Pillar 02, Investments, Amsterdam
We back / founders
Hello World Investments writes direct checks into early-stage founders and backs a select group of funds as an LP. Two ways to deploy, one playbook: get close to the builders, stay honest about what's working.
Our investment thesis, backing exceptional founders at the earliest stages
We deploy capital two ways. Direct angel checks into founders we know first-hand at pre-seed and seed. And LP positions in a small group of funds we've sat across the table from long enough to trust their judgement. Both share one playbook: get close to the work, stay honest about what's real.
WHAT WE BRING
Capital
Direct angel checks at pre-seed and seed. Decisive when conviction is there.
Time
Hands-on where it matters, recruiting, intros, hard conversations. Not a board seat for show.
Network
Twenty years of operators, founders and follow-on investors across the Amsterdam ecosystem and beyond.
Where our capital sits
Companies we've backed directly, plus a few funds where we sit as LPs.
Who you're talking to
Sam Renders and Nick Velten, operators turned investors. 25+ years of building what we now back.
AI Entrepreneur
Sam Renders
Co-founded Fangage (sold to Triller, 2022). Builds Healify. Active artist as Sam Feldt. Invests in creator, music and consumer tech.
AI Entrepreneur
Nick Velten
Founded Stimmt (Emerce 100, Fonk 150). Co-founded Fangage with Sam. Builds AI cockpits at Hello World Projects. Invests in B2B SaaS, AI infra and ops tooling.
FAQ
What's your typical check size?
Direct angel checks at pre-seed and seed. The size varies — happy to share specifics in a call once we know the round.
Do you lead?
Rarely. We co-invest alongside funds we trust. We can connect you to leads in our network when it's a fit.
What happens after the wire?
We stay close to the team. Hands-on where it matters — recruiting, intros, hard conversations. Not a board seat for show.
Portfolio company shipping AI?
Hey Future, our four-week AI build.
Most of our portfolio bumps into the same wall: scoping AI work cleanly. Hey Future is the answer we ship into them. Open to other founders too.
Pitch
Send a deck and a one-paragraph description of the problem you're solving. We read everything that comes in. If it's a fit, you'll hear back fast, and if not, we'll say so directly.
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