Build your company with Antler in the heart of Europe

Antler backs the world’s most driven founders, from day zero to greatness. In our vibrant tech hubs we bring together exceptional founders from all backgrounds to build companies that move the world forward.

We are looking forward to welcoming founders to our joint residency running across Berlin, Munich, and Amsterdam.

Who is Antler for?

We’re looking for experienced business operators, technologists, or serial entrepreneurs who can motivate themselves and others to join their mission to build a game-changing business. Whether you’re an individual or a team at the early stages of a startup journey, we are here to help as a partner obsessed with your success.

Join us in Amsterdam, Berlin, or Munich. The next cohort starts January 29, 2024. You get 3 months of free office space after the conclusion of the residency. Antler will continue supporting you and your venture even after.

Individuals

Antler welcomes applications from founders at the very beginning of their startup journey — this can range from pre-idea to a running company with initial traction.

Residency for individual founders extends over 11 weeks. We support individual founders through a network of hand-selected peers (and potential co-founders), idea validation, dedicated expert sparring sessions, access to the world’s largest-growing community of like-minded entrepreneurs, and a clear pathway to a first cheque (€100k for 10%).

Teams

Completed teams with an idea at hand are also welcome to join Antler residency. Teams are generally at the stage of validating their idea, building the early product, or having gained initial traction. Here we also stay very close to the team and provide for example dedicated expert sparring sessions, industry connections, and a strong global network of VCs and angels to access funding at the right time. This residency runs in parallel to the one with individual founders but is a bit shorter with a potential Investment Committee meeting already in Week 7 (€100k for 10%).

What to expect when you join

From day one, we provide access to an unrivaled set of co-founders, strong ecosystem, network and expertise to support exceptional founders building what will define tomorrow. Having invested in hundreds of companies and worked with thousands of entrepreneurs, we know what works and what doesn't. This helps us better support our founders and help maximize their chances of success.

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Formation and validation

We start with venture development and testing your startup hypotheses. You will be surrounded with everything you need to build at lightning speed: a community of diverse founders so that you can find the right co-founder, coaching from our team of proven founders and advisors, and perks from partners and a global network.

Building and pitching

Start talking to customers, develop your MVP, refine your business model, and develop your go-to-market strategy. You will get the opportunity to pitch your startup to Antler’s Investment Committee. If successful, Antler will invest €100,000 for an 10% equity stake.

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Scaling and Fundraising

You will join the Antler portfolio and receive continued support and access to a global capital pathway. When you are ready to raise your next round, Antler will host a Portfolio Reveal where you will showcase your startup to top investors in the region.

Take a look at the exceptional companies we have supported

Antler is the most active day-zero investor in the world with a strong European footprint

>300

Portfolio companies in Europe

10+

Average years of work experience of founders working with Antler

70%

Third-party capital raised by Antler’s Netherlands portfolio

~40%

Portfolio companies have at least one female co-founder

Application process

The full application process takes about 2-3 weeks to complete. Once you apply, our scouting team will guide you through the full process and will be available to answer all your questions.

Apply

Apply at antler.co/apply. In the application you will be asked to share a LinkedIn profile or CV, and answer questions about you.

First interview

Introduce yourself through a first call with our Investment Team where we get to know you, get a better understanding of your background and figure out if our cohort would be an ideal fit for you, together.

Second Interview and Reference Check

This second meeting is with one of our Partners and the goal is to better understand how you approach problems and handle challenges. In parallel we will also do a Reference Check.

Third Interview for Technical Co-Founders

Technical Co-Founders applying to Berlin or Munich will have a final technology-focused interview to demonstrate their abilities in the field.

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Application process

The full application process takes about 2-3 weeks to complete. Once you apply, our scouting team will guide you through the full process and will be available to answer all your questions.

Apply

Apply at antler.co/apply. In the application you will be asked to share a LinkedIn profile or CV, and answer questions about you.

First interview

Introduce yourself through a first call with our Investment Team where we get to know you, get a better understanding of your background and figure out if our cohort would be an ideal fit for you, together.

Second Interview and Reference Check

This second meeting is with one of our Partners and the goal is to better understand how you approach problems and handle challenges. In parallel we will also do a Reference Check.

Third Interview for Technical Co-Founders

Technical Co-Founders applying to Berlin or Munich will have a final technology-focused interview to demonstrate their abilities in the field.

Offer to join Antler

Once we have made an offer, the next steps are simple. You’ll sign an Antler Founder Agreement and shortly after, we will send you a welcome package containing instructions on how to participate in our pre-cohort activities to prepare you for your first day, as well as help you get to know the other founders in your cohort ahead of Day 1.

