Amsterdam-based Rubio Impact Ventures has raised more than €70 million (over $80 million) for its latest fund, Rubio Fund III, aimed at accelerating companies developing scalable solutions to address climate change, resource circularity, and social inequality. The new commitments lift Rubio’s total assets under management to €220 million, reinforcing its position as one of Europe’s leading impact investment firms. As global markets face rising social and environmental pressures, Rubio’s expansion raises a key question: can purpose-driven venture capital scale fast enough to tackle both the planet’s and society’s most urgent challenges?

Investing Where Profit Meets Purpose

Founded in 2015, Rubio Impact Ventures has built its identity around one principle impact as a business model, not a by-product. The firm has backed more than 40 high-growth companies across Europe that combine measurable social and environmental outcomes with strong financial performance. Its portfolio reflects this dual mandate: Sympower, which enables grid flexibility to accelerate renewable energy integration; NoPalm Ingredients, a biotech innovator developing circular, palm oil-free alternatives; and OpenUp, a digital platform improving access to qualified mental health professionals. With Rubio Fund III, the firm plans to invest in around 30 companies operating in climate technology, circular economy models, education, and well-being. The fund will target ventures with scalable technologies and data-driven impact measurement frameworks, an approach that has helped Rubio distinguish itself in Europe’s crowded impact investing market.

Backed by Leading Institutions and Social Investors

The new fund attracted support from a blend of institutional, public, and private investors. Key participants include ING Social Impact Investments and the NN Social Innovation Fund, alongside family offices, Dutch entrepreneurs, and regional development agencies such as Oost NL and Brabantse Ontwikkelingsmaatschappij. Institutional support from the European Investment Fund (EIF) and Invest-NL underscores growing confidence in impact finance as a mainstream asset class. Additionally, the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) extended an innovation loan under its Seed Capital scheme, signaling state-level endorsement of impact-focused venture capital as a driver of national innovation.

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Rubio co-founder Machtelt Groothuis emphasized the alignment between urgency and opportunity: “In an era of accelerating climate change and social challenges, the most valuable companies of the future are the ones building real solutions for global problems. The launch of our third fund reflects that the impact investing model is recognized, the opportunity is clear, and the urgency has never been greater.”

Scaling Solutions Across Climate, Circularity, and Society

Rubio’s third fund builds on nearly a decade of experience identifying early-stage ventures that merge profitability with purpose. Its investment strategy prioritizes sectors where impact and economic scale converge such as clean energy integration, resource recovery, sustainable agriculture, and mental well-being. By providing not only capital but also strategic mentorship and access to its impact measurement framework, Rubio helps founders translate mission-driven innovation into market traction. The firm’s approach has made it a reference point in the Dutch and broader European impact investing ecosystem, where investors increasingly seek quantifiable sustainability results alongside financial returns.

Rinke Zonneveld, CEO of Invest-NL, praised Rubio’s influence: “Rubio is leading the pack in the Dutch impact investing scene. They didn’t just set the standard, they created it. Their approach, tackling both climate and social issues head-on, is inspiring others and convincing institutional investors to enter this space.”

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The Future of Impact Capital

With Rubio Fund III, the firm is betting that the intersection of sustainability and innovation will define the next generation of global growth companies. As financial institutions face pressure to align portfolios with the Paris Agreement and UN Sustainable Development Goals, Rubio’s track record suggests that mission-aligned capital can deliver both measurable impact and long-term value creation. The fund’s launch also signals a broader shift in European finance: from philanthropic-style sustainability efforts to mainstream impact investment, where environmental and social outcomes are embedded in the DNA of scalable business models. If Rubio’s first two funds helped define the architecture of Dutch impact investing, Fund III may represent its coming of age, a model for how venture capital can drive systemic solutions to the intertwined crises of climate and inequality, proving that profit and purpose can grow on the same balance sheet.

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