Do you want to know more about what to expect when joining Rockstart and how we operate? Find the answers to all your questions below.
If your team is dedicated to turning your startup into a high-growth company that drives positive change, Rockstart is a radical partner to propel your startup forward. In short, we have the capital to fund up to € 2 million in your startup (up to series B), and even more important: we help address the most difficult challenges that your startup faces from a strategic, commercial, and operational perspective. From experience, we know that most startups face challenges in several key areas when launching their product on the market and trying to grow:
– Defining the right pricing model. Is your product too expensive or are you charging too little? In our experience, most startups begin modestly, resulting in prices that are too low rather than too high. This is a problem because it could mean that a startup has a negative LTV / CAC ratio. We know it’s hard to charge a significant price for your product at the beginning of your journey, which is why we identify tailor-made solutions to define the right pricing model for your startup.
– Moving from pilots to recurring customers. These days, it’s not too difficult to get a corporate/company to commit to making a budget available for a pilot, but turning that pilot into a full-scale implementation is a time-intensive challenge that can often lead nowhere. We help you build a strategy that turns pilots into customers and decide which pilot customers to focus on and which are a waste of time.
– Identifying the ideal market segment(s) for your product. You have one customer in a specific segment of the market, but your product could also fit multiple other segments. You’re trying to approach multiple segments at the same time, but are having difficulty getting major traction. How do you decide which segment to focus on without spreading yourself too thin? We help explore whether it is best for you to focus on or address multiple segments at the same time and, if this is the case, help you with relevant connections.
These are just a few examples of the type of questions that Rockstart helps its portfolio companies with, and we do this in three ways. First, with the support of the Rockstart team, who have extensive experience helping startups overcome specific hurdles. We also provide hands-on support through our extensive mentor, partner, and investor network through our Startup Support Package that provides fast validation opportunities and hands-on access to experts in the domain (e.g. Energy, AgriFood, or Tech) and the startup field. And last but not least, Rockstart offers follow-on investments (as a co-investor) up to series B.
Rockstart is a privately backed early stage investor with funds totaling more than €60 million. Since its inception in 2011, Rockstart has invested in more than 350 startups and its alumni value to date is more than $1.3 bn. We believe in a regenerative and sustainable future and we aim to fund and empower founders to drive positive change on a global scale. In 2019, our AgriFood fund closed at €22m while the Rockstart Energy fund closed at €27m in 2021. Our Emerging Tech fund targets a close at €30m, and our second AgriFood fund, launched in late 2023, targets a €50m close. We are a commercially seasoned team of entrepreneurs who have raised private capital to invest in a portfolio of startups in order to drive returns from both a financial and positive impact perspective.
Yes. Your investor(s) would probably like you to join because they know what kind of support you can get by participating. Early-stage investors often spend a lot of time coaching the companies they invest in to increase their survival rate, but cannot organize the amount and quality of mentors that Rockstart has available to help its portfolio companies. The reason is simple: we spent 13 years building it. Rockstart’s Startup Support Package will help you grow faster and bring your startup to the next level by teaching your team how to think through your business proposition, opening doors that have been closed, helping you with funding, marketing and PR, and making sure you lay the foundation for growth (also from personal growth and leadership perspective). We tailor the support to meet your needs.
We prefer startups with a team that already runs a business and has (early) commercial traction, but we are open to discussing with single founders looking to build their teams. Ideally, the existing team already consists of the co-founders but has also hired one or more employees. You and your teammates need to have complementary skills and a positive dynamic to be able to make your business work. Team dynamics is, in fact, a critical component of the selection process.
There are several components that make up our selection criteria. Firstly, we believe in the power of a great founding team. We always invest in people first and foremost. Some of the key things we look at in the team are: the right skills and/or experience for the market you’re active in, a deep passion for what you’re building, and a track record of being exceptional, whether that is individually or jointly as a team. We look at what kind of great things have you done in the past, and for your current startup. We’re also looking for innovation. It doesn’t mean that you have to come up with a totally original idea, but your execution of that idea has to be unique.