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Application process

The full application process takes about 2-3 weeks to complete. Once you apply, our scouting team will guide you through the full process and will be available to answer all your questions.

Apply

Apply at antler.co/apply. In the application you will be asked to share a LinkedIn profile or CV, and answer questions about you.

First interview

Introduce yourself through a first call with our Investment Team where we get to know you, get a better understanding of your background and figure out if our cohort would be an ideal fit for you, together.

Second Interview and Reference Check

This second meeting is with one of our Partners and the goal is to better understand how you approach problems and handle challenges. In parallel we will also do a Reference Check.

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Founder testimonials

Don't just take it from us. Hear from phenomenal people who joined Antler to launch their company.

Mira Gleisberg

RespiQ

Antler acted as a platform that allowed me to combine the two things I am truly passionate about: Healthcare and business.

Valentin Kassarnig

SoSha

Many decisions are made in uncertainty that define the outcome of your company. Antler gives me the support needed to make those decisions.

Julia Wadehn

Novo

All of the positive expectations that I had regarding Antler became true. I love the hands-on approach of the Antler team, directly helping you tackle the problems you identify, rather than focusing just on theory. It feels that the team is with us on the entire journey from 0 to 1.

Misha Bragin

netbird

Each individual I meet, I understand why they are in the cohort. Being surrounded by these founders, and the support that is given from the Antler team from day one makes it much easier to move forward. They're here with you. They want you to succeed and they do everything in their power to do for you and your company to succeed.

The best time to launch was 10 years ago. The second best time is today.

There has never been a better time to start a business. The barrier to entry is lower than ever, and the dynamic economy provides endless opportunities to the spirited entrepreneur. Join Antler and get started.

Entrepass Partner

Our Team

Meet the Antler team

Ronald Jan Schuurs
Partner

Ronald Jan is an experienced operator, entrepreneur and investor, with expertise in a.o. e-commerce, fintech and healthtech. He has spent over a decade with various C-level roles in tech startups including Rocket Internet and Delivery Hero. Previously he has been a strategy consultant at Booz & Co and an investment banker at ABN Amro. INSEAD educated.

Alan Poensgen
Partner

Alan is a partner with Antler based out of Berlin. Alan brings extensive experience in building and scaling technology businesses. He was previously MD and Co-Founder at Westwing, a home & living e-commerce company, and one of Europe’s few e-commerce IPOs of the past years. Before Westwing, he built the software development hub at Rocket Internet, and was CEO of a SEA e-commerce company, along with working for a VC and starting his own company in Spain.

Dr. Christoph Klink
Partner

As Partner in Central Europe, Christoph supports exceptional entrepreneurs along their journey - from entering into a cohort to building and scaling their ventures successfully. He draws on his background as Business Angel and Partner with McKinsey & Company. Before joining Antler he served a range of leading technology organizations, amongst others from the mobility and transportation space, on disruptive strategy and building innovative business models. Building and nurturing top talent organizations is one of his key passions and a great source of inspiration for Christoph.

Saskia van den Ende
Senior Director

Saskia started her career at BCG in Recruitment, and Egon Zehnder (Executive Search), after which she joined UBER and helped scale their Eats & Rides businesses in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Her most recent role has been with OYO, a Softbank-backed hospitality company, where she helped launch their European business from scratch. At Antler, Saskia has an integral role in scouting founders both for the Amsterdam team but also supporting teams throughout Europe.

Rafael Urdaneta
Head of Finance - DACH

Rafael started his career as an entrepreneur in Barcelona, shortly after completing his IMBA. Startups and Finance have been his passion all along, so he has started a number of companies in Europe and Asia. After living and working in China for 8+ years, he moved back to Europe several years ago and has since then been actively involved in Startups.

Frederik Brandis
Associate Director

Frederik is an Associate Director at Antler based out of Berlin. After kickstarting his career at the BCG, he worked as an operator and investor and decided to now follow his passion and focus on investing in the venture space. Having studied Philosophy and Management in Hamburg, London & Barcelona and working in a big variety of different fields - from football clubs to FemTech - he’s a generalist at heart and incredibly eager to support founding teams from day 0.

Dr. Saskia Appelhoff
Venture Partner

Dr. Saskia Appelhoffis a global marketer, entrepreneur and growth leader with 15 years of experience covering all areas of marketing. Saskia has worked internationally across Europe and USA focusing on growing teams and efficiently scaling businesses. Passionate about building purpose-driven brands and companies. Advising start-up focusing on Food & Health Tech and sustainability. Previous brands that she has worked for include Zalando, raisin, SmileDirectClub, Outfittery, Wooga, navabi, blablacar among others.

