The journey matters
Great companies rarely follow a straight line. We value learning, resilience and the ability to adapt without losing sight of the original purpose.
Ithaka Ventures
Backing journeys worth taking.
Ithaka Ventures partners with founders and initiatives building lasting economic, social and ecological value.
Ithaka gives you the journey.
Introduction
Every meaningful venture begins with a destination. But its true value is created along the way.
Ithaka Ventures invests in entrepreneurs who are prepared to take the longer road: building resilient companies, challenging established systems and creating value that reaches beyond financial return.
We bring patient capital, entrepreneurial experience and long-term commitment. Not from the sidelines, but alongside the people doing the work.
Investment philosophy
Four convictions that guide our work.
People before projections
Behind every venture are people. We invest in founders whose character, curiosity and capacity to grow are as compelling as their business model.
Value beyond capital
Capital matters, but it is rarely enough. We contribute experience, strategic reflection, relationships and honest conversation.
A longer horizon
We support companies and initiatives capable of creating enduring economic, social and ecological value.
What we look for
Directions, not a rigid mandate.
Individuals, teams and organizations — the work adjusts to the room.
New mobility and liveable cities
Reimagining how people and goods move, and how the places they live can breathe again.
Climate, energy and regeneration
Companies restoring the systems on which every other economy depends.
Technology serving people and society
Software and hardware built with humans, communities and long time horizons in mind.
Leadership, learning and systems change
Ventures shifting how organisations think, learn and lead — not only what they produce.
We are drawn to ventures that change not only what people use, but how society works.
Founder partnership
Building a company can be a profoundly personal journey.
— We aim to be the kind of shareholder we once wished to have ourselves: engaged when useful, patient when necessary and honest when it matters most.
About Laurens
Founded by an entrepreneur, for entrepreneurs.
Founded by entrepreneur and investor Laurens van de Vijver, Ithaka Ventures builds on decades of experience in entrepreneurship, transformation and mission-driven business.
Laurens believes business can be a force for good, but only when leaders are willing to rethink both the systems around them and the assumptions within themselves.
His work brings together entrepreneurship, mobility, sustainability, leadership and systemic change.
Where is your journey taking you?
We welcome conversations with founders, investors and partners working on ideas that deserve a longer horizon.