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Yesterday you said tomorrow. Start building with us today.
Go to market in weeks with up to €850k in funding and a dedicated tech team to build your MVP
Get the best of a VC and Venture Studio combined
Samen Slimmer is a first-of-its-kind venture alliance formed by DFF, Keen Venture Partners and Slimmer AI. We partner with exceptional founders building businesses that will transform their industries with AI, no matter how early. We provide up to €700k in investments and a dedicated engineering team so you can bring your product to market in a few months rather than years.
Work with us and experience the power of years of combined investment and building experience, a best-in-class engineering team, deep domain expertise and an unparalleled network that will help you find early customers and product-market-fit in no time.
No coding skills or prior founding experience is required. Our doors are open for all trailblazing European founders with the drive to take their idea all the way. Is this you? Get involved, we’d love to chat!
Pre-investment
Just like you, we’d like to keep pace in the process. That’s why we always strive to get back to you as soon as possible so we can start building. Please note that timelines may vary depending on the technical specifications of your company.
Phase 0
Phase 1
Phase 2
Phase 3
Phase 4
Phase X
Ideation
You have identified a big unmet need in the market that AI can solve. You’ve fleshed this out to some degree and have early validation of the problem, your proposed solution and potential customers’ willingness to pay. This phase typically happens before you get in touch with us, unless you pick the incubation route.
Validation & Design
We’d like to get to know you, and this is also your chance to get to know DFF, Keen and Slimmer AI. Over the course of two weeks we’ll have multiple conversations to get to know your grand vision and to see if there is a good mutual fit.
Product deep dive
Given that the core of your new venture will be your product, we will take additional time to go deep into your product vision, roadmap, technical feasibility, and AI differentiation. Slimmer AI’s product team will guide the discussion and analysis, and help you deepen your thinking, clarity and articulation. You’ll not only evolve your product thinking but also get a good sense of what it will be like to partner with us to build your product.
Investment decision
With your venture vision, strategy and plan ready, you will prepare a short pitch for the samen slimmer Investment Committee. If your pitch is successful, we’ll offer you a term sheet. Welcome aboard!
Building and Launching
Our favourite part: we can start building! Together with our 16-man strong engineering team, we will start turning your idea into an early MVP. During this phase, the Samen Slimmer alliance will support you with all aspects of starting your new venture, including launching your brand, segmenting your customer base, deciding on your go-to-market and pricing.
Product-Market Fit and beyond
Samen slimmer is your partner for the long haul. Going live with your first product is an important milestone, but just an early step in your journey to build a category-leading company. We can especially be valuable partners in supporting your future fundraising efforts from Seed through late-stage growth funding.
Build alongside the
best builders and investors
Whether it is for WeTransfer, Biller or Crisp, we've built and invested in world class companies. Join the partnership and leverage our combined network, expertise and resources. We are ready to build, are you too?
Join the 60+ others of talented founders in the combined portfolio
We have worked with and build startups from ideation all the way to Series C
We've got the answers for your questions
Still something unclear? Write us an email and we get back to you asap!
Samen Slimmer is an alliance between venture studio Slimmer.AI, and two venture capital funds DFF and Keen. We’re all based in Amsterdam, and Slimmer also has an office in Groningen. We invest in and build companies all over the globe, but Europe is our hometurf.
Anyone with a great idea that involves AI can apply. No technical or AI experience is required, Samen Slimmer is designed to give all founders, - both seasoned and first-timers - the tools, network, funding and expertise to turn your idea into reality. We do favour founders that have some kind of edge that sets them apart, whether that is deep industry experience, a relevant network or background, or any other strategic advantage that can help propel your business.
There are many ways to build a successful company, and taking on early investment might not always be the right path for your business. However, we encourage all founders to apply that value the following:
> Speed-to-market of your first product matters a lot
> You need to build complex software, and it is important to get the initial features right
> You are chasing a massive opportunity that solves a real need, no 'vitamin' solutions that go after a small market
> Data and AI will likely be an important differentiator in your product and key value driver of your business, not just a fad
> You are willing to go all-in and care more about winning than being right
> You do not only dream big but also do big
Samen Slimmer is designed for founders in the most nascent stages of their entrepreneurial journey. We get involved in the pre-seed phase, which means pre-revenue and pre-MVP. We love to shape the product vision and roadmap with you and support you on building and launching your very first operational product.
Yes, as long as you are willing to be in Amsterdam and Groningen every-now-and-then for white-board sessions, meeting your engineering team and strategy. We encourage founders from all over EU to apply, we can always find a way to make it work.
We are partners for the long haul. After you have - hopefully - achieved product-market-fit, we'll make sure that nothing stands in your way to scale with lightning speed. Tap into our global network of other VCs, Angels and strategic partners, leverage our deep understanding of AI, SaaS and marketplace business models and expect a dedicated sparring partner to support you on raising, hiring, branding and positioning. We do not take board seats.
Unlike other venture studios, Samen Slimmer is unique in its kind because we offer funding and a dedicated engineering team that will build your product with you. We have over 20 years of experience in building operational AI products and are happy to start working with you. Apply to Samen Slimmer and expect:
> a Product Delivery System - an outcome driven, product-led software delivery approach developed through years of building both MVPs and very large software products. This allows you to avoid well-understood pitfalls, and iteratively build an awesome product that your launching customers will love
> Team - you’ll have a dedicated, experienced multidisciplinary team building your product. Not time wasted in recruiting or forming a team. Access to experts that as a start-up you normally won’t have
> Solution Stack - you get and build your product on Slimmer AI’s proven stack, saving you time, avoiding mistakes, ensuring you’re future proof, and giving you tons of standard SaaS features out-of-the-box.
Samen Slimmer is specifically designed for founders that are building products that leverage AI. If there is no AI component to your business, this program is not for you. We don’t do (pure) hardware investments. If you have modest ambitions in terms of reach & revenue, we’re not the right partners for you. If you don’t have any experience in the industry or market you want to build, we’re not a fit. If you already have a product and only looking for cash investment, then Samen Slimmer is not for you.
There are no direct costs involved in the Samen Slimmer partnership.
Building future proof companies.