The Amsterdam branch of the global early-stage venture capital firm, Antler, has recruited executives from Dutch FinTech innovators, Adyen, Mollie and bunq. 

The new additions are Robert Kraal, former COO of Adyen, co-founder of Silverflow and FinTech investor, Gaston Aussems, former CEO of Mollie and Bart Wesselink, former CFO of bunq and co-founder of Paylogic, who are all joining the team as Investors and Startup Advisors. With this incredible team of FinTech experts behind them, Antler Netherlands aims to further develop the local tech ecosystem from the earliest stage.

“Antler is making significant waves in the Dutch tech ecosystem. With Amsterdam being such a hotbed for FinTech and payments solutions, it’s critical to support where I can. As a founder myself, I know that you can add tremendous value to emerging solutions if you’re involved from the earliest stage, and that’s exactly what I’m doing by joining Antler.” says Robert Kraal, former COO of Adyen and co-founder of Silverflow. 

Since its launch in Singapore in 2017, Antler has invested in over 300 companies, close to 40 of which are in the FinTech space. During a recent Demo Day, Antler Netherlands announced their investment in three FinTech related companies from their third cohort in Amsterdam. Two of the companies, Encore - which gives retail investors access to digital music streaming royalties previously available only to industry insiders or institutional funds - and Sprinque - which provides an end-to-end B2B payments process for merchants and marketplaces - are centered squarely within FinTech and will benefit hugely from the experience of Bart, Robert and Gaston. Additionally, Cooper Pet Care is addressing the InsurTech market with their mobile-first pet healthcare platform that includes best-in-class pet insurance, 24/7 online vet, nutritionist and behaviorist consultations for today’s pet parents.

“I’ve been excited by Antler’s mission ever since I first came across them. To become a part of a dynamic organization that sees the potential in and gives opportunity to entrepreneurs all over the world is a very compelling prospect. I can’t wait to share my experience with the founders who will be at the forefront of global change kick-started in the Netherlands.” says Bart Wesselink, former CFO of bunq.

“Having industry experts like Robert and Gaston joining our team is a huge value add for Antler and for our founders. Their expertise alone will provide invaluable support to all of our teams, not just those in FinTech. Having such industry heavyweights behind us helps Antler strengthen its position as a key player in the ecosystem.” says Ronald Jan Schuurs, Antler Netherlands Partner. 

“After leaving Mollie in 2020 I was searching for a new opportunity to share my experiences of leading a startup to unicorn status. For me, it’s critical to be involved in strengthening the local ecosystem. So where better to start than with nascent emerging startups.” says Gaston Aussems, former CEO of Mollie. 

If you are interested to learn more about Antler Netherlands, its startups or if you would like to join the next Antler Amsterdam program in October as a founder, please contact Antler Partners, Ronald Jan Schuurs at rj@antler.co or Youri Doeleman at youri@antler.co.