Pitchdrive | Early-stage VC 🚀

Huge news!! Pitchdrive Fund III (total €40m) has kicked off with a highly oversubscribed first closing of €34m 💙 We’re overwhelmed by the believe in our model, which Boris Bogaert and Jonas Dhaenens explained in today’s edition of De Tijd (in Dutch). Huge thanks to all the believers (LPs), amazing portfolio, and team for making this possible. Koen Christiaens Wim Derkinderen Emily Kegels Lotte Geldermans Bram Troch

How humans can work only 8 hours per week and machines generate better leads - Steven Nelemans, co-founder of Luna.ai, and I sat down to discuss the mission of Luna.ai and the challenges and opportunities AI presents. Our conversation covers a wide range of AI-related topics, you don’t want to miss this one! 🎧 Listen now on Spotify through the link below 👇 https://lnkd.in/ed_2ywTC

🇬🇧 London calling, we officially opened our local office today! As the UK was already an important hub for Pitchdrive to invest (+10 investments), it was only a matter of time before we officially set up a location in the VC capital of Europe. It’s exciting to be closer to our UK portfolios and investment partners such as Hotel Manager, Privasee, Greenspark, Happl, and more to come 💙

🇬🇧 London calling, we officially opened our local office today! As the UK was already an important hub for Pitchdrive to invest (+10 investments), it was only a matter of time before we officially set up a location in the VC capital of Europe. It’s exciting to be closer to our UK portfolios and investment partners such as Hotel Manager, Privasee, Greenspark, Happl, and more to come 💙

We're excited to welcome Alexine Capiau to the Pitchdrive | Early-stage VC 🚀 team as our new Investment Director 🚀 Alexine brings a wealth of international experience from her previous role co-leading the direct VC investment department at Legal & General, the largest asset manager in the UK with over £1.2 trillion assets under management. Her impressive track record includes leading projects with top VC firms like Northzone, Dawn Capital, Seedcamp, LocalGlobe, and Cherry ventures amongst many others. Having worked and lived for over 9 years in London - gaining expertise in VC, M&A investment banking, and even entrepreneurial ventures - Alexine is perfectly positioned to spearhead our follow-on investment strategies. We're incredibly proud to have her on board! 💙

🔔 Entrepreneurial student job alert - we've just opened up a few European spots for Pitchdrive | Early-stage VC 🚀 Startup Scouts Are you a student looking to dive into the startup and VC scene? Want to hunt new startups and attend exclusive events and trade shows in Europe? Hit the link to find out how you can become our next Pitchdrive Startup Hunter 🚀 https://lnkd.in/e3a9bSzy #StartupLife #StudentOpportunities #EuropeStartups

🌟 INVESTMENT NEWS - Ghent-Based Otamiser Raises $3 Million to Revolutionize Hotel and Airbnb Visibility led by Pitchdrive | Early-stage VC 🚀 The AI-driven solution boosting online visibility for hotels and Airbnbs, has raised with Pitchdrive (lead) backed by esteemed investors such as Dovesco and top business angels Lorenz Bogaert, Gilles Mattelin, Jorn Vanysacker, Stijn (Stan) Christiaens, and many more. Otamiser enhances hotel rankings on platforms like Booking and Airbnb, ensuring its clients secure top positions and maximize their profits. With an ARR of 1.8 million Euros and a growing team of 32, the team is ready to take their innovative solutions global and reach 100,000 properties worldwide within 2 years. Huge congratulations to the founding team Bart-Jan Leyts and Korneel Defauw, and the entire Otamiser team for their incredible work! Read more through the link below 👇 https://lnkd.in/eynH5ufR.. #InvestmentNews #HospitalityTech #AI #HotelIndustry #Otamiser hashtag #FundingSuccess #Startup #GlobalExpansion

Last Thursday, we co-organized VC drinks with Peak Capital and madewithlove during #tnw2024 in Amsterdam. It was filled with great drinks, amazing vibes, incredible people, and even the sun dropped by. A huge thank you to everyone who joined us and made our event the best, cheers to more great times ahead! 🍹✨ #VCDrink #Networking #GoodVibes #Community #EventRecap Lotte Geldermans Tycho Klessens Andreas Creten

🌟 INVESTMENT NEWS - Donna, AI Assistant for Sales Reps on the go, Raises €1.5 Million Pre-Seed Funding Led by Pitchdrive | Early-stage VC 🚀 We are thrilled to announce that Donna, the AI-powered assistant revolutionizing sales on the go, has successfully secured €1.5 million in pre-seed funding. This round was led by Pitchdrive | Early-stage VC 🚀 and included significant contributions from prominent funds and angel investors across the US and Europe, such as Everywhere Ventures, Fortino Capital, Syndicate One, and welovefounders but also angel investors like Gilles Mattelin (Henchman), Jorn Vanysacker (Henchman), Felix Van de Maele (Collibra) and Willem Delbare (Aikido). Donna addresses a critical need for mobile sales professionals, efficiently updating CRM systems and handling follow-up tasks, thereby freeing up valuable time for selling. With 200 active users already onboard and interest from major industries, Donna is set to transform sales productivity. Congratulations to co-founders Jonas Deprez, Nicolas Christiaen, Xander Berkein, Lander T’Kindt along with the entire Donna team, for their outstanding progress in sales innovation. Here’s to enabling sales reps to focus on what they do best—selling! Read more through the link below 👇 https://lnkd.in/edkzyg73 #InvestmentNews #SalesTech #AI #CRM #SalesInnovation #DonnaAI #FundingSuccess #Startup #SalesProfessionals

💥 EXIT NEWS - Contractify is acquired by AXI Group! We’re excited to see one of our first investments (Fund I) reach this important milestone. Huge congratulations to founders Steven Debrauwere and Herlinde De Buck  who have built Contractify into the strong company it is today. Also a big thank you to Lorenz Bogaert for representing our board seat. Both founders will continue to innovate within AXI Group, enriching their portfolio with cutting-edge contract management solutions. Read more about the acquisition in the article below 👇 https://lnkd.in/eVWqx23W..