshop, Zivver and inSided, the last 4 being henQ graduates. henQ’s financial investment ideology is assisted by their rate of interest in purchasing the “ weird ones out” in European B2B software application.
Mick Mackaay, Companion, on why henQ favors to purchase markets that capitalists view as uninteresting or pointless: “ there is a propensity amongst investor to concentrate on market forecasts and macro evaluations, and to spend based upon instead certain tackles the future or ‘market theses.’
” At henQ, rather, we concentrate nearly solely on the degree of implementation of the creators, present moment. All various other financial investment requirements are surpassed by this, they can never ever guide us to spend. Consequently, we have the ability to make really rapid choices, usually in markets that are momentarily underestimated.“
The launch of henQ 5 straightens with a wider pattern of European endeavor funds in 2025 concentrating on B2B software application and surrounding enterprise-tech sections.
In the UK, Notion Capital revealed a EUR114 million development fund focused on AI-driven software application and FinTech, while Evantic Capital introduced a EUR341 million launching fund to sustain B2B-AI firms.
At The Same Time, in the Netherlands– henQ’s home market–DFF Ventures protected EUR50 million (out of a EUR60 million target) for financial investments in upright AI, recommerce and industries.
Versus this background, henQ’s choice to develop an individually moneyed, reasonably sized lorry concentrated on early-stage B2B software application start-ups highlights an extra focused and entrepreneur-driven method within the exact same environment.
Rob Rousseau, Principal & Head of Financier Relations, shown to EU-Startups: “ At henQ we do not intend to range with fund dimension or the variety of individuals on our group. We will certainly remain as lean and tiny as we can. At the exact same time, we intend to improve each and every single year. And the high quality and business history of the LPs in henQ 5 assist us to do simply that“
Established In 2004, henQ is financial backing fund for B2B software application start-ups that sustain European creators with preliminary checks that vary from EUR1 to EUR10 million. The VC statements that they like “uninteresting” or “also tiny” markets, non-traditional organization designs, or any kind of early-stage firm that’s simply a little various somehow.
henQ spends throughout Europe in Seed and Collection A rounds of B2B software application start-ups, and was a very early capitalist in, to name a few, Mendix, Mews, Sendcloud, Zivver, Wemolo and imagino.
It is run by fund supervisors Mick Mackaay, Coen van Duiven, Rob Rousseau and Jan Andriessen.
Jan Andriessen, Companion, stated: “ An usual misconception is that a European leading doing firm looks specifically like its American equivalent, whereas it’s significantly much more complex to range from Europe than it remains in the United States. Because of the intricacy of running a European firm, emphasis and creator time to open brand-new locations and items are crucial, and frequently just releasing even more cash injures greater than it assists.
” In method this implies that, from a particular essential dimension onwards, several European B2B software application firms can really scale up instead money effectively and without much outside financing. This fits completely with an extra focused profile“
henQ 5 has actually attained nearly the exact same dimension as its precursor fund in its initial close currently (henQ 4), although that its group made a decision to elevate the fund without institutional or federal government funded cash, which comprised nearly fifty percent of the dedicated funding for henQ 4.
That choice shows henQ’s dedication to separately make financial investment choices that are only concentrated on long-lasting returns, along with their sight that a fantastic fund with compatible returns need to not hinge on public cash.
Yet the tested formula will certainly continue to be undamaged, indicating the exact same kind and variety of financial investments, in the exact same stage, with the exact same group.
henQ means to release the fund in the following 5 years, by purchasing 8-12 top quality B2B software application beginning groups throughout Europe, with preliminary check dimensions of EUR1-10 million– preferably in markets that many various other creators and capitalists view as uninteresting or pointless.
This implies approximately 2 brand-new financial investments each year, just a handful contrasted to various other gamers in the exact same stage. henQ’s goal is for every single offer to have an intriguing return account in and on its own– not that returns of the fund are driven by just a little portion of the profile.
EU-Startups has actually formerly included henQ in a number of contexts, including its duty within the Amsterdam start-up environment (EU-Startups, 2019) and as a financier in Formulate, a Stockholm-based AI retail promos start-up that elevated EUR3.7 million (EU-Startups, 2020).
