Builders Raises €3M for AI Venture Studio Expansion
Rotterdam’s Builders secures €3M to scale its AI venture studio, launching 10 companies annually across Europe with €4.5M total funding.
Also see more uncategorized coverage: /category/uncategorized/
While most venture capital firms write checks and wait, Rotterdam’s Builders has raised €3 million to actually build the companies itself. The AI venture studio funding brings total capital to €4.5 million, led by entrepreneurs Wouter Holtslag and Eric Carbijn alongside Invint Capital. This isn’t about backing founders with PowerPoint decks—it’s about partnering with them to create enterprise AI companies from concept to seed stage.
The round attracted family offices including Den Breems & Schouten B.V., Vajoinvest, and Hedje Invest, plus angels like Peter Kaas and Edwin de Jonge. That’s a notable shift from Builders’ first €1.5 million round in 2022, which focused broadly on B2B SaaS. Now the studio has zeroed in on enterprise AI, where the margin for error shrinks but the potential payoff expands.
From Trial to Traction in AI Venture Studio Funding
Builders’ track record offers a reality check on the venture studio model. Of its first three launches—Noon, Obeyo, and Influentials—two were discontinued while Influentials sold. That’s not failure; it’s rapid validation. The studio’s current portfolio includes Everday, Avery, and Cortena, all approaching seed-readiness with clearer market positioning in enterprise AI.
“Builders has accumulated a wealth of data over the past years on successfully building companies,” says Remco Schouten, partner at Den Breems & Schouten BV. “With a clear focus on AI—and therefore the future of work—a lean model, and a hands-on approach, the company is ready for the next growth phase.” The studio vets 2,000+ founders annually, selects roughly 12 as entrepreneurs in residence, and aims to launch 4-10 companies per year depending on validation outcomes.
European Expansion and the €25M Follow-On Fund
The fresh capital funds two parallel strategies: scaling operations across Europe through partnerships with other startup studios, and establishing a €25 million fund for follow-on investments. That second piece matters—venture studios often struggle when portfolio companies need Series A capital but the studio lacks reserves. Builders plans a first close by summer 2026, targeting both existing ventures and new European collaborations.
The studio’s hands-on model provides founders with €150,000 in initial capital, 12-month runway, and access to core teams covering product development, go-to-market strategy, and venture capital networking. Unlike traditional accelerators that offer mentorship and demo day pitches, Builders embeds itself as co-founder, taking on execution risk alongside entrepreneurs. The approach isn’t for everyone—founders trade autonomy for infrastructure—but for those tackling enterprise AI without deep technical networks, it’s a viable path to seed stage.
As European AI companies proliferate, Builders positions itself as infrastructure for systematic company creation rather than one-off bets. Whether that model scales from 4 to 10 annual launches without diluting quality remains the test ahead.
