Marktlink Capital has successfully closed registration for its second venture capital fund-of-funds in just six months, securing €80 million in capital from approximately 150 private investors. This second fund follows the success of the first fund, which launched in 2022 and was fully subscribed within six months. A significant portion of the private investors in the new fund also invested in the first fund, attracted by access to the top venture capital funds in Europe and North America.
Unicorns and trends
The strategy, size, and diversification of the funds in the second venture capital fund-of-funds are largely similar to those from 2022. The Marktlink Capital team selects funds that perform exceptionally well, based on extensive research. "There are thousands of VC funds, but only a few that consistently perform well," says Bouke Marsman, partner at Marktlink Capital. "In venture capital, good funds continue to perform well year after year. 85% of Unicorns (companies valued over a billion) are controlled by just 5% of the funds."
Marsman continues: "Only 0.5% of companies grow into Unicorns, but ten companies in our portfolio have reached that status. That’s relatively high, especially considering we've only been active for a year and a half. The results so far are in line with our expectations."
Marktlink Capital has also taken broader trends in the technological landscape into account when building its portfolio, including Artificial Intelligence (AI). Marsman explains: "Through investments in Saga Ventures, a fund specialized in AI and led by Max Altman, and in funds backing the European AI champion Mistral, we aim to reflect this trend in our portfolio."
Fourth private equity fund-of-funds
Coinciding with the closing of Venture Capital II, Marktlink Capital has also successfully closed its fourth private equity fund-of-funds, securing €300 million in commitments. "The quick closing of this fund and the fact that it was oversubscribed cannot be separated from the upward trend in fund-of-funds," says Marsman. "More and more successful entrepreneurs and family offices are viewing private markets as a valuable tool in their wealth planning. A significant portion of the investors in Marktlink Capital’s VC funds are also investing in the private equity fund-of-funds and the direct feeder funds, which invest in a single PE house, to achieve a strong balance of risk and return."
About Marktlink Capital
Marktlink Capital, formed from the merger of Marktlink Investment Partners and Welt Ventures, is an investment firm that provides entrepreneurs and private investors access to the best private equity and venture capital funds in Europe and North America. The team consists of approximately 35 specialists with extensive knowledge and experience in private equity and venture capital. To date, more than €1.5 billion in capital has been committed, almost entirely from Dutch entrepreneurs. Marktlink Capital was initiated by Marktlink, which has been advising entrepreneurs on the sale or purchase of businesses in the mid-market segment since 1996. With over 300 employees and 150 deals annually, Marktlink understands better than anyone how important private equity and venture capital are for the development and growth of companies.
