Rubio Impact Ventures

🎉 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 Impact Europe 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝗶𝗹𝗯𝗮𝗼: 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗡 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱!  Out of 362 applications from 17 countries, three startups stood out with their groundbreaking solutions for equal opportunities and mental and physical well-being: 🏆 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿: The Linghos 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 🇵🇱 The Linghos is revolutionizing pediatric speech therapy with their AI-driven platform for children aged 3 to 10. Their personalized, game-based therapy not only diagnoses speech impediments but also engages children with voice-controlled exercises that make learning fun and effective. By making therapy more accessible and interactive, The Linghos is empowering young learners to overcome challenges and build confidence in their communication skills. 𝗥𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀-𝘂𝗽: ✨ Whispp from The Netherlands 🇳🇱: Using AI to convert whispered or impaired speech into a natural voice, enabling confident communication. ✨Bugeto Personal Finance Simulations from Poland 🇵🇱: Empowering young people with a financial literacy simulation to practice real-world decisions and achieve lifelong stability. While the grants provide financial support, this award is about so much more. All three winners receive a year-long venture development and mentorship program, working closely with NN Group and Rubio to scale their solutions and drive lasting impact. These startups represent what the NN Social Innovation Startup Award stands for: entrepreneurs combining powerful impact with scalable business models to solve some of humanity’s biggest challenges. 👏 We also want to celebrate the incredible work of the other finalists: -  ChatLicense from The Netherlands 🇳🇱 -  MEROVA Health Zrt. from Hungary 🇭🇺 -  Amaia App from Spain 🇪🇸 Your vision and innovation inspired us all, and we can’t wait to see what’s next for you! ❤️ 💡 A special thank you to our jury—Willemijn Verloop, Machtelt Groothuis, Fleur Hudig, and Jeroen Meijers—for their dedication, and to everyone who made this event so impactful. This is just the beginning. Together, we’re building a future where innovation drives meaningful change! 🚀 #ImpactWeek #socialinnovation #impactInvesting #impact #VC

🌟 𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘂𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝗶𝗹𝗯𝗮𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆! 🌟 It’s time for the NN Social Innovation Startup Award 🎉 powered by Rubio, this event is set to showcase the next generation of social innovators tackling challenges in equal opportunities and mental & physical well-being. 🗓️ 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻? This Thursday, November 28, 16:00 – 19:00 📍 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲? Palacio Euskalduna (5H Terazza) Bilbao as part of Impact Europe ✨ 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻? • 6 inspiring pitches from Europe's most innovative social entrepreneurs. • A chance to witness the future of impact enterprises in action. • Hear from a stellar lineup of speakers and jury members, including: Jeroen Meijers MBA, Fleur Hudig, Willemijn Verloop, Machtelt Groothuis, Jasmijn Besorak, Ilonka Jankovich, and Tamara Obradov. 🚀 The stakes are high: the winners will receive a grant and participate in a year-long venture development programme provided by Rubio and NN Group. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝘀 𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴: 🇭🇺 Lia Menyhárt (MEROVA Health Zrt. , Hungary) 🇵🇱 Mariusz Pitura (The Linghos, Poland) 🇵🇱 Ela Szczepaniak (Budgeto, Poland) 🇳🇱 Marjolein van Tilburg 🤙🏻 (ChatLicense, The Netherlands) 🇳🇱 Joris Castermans (Whispp, The Netherlands) 🇪🇸Alberto Villanueva Tormo (Amaia App, Spain) 💡 Don’t miss this chance to connect with top minds in impact innovation and discover ventures shaping a brighter future. 𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝘂𝘀 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲! ⬇️ #ImpactWeek #socialInnovation #impact #impactInvesting #vc

