Invest-NL makes its first investment from diversity programme: €5 million to Rubio Impact Ventures

Invest-NL today announces its first investment of €5 million from the Diverse Manager Programme, a new investment initiative with an initial size of €50 million focused on increased diversity. The investment will go to Fund III of Rubio, the female-founded impact investor where diversity is an important part of both the team and the investment approach. With the new fund and this first investment, Invest-NL demonstrates that diversity and returns together form the foundation for a strong and future-proof investment market.

Diversity as a Lever for Improved Performance

With the Diverse Manager Programme, Invest-NL aims to make access to growth capital in the Netherlands and Europe fairer and more effective. The venture capital sector remains unevenly distributed, which not only limits opportunities for entrepreneurs but also hampers the market's innovation capacity.   

Ulrike Kostense, investment principal at Invest-NL: “In the venture capital sector, we still see a persistent gender gap, and cultural and ethnic diversity lag behind. That’s a missed opportunity because diverse perspectives lead to better decisions and better performance. Through this programme, we are increasing access to financing for entrepreneurs who currently attract less capital.”

Rubio proves that it can be done differently

According to Kostense, Rubio directly aligns with this. Three of the four partners are women. Of the companies Rubio invests in, 31% have a female founder, and 50% have women in leadership roles. Diversity at Rubio is not a side activity, but part of the strategy and governance.

Willemijn Verloop, co-founder of Rubio Impact Ventures: “In Europe, only 15% of decision-makers at VC funds are women. In the Netherlands, nearly 40% of entrepreneurs are women, but they still receive less than 14% of business funding. There are plenty of reports describing the problem, now it’s time for change. And it’s not just about gender, but also about cultural and ethnic diversity. We do this not as an end in itself, but from the conviction that diverse teams achieve better results. Invest-NL’s investment helps us demonstrate this on a larger scale.”

Investment in solutions for climate and social inequality

This is Invest-NL’s second investment in Rubio within three months. In November 2025, Invest-NL committed already €7.5 million at the launch of Fund III, which focuses on scalable solutions for climate and social inequality. Since then, the fund has grown from €70 million to €96 million in commitments. With the €5 million from the Diverse Manager Programme, Invest-NL’s total commitment amounts to €12.5 million.