Rockstart

Choose the right route first

Rockstart's routes suit different founders, so check which one matches your company before you apply.

• Latin American technology startups: Tecnología Latam, which takes equity in exchange for its investment.
• Any running startup in Energy, AgriFood or Emerging Technology with a team and some traction: the Startup Support Package.
• Early-stage founders applying emerging technologies: Emerging Tech, which accepts applications all year round.

How applications work

• Start from the Get started button on the Rockstart website.
• Founders from India should check the Support Package and Emerging Tech terms directly, because the site does not state a country restriction for them.
• The site names both a SAFE and a convertible note as the initial investment. Ask which one applies before you commit.

What the team looks for

• A founding team with the right skills for its market, a deep passion for the work, and a record of exceptional work, individually or together
• Innovation in execution, not necessarily an original idea
• A clear mission for how the company will drive positive change in its domain
• Early traction, such as pilots, customers or users
• Complementary co-founders with a positive working dynamic

Rockstart is an early-stage investor headquartered in Amsterdam, with offices in Copenhagen and Bogotá. It backs founders who are building toward a sustainable and regenerative future, combining a mentor-led support package with investment from pre-seed to Series B.

How the programmes work

Rockstart's main route is the Startup Support Package. It lasts between six and twelve months and is tailored to each team, with mentors, experts and coaches matched to the challenges the startup faces. Accepted startups receive an initial investment, and Rockstart can co-invest with a lead investor in later rounds, up to Series B. The site describes the package as running on a rolling basis all year.

When the package ends, the site says startups become portfolio companies and keep access to online investor and corporate events, deals, mentor support, and participation in its marketing and communications campaigns. Rockstart says it stays involved through follow-on investment, informal board seats and introductions to investors and partners.

The site gives a fee for the Support Package and also says accepted startups receive an initial investment through a SAFE or a convertible note. It does not explain how these fit together, so ask about the terms before you apply.

Rockstart also runs Tecnología Latam, a six-month technology programme for startups from Latin America. In exchange for an investment that includes the value of the programme, the startup gives equity. Rockstart says it keeps supporting the startup after the six months end.

Emerging Tech is the route for early-stage startups applying emerging technologies to universal and urgent problems. Rockstart says it accepts applications all year round, and it names focus areas that include machine learning and AI, computer vision, web3 and blockchain, biometrics, geospatial technology, IoT and edge computing, and additive manufacturing.

Who can apply

Rockstart puts the founding team first. The site says it prefers teams that already run a business and have early commercial traction, and it treats team dynamics as part of selection. Startups should already be working on the company and show some traction, such as at least one pilot, and ideally customers or users. Rockstart says it does not invest in ideas where work on the startup has not yet started.

Single founders are discussed case by case if they are building a team. Tecnología Latam is for Latin American startups only, so it is not open to founders from India. The Support Package and Emerging Tech pages do not state a country restriction.

Locations

Rockstart has offices in Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Bogotá. Its site says startups do not have to relocate to receive support after being selected, and that it offers a mix of in-person events and remote content.

Scale

Rockstart's own figures do not agree with each other. Its About page says 368 startups have been invested in, its website gives more than 350 on another page, and its Latin America homepage gives 40. Its Latin America technology page gives 51 accelerated startups and says 80% of its startups raise capital. Mentor counts also differ: its Emerging Tech page lists more than 60 mentors, while its Latin America technology page lists more than 106. Treat these as self-reported figures, not verified results.

Who runs it

Rockstart was founded in 2011 by Oscar Kneppers, Koen Wagemakers, Rune Theill and Don Ritzen. Its About page says it has moved from accelerating growth to seed investing, and it describes an ecosystem of investors, funds, mentors and corporate partners around its startups. Its Emerging Tech page says the ecosystem gives founders industry-specific expertise and a launching pad to take their solutions to market, and it lists more than 200 investors and more than 30 corporate partners.