Rockstart

⏳ The countdown is on! In just 2 days, we’ll be gathering at Her Capital Connection – an exclusive event designed to empower and inspire ambitious female founders. 🚀 We’re thrilled to join forces with Female Ventures, KPMG Meijburg & Co, FEM-START, and The Angel Initiative to create a space where innovation meets opportunity. Highlights of the day: 💡 A keynote by Anke Huiskes from NP-Hard Ventures 💸 The Dare to Dream Challenge, where female-led startups will pitch to win up to €125,000 🤝 Engaging workshops and networking opportunities with key players in the ecosystem, including the Rockstart Energy mentor Daphne Postma, with actionable advice on mastering cap tables. This is your moment to connect, learn, and grow with key players in the ecosystem. Let’s build something extraordinary together! 🗓️ When: January 24, 2025 | 14.00—19.00 📍 Where: KPMG Meijburg & Co, Amstelveen Don’t miss out – we can’t wait to see you there! 🙌

🌟 What an incredible two days at the MXT Conference! We’re still buzzing from all the inspiration, connections, and meaningful conversations that took place this week. 🗓️ Day 1: Our co-founder and CEO, Rune Theill, joined forces with Sabine Stuiver (Hydraloop) and moderator Constantijn Van Oranje-Nassau for an engaging panel discussion. Together, they shared insights on scaling businesses, navigating challenges, and turning bold aspirations into actionable solutions. The energy in the room was palpable as we explored what it truly takes to create impact. 🌍 🗓️ Day 2: We hosted the Rockstart MXT Lunch, where founders, VCs, and regional development agencies came together to collaborate and share ideas over great food. It was amazing to see so many bright minds coming together to discuss building a better future. The synergy was nothing short of inspiring!💡 A huge thank you to everyone who joined us; your energy, stories, and ideas made this event truly special. For those we connected with, we can’t wait to continue the conversations and explore how we can drive change together.🌱 Let’s keep the momentum going and turn inspiration into action! 🚀

🌟 Excited for MXT 2025!🌟 Join us at the MXT Conference this week for two days of inspiration, connection, and meaningful discussions! 🗓️ Wednesday, January 15th Our co-founder and CEO, Rune Theill, will join a panel discussion alongside Sabine Stuiver, co-founder of Hydraloop, moderated by Constantijn Van Oranje-Nassau van Oranje. Together, they’ll explore building and scaling businesses and navigating the highs and lows from bold aspirations to the tough realities of rising impactful solutions. 🌍 Don’t miss this deep dive into what it takes to go from ambition to action! 🗓️ Thursday, January 16th We’re hosting a Rockstart MXT Lunch, a perfect opportunity to network with fellow founders, connect with VCs, and collaborate with regional development agencies. Let’s share ideas, stories, and a vision for a better future over great food. 🌟 This is an invite-only event, so please make sure you haven't missed your invitation. We can't wait to see you there! Let's build a better world together. 🌱 #MXT2025 #Networking #ScaleUp #Entrepreneurship #ImpactInvesting

The team at Rockstart was heartbroken to learn that our alumni founder and brilliant human being, Andriy Shmyhelskyy 🇺🇦, passed away earlier this week. His passion and kindness have undoubtedly left a lasting impact on everyone who had the privilege of knowing him. Our thoughts are with Andriy’s family and friends during this difficult time.

🌱 Rockstart receives grant funding for regenerative agriculture focused on biochar! We’re excited to share that Rockstart is among the recipients of funding from the GUDP - Grønt Udviklings- & Demonstrationsprogram! This grant, part of DKK 169.5 million allocated to 24 innovative projects, will boost Danish innovation, knowledge, and market development within regenerative agriculture with a focus on biochar. Learn more ⬇️⬇️⬇️

