Trade mission to Expo 2025 in Japan, in collaboration with the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, celebrating 425 years of friendship and commerce between Japan and the Netherlands.
Smarter Ventures represents a new movement in venture capital, one that prioritizes fairness, long-term impact, and sustainable returns. We take a fundamentally different approach from traditional VC and PE models, combining entrepreneurial empathy with deep operational expertise. Founded by entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs.
We exclusively invest in early-stage AI and Web3 software scale-ups with proven, business-critical applications in B2B environments. Our primary focus lies in the Financial & Professional Services, Food, and Manufacturing industries.
Your Shinkansen into Europe
Like the Shinkansen we represent reliability, precision and cutting-edge technology. We are built for speed but never chaos. And just like the Shinkansen visits multiple stations we allow partners to step in and out because we’re open-end, flexible and designed for the long journey.
We want to offer Japanese innovators a gateway into Europe and help Dutch scale-ups grow here in Japan.
We believe the future of AI and Web3 will be collaborative, not competitive.
Whether you’re a corporate, a co-investor, or a government agency we’d love to connect.
See direct contact details at the bottom of this page!
How we reinvent Venture Capital
Smarter Ventures distinguishes itself through five core principles:
Open-End Fund Structure
Unlike traditional closed-end VC or PE funds, Smarter Ventures operates as an open-end fund. This allows investors to enter and exit at any time, without lock-up periods, while ensuring portfolio companies are protected from exit pressure and can grow at a sustainable pace.
Led by Seasoned Entrepreneurs
Our fund is managed by experienced entrepreneurs, not former bankers or consultants, who have successfully built and scaled companies themselves. This results in deeper insight, practical judgment, and value-added support for both investors and the founders we back.
Capital Combined with Expertise (“Smart Money”)
Every investment is accompanied by a customized development program co-created with the founding team. We don’t just invest money, we actively support portfolio companies with hands-on guidance from experienced founders and subject-matter experts to accelerate their growth and reduce risk.
Focus on Continuity and Long-Term Value Creation
Our goal is not short-term financial gain, but to help build companies that deliver consistent value over time to customers, employees, and shareholders alike. We believe in sustainable growth and responsible entrepreneurship.
Aligned Incentives, No Carried Interest
Fund managers do not receive performance commissions or hidden incentives. Instead, they invest their own capital alongside investors. This ensures complete alignment: we only succeed when our investors and portfolio companies succeed.
What we offer
Direct contact
We will be in Japan from May 11th until May 24th 2025.
Please mail anton@smarterventures.nl or call +31 6 58997171