Meet the Finalists of the NN Social InnovationStartup Award Powered by Rubio who will pitch at the Impact Europe’s Impact Week Bilbao!💪✨ ✨ Ela Szczepaniak Co-founder of Bugeto Personal Finance Simulations Bugeto offers a financial literacy simulation that helps young people learn how to manage their money and life decisions. ✨Martine de Leeuw Co-founder and CMO of ChatLicense ChatLicense is the driver’s license for the first smartphone enabling both kids and their parents to have a better start for a safe, smart & sane online life. ✨Mariusz Pitura co-founder & CEO of The Linghos (Pogaduszki) Pogaduszki is a speech therapy platform that revolutionises logopedic treatment by combining modern technology with traditional therapy methods, offering a comprehensive solution for speech therapists, parents, and children aged 3-10 through web and mobile applications. ✨Lia Menyhárt Co-founder & CEO of MEROVA Health Zrt. MEROVA combines client management and education in one software, creating a safer healthcare environment by supporting preventive providers and empowering patients, with the aim of early detection and specialized support in diabetes. ✨Joris Castermans Co-founder & CEO of Whispp Whispp’s real-time Assistive Voice Technology and mobile communication app converts whispered speech and vocal cord-impaired speech into a person’s clear and natural voice, in real time. NN Group #startups #innovation #socialimpact #ImpactWeek24 #vc #impact #impactinvesting

🌟 This week, the Rubio men are taking the stage in Helsinki! 🇫🇮 Yesterday, Warner Philips joined a panel at the House of Impact (HOI), and today, Charlie Macdonald took the stage at TONIC Summit to moderate a discussion on decarbonising our food systems. Warner had an inspiring panel discussion with Oona Poropudas (Super Climate), Sindre Østgård (We Are Human), and Zoe Peden (Ananda Impact Ventures) on how to tackle setting impact targets and aligning incentives across the supply chain of capital. 🚀 It was an interesting conversation packed with insights and fantastic audience interaction. (Check out Warner’s personal LinkedIn post for all his key takeaways. 📌) 🔥Charlie led an engaging conversation with Silla Scheepens (Future Food Fund), Adrian Friederich (FoodLabs), and Daniel Skavén Ruben (Solvable Syndicate). Together, they’ll explore transformative innovations to make our food systems more sustainable—cutting emissions, restoring ecosystems, and reducing waste. 🌱 These discussions, whether at HOI or Tonic, showcase the power of bringing impact stakeholders together to inspire bold ideas and actionable solutions. 🙏 A huge thank you to the organizers and panelists for making these events so impactful. And for those in Helsinki: who’s at Slush this week? Let’s connect and keep the conversation going. 💬 📸 PS: Since Warner and Charlie aren’t in the same location today, we took matters into our own hands and unleashed our elite design skills 😜 to bring them together—virtually. The result? Two men, one impact mission, and a gloriously questionable edit. #Impact #ImpactInvesting #Slush24 #Panel #VC

Brighter Future interviewed Rubio’s Helmer Schukken, to explore Rubio’s unique approach to venture capital: tying impact directly to returns and driving systemic change in industries. From tackling industrial heat with RIFT’s iron powder technology to transforming data annotation with Sama’s social-first approach, the conversation touched on some of the most pressing planetary and social challenges—and how Rubio is addressing them. In the interview, Helmer shares: 💡 Insights on navigating today’s economic landscape 📈 Practical advice for startups on aligning with market needs 🌱 Why overlooked sectors like biodiversity and (industrial) heating & cooling hold the key to systemic impact Helmer also discusses the delicate balance between regulation and market-driven solutions, emphasizing the need for scalable, cost-competitive innovation. 📖 Want to know more? Find the link to the full interview in the first comment ⤵️ #Impact #impactinvesting #venturecapital #vc #interview

🏆 Big honors for one of our portfolio partners! Vytal Global has won the Packaging Europe Readers' Award, also known as the “𝗢𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗿𝘀” of sustainable packaging! 🌍🌟 As the largest digital reuse system in Europe, Vytal is transforming the packaging industry with its deposit-free, digital reusable solutions. Partnering with over 7,000 locations across 17 countries, Vytal is tackling the 66 billion single-use containers discarded in the EU each year 😲. Huge congratulations to the Vytal team—Fabian Barthel, Josephine Kreische, Dr. Tim Breker—and everyone involved in making this impact possible. We’re happy to support your mission for a waste-free future! 🚀 Want to see how Vytal is shaping the industry? Check out their innovative solutions via the link in the first comment ⤵️ #impact #impactinvesting #vc #sustainablepackaging #packaging #circulareconomy #reusables

