SET Ventures

Venture Capital / Energy Technology Investingsetventures.com

SET Ventures is a privately held Amsterdam-based venture capital firm founded in 2007 that invests from seed through Series B in European digital energytech companies across six focus sectors, currently deploying a EUR 200M Fund IV and serving founders, LPs, and corporate partners.

Company typePrivate
Founded2007
HeadquartersAmsterdam, Netherlands
Headcount11–50
GTM typeB2B
OfferingServices

What SET Ventures does

SET Ventures is a privately held European venture capital firm founded in Amsterdam in 2007, focused exclusively on digital energy technology. The firm invests across six sectors - Distributed Energy Systems, Digital Utilities, AI & Enabling Technologies, Industrial Energy Management, Built Environment, and Mobility & Transport - backing companies that make energy systems hyperlocal, automated, and resilient. It currently invests from its fourth fund, SET Fund IV, with EUR 200 million in committed capital, and has previously closed Funds I-III. The firm typically leads or co-leads seed through Series B rounds with ticket sizes in the EUR 1-10M range, and has achieved over 10 portfolio exits including sonnen (acquired by Shell in 2019) and Sensorfact (acquired by ABB in 2025).

The firm's revenue model is that of a traditional VC manager: recurring management fees on committed capital (industry-standard ~2% on Fund IV's EUR 200M) supplemented by carried interest on profitable exits. Distribution to founders is conducted via a dedicated pitch-deck submission portal on setventures.com, the firm's network of repeat co-investors, and proprietary ecosystem platforms including the global SET Award competition (10th year, 4,000+ applications from 100+ countries) and the SET Tech Festival hosted with the German government in Berlin. The firm publishes annual Impact Reports and sector insights (Virtual Power Plants, C&I Batteries, Industrial Process Heat, Cybersecurity of Energy Infrastructure) as thought leadership and sourcing channels.

SET Ventures operates from headquarters in Amsterdam (Keizersgracht 756) and a regional office in Hamburg (Rodingsmarkt 9), with portfolio exposure spanning the Netherlands, Germany, France, Spain, Norway, Belgium, Austria, and the UK. It is led by co-founders and Managing Partners Wouter Jonk and René Savelsberg, along with Partners Dr. Till Stenzel and Julia Padberg. The firm is independently owned, with no parent company identified, and structures its funds under EU SFDR Article 8/9 frameworks with associated KIDs and PAI disclosures.

SET Ventures firmographics

Firmographics

Name: SET Ventures
Legal name: SET Ventures
Website: https://setventures.com
Company type: Private
Founded year: 2007
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 11–50 employees
Short description: SET Ventures is a privately held Amsterdam-based venture capital firm founded in 2007 that invests from seed through Series B in European digital energytech companies across six focus sectors, currently deploying a EUR 200M Fund IV and serving founders, LPs, and corporate partners.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

SET Ventures industry classification

Industry

Product category: Venture Capital / Energy Technology Investing
NAICS: Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259), All Other Financial Investment Activities (52399)
SIC: Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)
akta.pro primary industry: Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B) (FSANAAAB)
akta.pro secondary industry: SDG / Thematic Sustainable Investment Funds (FSANAJAN)

Keywords

Venture capital investing
Energy tech investments
Digital energy startups
Clean energy funding
Climate tech venture capital

Where SET Ventures is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Amsterdam
HQ country: Netherlands
HQ region: Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

SET Ventures business model

Business model

GTM type: B2B
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

Fund Management — Management Fees: VC firms typically charge an annual management fee (e.g., 2% of committed capital) on funds under management. SET Ventures manages multiple funds including SET Fund IV and SET Fund III.
Fund Management — Carried Interest: VC firms typically earn carried interest (e.g., 20%) on profits generated from successful portfolio exits above a preferred return threshold. SET Ventures has achieved over 10 exits including sonnen (Shell, 2019), Sensorfact (ABB, 2025), and others.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

SET Ventures product offering

Product offering

Core offering

SET Ventures is a venture capital firm that invests institutional Limited Partner capital from its fund vehicles (currently SET Fund IV at EUR 200 million) into early-growth-stage European energy technology companies. The firm deploys seed through Series B capital, often as lead investor, into startups across six focus sectors: Distributed Energy Systems, Digital Utilities, AI & Enabling Technologies, Industrial Energy Management, Built Environment, and Mobility & Transport. Its offering combines growth capital with board-level strategic support, LP network introductions, co-investment sourcing, and operational expertise to help founders scale from early growth into European market leaders.

