Rockstart

Rockstart is one of Europe’s first multi-vertical startup accelerators, launched in Amsterdam in 2011. Its mission is encapsulated in its name – to help entrepreneurs “rock start” their companies. Over the years Rockstart has become a major seed investor and program runner in the Netherlands and beyond. Initially a general tech accelerator, Rockstart later specialized in Energy, AgriFood, and Emerging Tech tracks, reflecting market needs. The classic Rockstart accelerator program offers ~€20k seed funding and a 100-day intensive curriculum of mentoring, workshops, and access to a broad investor network. Each batch typically includes 10 startups, and Rockstart has accelerated over 250 startups to date. Notable alumni include Wercker (DevOps, acquired by Oracle) and 3D Hubs (manufacturing marketplace, acquired by Protolabs). A hallmark of Rockstart is its strong Demo Day and investor connections: it reports that 70%+ of its alumni raise follow-on funding within 6 months of the program. In 2019, Rockstart evolved its model to also become a venture capital fund, launching a €18M AgriFood fund and later a €21M Energy fund. Through these funds, Rockstart now leads seed rounds and provides follow-on capital up to Series B for the most promising graduates, effectively “accelerator + VC”. This hybrid model addresses a key gap by ensuring startups have capital beyond the program. Rockstart has expanded operations to Copenhagen and Bogotá, and runs domain-specific programs (like “AI & Blockchain” in recent years). It also operates Rockstart Answers, a community-driven Q&A pitch format in many cities, to support very early-stage founders. Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Rockstart has built a strong brand in Europe: it’s known for a hands-on, no-nonsense Dutch approach and a supportive alumni network. By offering both an accelerator and venture funding, Rockstart provides entrepreneurs a solid runway “from idea to series B,” helping turn innovative ideas into scale-ups.