🔋 Charging up Europe’s energy future! Our portfolio partner Sympower just raised an impressive €21.3 million in an oversubscribed Series B1 round, led by A&G Energy Transition Tech Fund, with backing from European Investment Fund (EIF) and co-investors Activate Capital, PDENH, Expon Capital, and of course, Rubio! 💰🌱 ⚡ As Europe pushes for smarter, adaptable grids, Sympower is leading the charge—helping to build resilience and efficiency where it’s needed most. Since our initial investment, they’ve enabled grids to avoid over 600,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions, creating real impact! With operations across Europe and up to 5 gas power plants replaced, their network of over 2GW in flexible power is just the beginning! 🌍🌱 With this new boost, Sympower is set to expand battery storage solutions, explore exciting M&A opportunities, and deepen their reach across Europe. Congrats to Simon Bushell, Herman Vos, Kim Essebaggers - Verdouw, Vicky McIvor, Alexandre Jennaoui, Bo Kristensen, Claire Scott, Kevin Gjerstad, and the entire Sympower team for reaching this milestone! Let’s keep pushing towards a sustainable, flexible energy future. 🚀 📸 Check out Sympower’s leadership & supervisory board—looking sharp! Featuring Nancy Kabalt- Groot, Anup Jacob, and Rubio’s own Helmer Schukken. #EnergyTransition #RenewableEnergy #Sustainability #FundingRound #InvestmentNews #EnergyFlexibility

Hey hey! Rubio’s Warner Philips, Ata Şenkon, and Charlie Macdonald are headed to Helsinki for Slush! 🇫🇮 They’re ready to connect with visionary founders and changemakers making an impact. From climate tech to social innovation, we’re excited to explore fresh ideas and build partnerships that drive real change. If you’re a founder making waves in the impact space, let’s connect! Drop us a message or find us at Slush—we’d love to chat about impact, innovation, and the future we’re building together. #Impact #VC #Slush2024 #ImpactInvesting #Startups #Innovation #Helsinki

Impact in motion! 🙌 Rubio partner Willemijn Verloop and Warner Philips spent dynamic days at Norrsken House Barcelona with an amazing group of impact entrepreneurs & investors who love to exchange bold ideas in an amazing collaborative spirit; to accelerate the transformation to a sustainable and resilient society. Big thanks to the teams of the Norrsken Foundation, Norrsken VC and Norrsken Accelerator; Niklas Adalberth, Funda Sezgi, Sara Kappelmark, Agate S. Freimane, Tove Larsson, Alex Bakir and the Norrsken Barcelona team for creating such an amazing event & inspiring community. 💚 Here’s to a future where this energy—and maybe a Norrsken House—lands in Amsterdam too! 😉

🌟 Double the impact! Great to see two of our Rubio portfolio partners —taylor. and NoPalm Ingredients—on the MT/Sprout Challenger50 list this year! These teams are shaking things up with smart solutions that don’t just follow trends; they set them. 🌍💥   Taylor, a high-tech innovator from Brainport, is helping solar systems deliver more power and providing real-time insights that maximize solar energy output. And NoPalm Ingredients? They’re on a mission to replace traditional palm oil with sustainable, yeast-based oils, using 99% less land and cutting emissions by over 90%! A real game-changer for food, cosmetics, and home care industries.   Congrats with this nomination Michiel Roelofs, Rein Westerdijk, Lars Langhout, Prof Dr Jeroen Hugenholtz and Jeroen Blansjaar. It’s a well-deserved recognition for all your hard work. This is impact in motion. 💚   Curious about the full Challenger50 list? ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eHDphDNY   #impact #impactinvesting #startup #vc #changemakers