A very warm welcome to Rebaba to the Rockstart Energy portfolio! 🌍⚡ Rebaba was founded in 2023 by Felix Kruse and Paula Runsten to democratize access to sustainable and affordable energy worldwide. 🚀 By developing circular energy storage solutions using upcycled electric vehicle batteries, they’re tackling climate challenges head-on. 💡 Each system Rebaba develops can save up to 100 tons of CO2 while helping industries and commercial properties: 🔹 Lower electricity costs 🔹 Stabilize the power grid and generate additional revenue 🔹 Enhance resource efficiency across the battery value chain 💬 Paula Runsten, Co-founder and CEO of Rebaba, shared: “What really made Rockstart stand out is their exceptional team, who not only support us but genuinely understand our mission and are deeply committed to addressing our challenges. Combined with their expertise and network within the energy market, we saw a perfect match” 💬 Max ter Horst, Managing Partner for Rockstart Energy, adds: “Rebaba utilizes an innovative cooling technology that enables the manufacturing of second-life battery systems that are inherently safe and cost-competitive. In this way, they contribute to grid stability, while massively reducing the consumption of, and dependency on, scarce battery materials. We are thrilled to have onboarded such a driven and entrepreneurial team and we are looking forward to supporting Rebaba in enabling a more circular battery supply chain!” We’re proud to support Rebaba as they work towards building a more sustainable and resource-efficient energy future. 🌱

✨ What a fantastic evening at Startup Spotlight! 🚀 Earlier this month, we gathered in Amsterdam as part of Rockstart Community Week to shine a light on some of the incredible startups from our network. The energy, innovation, and enthusiasm in the room were unmatched! 💡 From inspiring pitches to engaging conversations, the event was a celebration of entrepreneurship. Startups shared their stories, showcased their solutions, and connected with fellow founders, investors, and ecosystem players. We had the pleasure of hearing inspiring pitches from our accomplished founders, including RTDT Laboratories AG, BCHAR, hoggo, Mappalink, Point2Hectare, Infinigrid AS, MemoMate and PERFI Technologies. 👏 A huge thank you to all the startups that took the stage, our community members who joined us, and everyone who made the evening so special. These moments remind us why fostering connections and collaboration is at the heart of what we do at Rockstart. Here’s to building, innovating, and growing together! 🌱

✨ What an incredible day! We recently teamed up with Google and beyond to host The Google Founder’s Story in Amsterdam 🎉 From hearing inspiring stories from founders to diving into the realities of overcoming challenges and navigating the market, this event was a masterclass in entrepreneurial resilience. 🚀 Key highlights from the day: 💡 Eye-opening insights on the investment scene 💬 Real stories of challenges turned into opportunities 🤝 Networking that sparked new connections and ideas But don’t just take our word for it, check out the After Movie to relive the energy 👀 A huge thank you to our incredible speakers, partners, and all the attendees who made this event so impactful. Let’s keep the conversation going and continue building a stronger, more connected startup ecosystem together! 💪

⚡ Sympower, a Rockstart Energy portfolio company, just acquired Flextools! The acquisition strengthens Sympower's footprint in the Nordics and drives its growth across Europe, meeting rising demand for advanced flexibility solutions. Together, Sympower and Flextools are combining their expertise, technologies, and teams — adding 250 MW to Sympower’s portfolio and welcoming 19 new team members. Here's how Simon Bushell, Sympower's Founder and CEO, put it: "Not only do we inherit a strong portfolio of solutions, but also the deep industry knowledge and experience that Flextools brings. We are better equipped than ever to deliver exceptional value to our customers and partners while supporting Europe’s energy transition” Congrats, team ⬇️⬇️⬇️

What a way to wrap up the week! endless food co has secured €1m in pre-seed funding to future-proof the chocolate industry. Led by Nordic Foodtech VC, with support from Export and Investment Fund of Denmark and Rockstart, this funding will drive the expansion of THIC (This Isn’t Chocolate)—a sustainable, cacao-free chocolate alternative crafted from upcycled brewer’s spent grain. With rising cacao prices and pressing environmental concerns like deforestation and biodiversity loss, THIC offers a much-needed solution. It offers 80-90% lower carbon emissions compared to conventional dark chocolate, according to a recent life cycle assessment. This funding will enable Endless Food Co to scale production, establish a pilot plant, grow sales, and onboard top talent. 🌱🍫 Congrats to co-founders Maximillian Bogenmann, Christian Alexander Møller Bach, and Matthew Orlando!