About This Fund
The Invest-NL Deep Tech Fund (DTF) is a €250 million government-backed co-investment fund established in March 2022 by Invest-NL, the Dutch national development finance institution, in close partnership with the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy. Of the total €250 million, €175 million was contributed by the Ministry and €75 million by Invest-NL itself, with additional co-investment support from regional development agencies (ROMs) active across the Netherlands. Invest-NL is wholly owned by the Ministry of Finance and was established specifically to address market failures in financing innovative Dutch companies. The fund operates as an independent unit within Invest-NL with a dedicated fund management team and an independent Investment Committee providing binding investment advice.
The Deep Tech Fund invests in knowledge-intensive Dutch start-ups and scale-ups operating in sectors characterized by high innovation risk, long development cycles, and significant capital requirements — conditions that traditionally make these companies difficult to finance through conventional venture markets. Investment focus spans photonics, quantum technology, nanotechnology, microelectronics, high-tech materials, and medical technology — eight of the ten key technology categories identified in the Dutch National Technology Strategy (NTS). The Fund's independent Investment Committee includes Frits van Hout (Chairman), Hans Büthker, Aruna Subramanian, Eline Vrijland, and Steven Tan, bringing together expertise across technology, finance, and deep tech commercialization.
Since its launch in 2022, the Invest-NL Deep Tech Fund has made multiple investments deploying capital across the Dutch deep tech ecosystem, including a €5 million commitment to the VCC Deep Tech Fund, a €10 million investment in the Innovation Industries Fund II, and a €10 million commitment to the Forward.One Deep Tech Fund. This co-investment model complements direct investments in individual deep tech companies, leveraging existing fund manager networks for deal flow validation and technical due diligence. The Fund aims to strengthen the Netherlands' international competitive position in strategic technology sectors while reducing the financing gap faced by capital-intensive, high-risk deep tech companies during critical growth phases.