Project
In april 2021, the Erasmus Trustfonds launched the graduate entrepreneur pre-seed fund, which was founded by alumni from the TU Delft and the Erasmus University Rotterdam. The goal: to help innovative student start-ups become successful enterprises. Gifts from alumni and other people who hold entrepreneurship dear helped the fund grow to 6 million euros in less than a year.
Alumnus
Sandro van Hellenberg Hubar didn’t hesitate when his alma mater asked him to start a fund for start-ups. He remembered his days as a young alumnus in China. He saw opportunities and, with two partners, started the company Xindao in 1986. “It was an amazing adventure”, he reflects. “But I could have used some guidance back then. That’s why, as an experienced alumnus, I’m very happy to be able to help young students turn their ideas into success stories.”
Focus is one of the first start-ups funded from the Graduate Pre-Seed Fund. Pictured are Jard van Ingen (CEO & co-founder) and Thijs van de Poll (CTO & co-founder)
Together with Gert Jan van der Hoeven, alumnus of both the TU Delft and the Erasmus University Rotterdam, Van Hellenberg Hubar became quartermaster of the Graduate Entrepreneur project. “Once you realize that there’s three amazing knowledge institutions within a range of twenty kilometers – the Erasmus University Rotterdam specialized in mainly economy and business, the TU Delft in technology, and of course the Erasmus MC – a collaboration like this becomes obvious.
Learn, earn, return
The Graduate Entrepreneur Fund starts at the beginning: students and young alumni with innovative ideas. To help them, Rotterdam and Delft alumni join together to share their expertise and experience. Van Hellenberg Hubar: “There’s an enormous potential for young companies to be successful here. But they need starting capital. So we contacted other alumni under the adage ‘learn, earn, return’ – doing something for your alma mater.” With gifts from around 50 alumni, the Pre-Seed Fund reached 6 million euros by December 31st, 2021. Profits from start-ups also flow back into the fund. Halfway 2021, the Seed Fund was founded, which pays out returns on investment to the participants.
The best proposals are generally interdisciplinary, and take technical, substantive, and commercial aspects into account. The ambition is to add around twenty to thirty start-ups to our portfolio every year. We also have coaching and mentoring programs.” Van Hellenberg Hubar: “I’m very proud that Rotterdam is embracing this approach. Sometimes young people say that our generation has made its share of mistakes. And I think: ‘You’re right! But now it’s your turn. So do your best – we’ll help you with knowledge and financial support.’”