Robert Sünderhauf
Venture Partner

Robert is CEO and co-founder of nu3, a powerhouse for D2C brands in the field of nutrition and pharma. Additionally, he is Executive Director Marketing and Operations at Shop Apotheke Europe, an online pharmacy. Previously, he worked for McKinsey & Co as a strategy consultant.

Justus Byok
Investment Team

Before joining Antler, Justus spent the last couple of years in the US working in early-stage VC in the Colorado ecosystem covering various verticals. He also gained experience in the fintech space with German unicorns N26 and Scalable Capital as well as the institutional asset management space with Wellington Management advising endowments and family offices. Previously to his professional career, Justus build up his skills and knowledge in both Germany and the US, namely at ESB Business School and North Carolina State University. Apart from that, Justus likes to back-country ski and hike the Alps.

Alexandra Hörndl
Investment Team

With a degree from WU Vienna and a strong foundation in the startup ecosystem, she has previously played pivotal roles in driving strategic growth and expansion. Through her positions at N26, Trade Republic, and FORMEL Skin, she has gained extensive exposure to various verticals, allowing her to develop a comprehensive understanding of the complexities involved in driving startup success. Now she will leverage her skills and collaborate with the exceptional founders who are joining us at Antler. Besides that, she is passionate about creating social impact by working with different NGOs in her spare time.

Matteo Fortunato Condello
Investment Team

Matteo is a former entrepreneur and an experienced professional in consultancy and recruitment. After a BSc in Economics and Management from Bocconi University and an MSc in Finance from VU Amsterdam, Matteo started his career in Huxley as a Recruitment Consultant for tech and financial roles within banking and fintech organizations mostly in the Netherlands and Italy. His passion for startups and innovations led him to create his own AI startup in the hr-tech domain, bynd.ai, and to start working alongside founders to support them on their journey.

Fabian Rother
Director (DACH)

As Capital Director Fabian is responsible for securing capital and manages investor relations in the DACH-region. Previously he spent significant time within the media company Bertelsmann´s German advertising sales business. In his last role he led operations for a number of industry sectors as well as brands. Fabian graduated from University of St. Gallen with a Masters in International Affairs and Governance.

Ali Abu Jbara
Finance Team

Ali has a BSc in International Accounting from the German Jordanian University. Ali gained his experience in renowned companies such as EY, Ready-Mix Cement Industries Co. Ltd, and Lingual Consultancy Services where he worked in the Accounting, Finance & Global Compliance fields. He also has a huge interest in entrepreneurship, start-ups and always loves to explore new business ideas and share thoughts with talented and ambitious people. His main hobby is playing football and has represented the GJU football team in Jordan.

Can Kuloglu
Investment Team

Can possesses strong foundation in the startup ecosystem through gaining experience at Hive, an operational VC fund FoodLabs, where he took part in a rotation program as a founders' associate in two portfolio companies and worked for a fintech company based in Berlin. Can holds a degree in business economics from the University of Exeter and has a passion for football.

Catarina Rocha
Finance Manager

Catarina is our finance expert. Previously she has worked at KPMG and Deloitte.

Stefanie Mulder
Visiting Investment Analyst
Antler in the Netherlands

Antler is driving growth across the Dutch and Benelux tech ecosystem. As one of the most active investors in the region, Antler is supporting a new generation of Benelux tech entrepreneurs.

Valentin Kassarnig
Co-founder & CTO
Mira Gleisberg
Co-founder & CEO
Vlad Mazur
Founder
Israel Omidosu
Co-founder
Julia Ehrnrooth
Senior Marketing Associate

Julia is our marketing and communications expert with special interest in building startup brands. She has a background in events management and design, and has prevously worked as a Marketing Manager at Voima Ventures in Finland. She has a MSc in International Design Business Management from Aalto Univeristy and has also done some studies in programming and psychology. At Antler, she spearheads the local content as well as events strategy and supports our portfolio firms in various marketing related tasks.

Saskia van den Ende
Senior Director

Saskia started her career at BCG in Recruitment, and Egon Zehnder (Executive Search), after which she joined UBER and helped scale their Eats & Rides businesses in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Her most recent role has been with OYO, a Softbank-backed hospitality company, where she helped launch their European business from scratch. At Antler, Saskia has an integral role in scouting founders both for the Amsterdam team but also supporting teams throughout Europe.