Product overview

SET Ventures is Europe's leading energytech venture capital firm founded in Amsterdam in 2007, currently deploying capital from its €200 million Fund IV. The firm operates as a single integrated investment platform rather than a modular product suite, backing European digital energy pioneers across six focus sectors: Distributed Energy Systems, Digital Utilities, AI and Enabling Technologies, Industrial Energy Management, Built Environment, and Mobility and Transport. Their service offering centers on growth-stage venture capital investment, supplemented by the annual SET Award startup competition (now in its tenth year), the SET Tech Festival networking event, and published market insights and impact reports tracking portfolio performance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

SET Fund I: First fund vehicle for SET Ventures investments
SET Fund II
SET Fund III
SET Fund IV
SET Tech Festival
SET Award

Products and services

SET Fund IV A EUR 200 million venture capital fund vehicle that deploys growth-stage capital into European energy tech companies across Distributed Energy Systems, Digital Utilities, AI & Enabling Technologies, Industrial Energy Management, Built Environment, and Mobility & Transport. Available for commitment by qualified institutional and impact LPs through private placement.
SET Award Annual global climate tech and energy startup competition in its tenth year, recognized over 4,000 innovations from more than 100 countries. Winners receive EUR 10,000 equity-free prize money, access to the SET Tech Festival, and international visibility among investors and corporate partners.
SET Tech Festival Annual international technology festival hosted by SET Ventures with the German government, bringing together SET Award finalists with investors and corporate partners and serving as the final pitch stage for the SET Award competition.
SET Ventures Impact Report Annual impact measurement publication tracking portfolio companies' CO2 emissions avoided (14+ million tonnes since 2019; 2.5 million tCO2e in 2025) and renewable energy capacity (78 GW at end of 2025), serving both LPs and the broader energy transition community.
SET Ventures Market Insights & Research Reports Published analytical reports covering key sectors in the digital energy economy including C&I Batteries, Industrial Process Heat, Virtual Power Plants, Residential Heat Pump Sector, Cybersecurity of Energy Infrastructure, and Heavy Goods Vehicle Electrification.

Quantifiable outcome

Over 14 million tonnes of CO2 avoided by portfolio companies since 2019
+3 more outcomes

Companies that use SET Ventures

Customer profile

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

SET Ventures technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

SET Ventures partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

SET Award PartnerscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 October 2025SET Award 2026 competition attracted over 4,000 innovations from more than 100 countries. The competition, in its tenth year, rewards winners with EUR 10,000 equity-free prize money, access to the SET Tech Festival, and international visibility among investors and corporate partners.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights1 record

SET Ventures competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

Lowercarbon Capital: US-based venture fund backing companies that reduce atmospheric CO2. Comparable in early-stage climate-tech investing across energy, industry and built environment, though predominantly US-focused rather than European.
Emerald Technology Ventures: Zurich-based VC firm investing globally in industrial energy, water, and advanced materials. Closely comparable to SET Ventures in its long-standing energy and industrial-tech focus, multi-fund platform, and European roots.
Breakthrough Energy Ventures: Bill Gates-backed multi-billion-dollar fund investing in early-stage climate tech companies globally. Comparable to SET Ventures in its climate-tech mandate and seed/Series A focus, though with a far larger fund size and global scope.
Clean Energy Ventures: A venture capital firm backing early-stage companies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Directly comparable to SET Ventures in seed/Series A clean energy investing and thematic decarbonisation theses.
Energy Impact Partners: A global venture and growth equity platform focused on early- and growth-stage energy and decarbonisation companies. Directly comparable to SET Ventures as a sector specialist backing digital and infrastructure energytech.
Pale Blue Dot: Europe-based early-stage climate VC backing transformative tech companies tackling the climate crisis. Comparable to SET Ventures in seed/Series A European climate-tech focus, though with a broader climate mandate beyond energy.

Emerging players

2150 (Urban Sustainability VC): European venture fund investing in technologies reshaping the built environment and urban infrastructure. Adjacent to SET Ventures' Built Environment and Digital Energy theses, with partial overlap on decarbonisation of real estate.

Broad incumbents

Ørsted Ventures: Corporate venture arm of Ørsted, a global leader in offshore wind. Comparable to SET Ventures as a co-investor in energytech; broader incumbent due to its corporate parent and balance sheet, but with similar climate-tech mandate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

SET Ventures compliance and trust

Trust signal

Compliance2 records

SET Ventures financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

SET Ventures leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

SET Ventures funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors7 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

SET Ventures M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments71 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SET Ventures

What does SET Ventures do?

Is SET Ventures a public or private company?

SET Ventures is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.

When was SET Ventures founded?

SET Ventures was founded in 2007. It employs 11 to 50 people.

Where is SET Ventures based?

SET Ventures is headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in the Europe region.

How does SET Ventures make money?

Two revenue lines are on record. Fund Management — Management Fees are the primary driver. The others are fund Management — Carried Interest.

Who are SET Ventures's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are Lowercarbon Capital, Emerald Technology Ventures, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Clean Energy Ventures, Energy Impact Partners and Pale Blue Dot. 2150 (Urban Sustainability VC) is listed as an emerging player. Ørsted Ventures is listed as a broad incumbent.

Does SET Ventures have an API?

No public API is recorded for SET Ventures.

What industry is SET Ventures in?

SET Ventures's product category is Venture Capital / Energy Technology Investing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAB, Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B), with a secondary code of FSANAJAN, SDG / Thematic Sustainable Investment Funds. Its NAICS code is 5259 and its SIC code is 6211.