SET Ventures
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
Where SET Ventures is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- 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 offeringCore 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 profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
SET Ventures technology and API
TechnologyTechnology 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 signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- SET Award PartnerscoreSET 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 assessmentDirect 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 social profiles
Digital presenceSET Ventures compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
SET Ventures financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SET Ventures leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
SET Ventures funding detail
Funding detailFunding 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 investmentM&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?
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.
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.