Rosa Jung
Senior Program Manager

Rosa is the Program Manager for Antler’s Amsterdam office. She has built up five years’ worth of supply chain and operations experience, within both corporate as well as start up sectors of logistics and F&B. Born in South Korea but since having lived in France, China, UK and currently the Netherlands, she holds a masters degree in management from Imperial College Business School.

Ronald Jan Schuurs
Partner

Ronald Jan is an experienced operator, entrepreneur and investor, with expertise in a.o. e-commerce, fintech and healthtech. He has spent over a decade with various C-level roles in tech startups including Rocket Internet and Delivery Hero. Previously he has been a strategy consultant at Booz & Co and an investment banker at ABN Amro. INSEAD educated.

Marijn Settels
Senior Investment Manager

Marijn is Investment Manager at the Antler Amsterdam office. Previously, she worked at FMO – the Dutch entrepreneurial development bank, ING / ING Ventures and Deloitte. At Deloitte, she focused on connecting technology startups with investors for early stage funding rounds and acquisitions in emerging ecosystems such as FinTech, CleanTech, HealthTech, and Mobility

Youri Doeleman
Partner

Youri is leading the charge to help build the next generation of entrepreneurs born out of Antler Amsterdam. An Associate Partner at McKinsey & Company, he spent the last 7 years working on innovation and transformation programs with incumbents and startups in the private, public and social sectors - both across Europe and Latin America. Youri is adept in big-bang cosmology and has held various stints as a musician across Europe, Africa, Japan and Brazil.

Inemarieke Raettig
Marketing Associate
Andra Vanghelie
Content Writer Specialist
Inemarieke Raettig;Yingzhao Zhu
Marketing Analyst;Freelancer
Kim Oreskovic
Senior Advisor
Gita Lalloo
PR & Media Officer
Antti Rantanen
Venture Partner
Mohit Mishra
Co-founder & CEO
Venture Insider
Company
Hayden Young
Head of Marketing

News and views from Antler

Read our latest insights and stories about our phenomenal founders.

View all
Ability to Raise Cheat Sheet—A guide for founders on how much to raise in their first round

“How much can I realistically raise?” I hear this question a lot from our founders. The answer is especially tough for the very first funding rounds before a lot has been built. The spread in the pre-seed and seed rounds is massive. Some teams can raise millions with nothing but a pitch deck, while others struggle to close a hundred thousand euros from angel investors.  

Since we are usually the very first investors, we discuss this a lot with our founders. So, I have come up with a simplified framework to give some directional guidance. The framework is most certainly not scientific and you will find exceptions all over the place, but I believe it is directionally right for the Berlin Ecosystem in 2023. So let’s dig into it.

12 MINUTES—Episode 3: Kilian Martin from Physikit

12 MINUTES with Antler founders gives a closer look into the journey of founders toward successfully building their ventures. Every first Wednesday of the month Alan Poensgen, Antler Partner in Germany, sits down with a founder of an Antler portfolio company and talks about their time at Antler, the team formation, the ideation process, and more.

How to make the most of your residency—six tips from Antler

The Antler residency is a unique opportunity to get together with 60+ other founders eager to build life-changing ventures. No matter how well you prep, it is impossible to be completely prepared for what can be truly transformational. The important thing is to be ready to fully immerse yourself, and take in everything you can during the experience. In this article, I’m outlining how to get the most out of the rollercoaster ride that is an Antler residency. As Co-Global Head of Program, having worked with 450+ founders during our eight latest residencies in Amsterdam, I have a few tips to share.

Shani Cohen: How my dinner conversation turned into a startup company

Our baby, UpMarket, is already two months old. It’s been an incredible experience from the point I joined Antler as a founder, only a few months ago, to now being ready to go live with our product and first customer. In this article I will share my experience on the rollercoaster that started with an idea I originally came up with during dinner.

The elephant in the room: The role of unconscious bias in venture capital decision-making

"The future is not some place we are going to, but one we are creating. The paths are not to be found, but made, and the activity of making them changes both the maker and the destination." —John H. Schaar

The 2022 Benelux Unicorn Founder Roadmap: How to build unicorns in Benelux

As everyone anticipates the next wave of ultra-successful companies in Benelux, what does it take to get there? What do the successful founders of Benelux unicorns look like? This report is an in-depth look at the Benelux startup ecosystem and its brightest stars. And above all, it is for anyone who is helping build the next 50 unicorns in Benelux.