We do not invest in ideas where you have not yet started to work on a startup. You should have a running startup that shows some traction, e.g. at minimum one or several pilots, but ideally, you already have customers or users. We’ve invested in companies who had their first MVP and pilots who were acquired for $330 million, but also in companies who had up to €50.000 monthly revenue, grew substantially throughout the Startup Support Package, and raised their series A afterward. Finally but most importantly, since we’re looking to change the world together with the founders we work with, you need to have a clear mission of how your company will help drive positive change in your domain.
In order for us to help you get the most out of the Startup Support Package and our investment, we’re primarily looking for startups that have developed at least an MVP (Minimal Viable Product), and who have customers or users and can show some signs of traction. However, if your idea is still on the back of a napkin at the moment, or just at the beginning of the startup journey but you have an exceptional product vision and/or you’ve achieved great things in your career, we still encourage you to apply so that you can be on our radar regardless of you having or not an MVP. We can start to get to know each other and can keep an eye on your progress. Then we can suggest the next steps and how your business needs to progress in order to be ready for us.
Our Support Package provides comprehensive guidance for startups at every stage, ensuring you receive the support needed for sustainable growth and targeted access to capital, market, expertise, and community. The Startup Support Package lasts between 6 to 12 months, depending on what works best for your team, with continued support from Rockstart far into the future. Our promise includes:
A tailored approach: We customize our Support Package to meet your unique needs and goals as a founder. We match you with mentors, experts, and coaches that fit your challenges and help you apply the knowledge you gain.
A flexible pace: We understand that as founders, every moment counts. Support is designed in conversation with our team to fit your bandwidth, allowing you to implement the skills you gain efficiently and with confidence.
Ecosystem connections: More than funding – gain access to investors, corporate connections, our founder network, expert training, and a vibrant ecosystem. We’re committed to being with you every step of the way.
Rockstart is based in Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and Bogota. Known for its entrepreneurial climate and open lifestyle, Rockstart is the place for any startup to grow internationally. Hosting startups in person helps us to ensure a soft landing for your startup in a new market and for you to get the best out of our network. You do not have to relocate to receive support after you have been selected for a Rockstart investment. We aim to be as founder-friendly as possible and offer a mix of in-person events and remote content.
When the initial duration of the Startup Support Package ends, you become a Rockstart portfolio company and we continue the journey together. You remain part of our community of more than 350 startups and have continued access to our online events (investor events, corporate events, etc.), various deals, mentor support, participation in marketing and communications campaigns, and more. We are also at your side when it comes to investing as we co-invest from seed until series B.
What we’ve learned in the past 13 years is that the rollercoaster journey is far from over after the initial duration of the Startup Support Package – your challenges will just become bigger and bigger. After working with and investing in 350+ startups, we realized that we can continue to add a lot of value in the years to come and that it’s crucial to help founders build successful and meaningful businesses. During those years, we will bring continued structural support through follow-on investments, (informal) board seats, syndication partners, and our large mentor and corporate network. We will also help you scale and (potentially) exit your company with the help of future investors. The continued support also means that you can still reach out to our network to ask for advice. There could be interesting (corporate) events you can attend and we will continue to introduce you to possible partners and/or investors and much more.
Our Startup Support Package fee is €65k. This fee is based on the cost-prices of support activities and many extensive services, tools, and privileges. These include essentials for every startup that could easily cost you twice as much outside the package, such as workshops and sessions (group and 1-on-1 sessions), connections to potential customers, external management assessment, intensive mentorship, support in legal setup, documentation, accountancy and subsidy questions, networking events (e.g. investor events, mentor events), software packages through our startups’ deals, entrance tickets for conferences, as well as a support team dedicated to you. Startups accepted to Rockstart receive an initial investment with a SAFE (simple agreement for future equity). Rockstart also continues to invest in its portfolio companies, co-investing with a lead investor. Rockstart can continue to co-invest up to Series B.
Yes, Rockstart follow-on invests. Startups accepted to Rockstart receive an initial investment consisting of a convertible note. Rockstart also continues to invest in its portfolio companies, co-investing with a lead investor and investing up to 50% in the next round. Rockstart can continue to co-invest up to Series B up to a total amount of € 2 million.
Yes, we definitely do. We support founders year-long with access to capital, but also to mentors, corporate partners, and our founder community. The Rockstart Startup Support package runs throughout the year on a rolling basis. This gives the opportunity to scout for startups and invest all year long.