Piet Hein van Dam: The seasoned data entrepreneur aiming to eradicate type 2 diabetes

Meet Piet Hein van Dam, co-founder of Clear, who is using data—not pills—to help millions of people with type 2 diabetes eliminate the disease within three months.

The founder of NeoCarbon, Silvain Toromanoff, on having an impact, finding a co-founder and learning from failure

Silvain joined Antler after four years as a CTO at Sayduck, a Finnish company providing services for e-commerce and enhancing interactive shopping experience through displaying 3D products on their websites. Silvain helped to shape the company strategy and played a pivotal role during the acquisition of Sayduck by the Swedish Goodbye Kansas Group. However, he was missing a deeper sense of purpose as the company was “not solving any pressing issue” as he explained in our interview. Therefore, he decided to leave the company and started making the first steps toward building his own company. A company with a significant positive impact on the climate, planet, and people.


However, this was harder than expected, and even though he met many talented people, there was always something missing – not the right match, timing, or diverse expectations. Struggling to find the right co-founder he joined Antler. Now, he and his co-founder René are building NeoCarbon and are on a mission to tackle climate change using Direct Air Capture.

Go further and faster than you ever thought possible

We empower exceptional people to turn their visions into reality—tackling pressing problems, creating jobs, and unlocking their personal potential. Our founders are supported by an unrivalled network of experts and advisors from around the globe. As the world’s issues become more complex, founders are more needed than ever to solve them. What are you waiting for?

FAQs

Is Antler an accelerator or incubator?

We are neither an accelerator nor an incubator, we’re a day-zero investor. We help founders brainstorm, develop and validate ideas and start scaling their start-ups with us. Additionally, we continue to support our founders throughout their whole start-up journey.

What does day zero investing mean?

Day zero investing means backing founders from the very beginning—whether it’s pre-team or even pre-idea—and continuing to support them on their company’s journey. We are there when a founder is at the starting line, when everything is possible and nothing is certain. When they have made the life-changing decision to take the leap and build a company, leaving conventional career paths behind. When their belief, passion, and drive are often the only things fueling them. And we are still there after we make our first investment, as a long-term partner providing advice, introductions, resources, and follow-on funding—all the way to their exit.

What companies does Antler back?

We are industry agnostic. We invest in exceptional people building scalable companies. However, we do not invest in alcohol, tobacco or gambling.

Does Antler provide a business idea?

Our industry partners may provide problem statements they would like to solve, and the Antler team and mentors will help find the right area and business model to work in, but we don’t believe in providing ready-made ideas for you to work on. Ultimately this will be up to you and your co-founder(s)!

Is this a full time commitment?

Yes. Please consider your current notice period, plus the personal and financial investment starting a business requires.

Is the program on-site?

Yes. We fully believe in meeting each other in person to develop meaningful relationships. You can incorporate your company anywhere.

Do I need an idea to join Antler?

No, you don't. Some founders have a clear idea of what they want to build, however, most join us with areas of interest and expertise they then start to explore.

Can I negotiate Terms & Conditions?

Our terms are non-negotiable. Any further investment would be distinct from Antler’s investment and subject to new terms.

Do participants receive a grant during the residency?

Every cohort member in Berlin and Munich receives a EUR 1,000 grant.

Do I need to be at the location in person and for how long?

Depending on the kind of residency you are opting for, we have different requirements. During the main 7/11-week program, we require your physical presence in our Amsterdam, Berlin, or Munich offices.

Can I form a team with people from other locations?

Yes, we even encourage this. However, we require you to work from the same location for a significant amount of time.

How do I meet people from the other locations?

We will facilitate virtual meet-ups with additional optional meetings in person. You will also work in the same virtual workspaces and be in one community Slack channel.

What does a day in the cohort look like?

Besides working alongside like-minded founders, you’ll spend your time developing and iterating on your ideas, conducting customer discovery and research, beta testing as quickly as possible, and building your product roadmap and go-to-market strategy The Antler team will provide guidance and sparring sessions, organize challenges, social sessions, and speaker series with industry experts, coaches, and successful founders. At the end of the program, teams present to our Investment Committee.

How big are the teams?

Most Antler teams consist of two to three co-founders.

What makes us different from other VCs?

Antler specialises in bringing the most exceptional people together and enabling them to build a great startup. Our cohort members are often pre-team, pre-idea and pre-funding. Furthermore, we promote diversity at every level: background, career stage and skills.

Can I apply to one than more locations?

Yes, but only one location at a time will consider your application.

How many companies have Antler have in its portfolio?

Antler has more than 1,000+ companies in its portfolio.

Netherlands