🚀 XLerate 2025 - From Idea to Impact

This spring, Tulip Ventures, in collaboration with ASIF Ventures, proudly launched XLerate - an intensive 8-week accelerator program designed to help student founders refine, grow, and scale their startups.

Throughout the program, participants took part in hands-on workshops, expert-led mentorship sessions, and founder dinners, gaining invaluable insights from experienced entrepreneurs and investors across the Amsterdam startup ecosystem. XLerate offered not just learning, but a genuine entry point into the world of venture creation - providing access to resources, feedback, and a powerful network of innovators.

💡 Over the course of eight weeks, student and graduate founders developed their business models, refined their products, and prepared to take the stage at PitchXL, Amsterdam’s premier student startup competition.

🎤 PitchXL 2025 - Where Student Startups Take the Stage

On June 5th, at VU Amsterdam, months of dedication culminated in PitchXL 2025. The event brought together top student founders, seasoned investors, and industry leaders for an evening of innovation, inspiration, and opportunity.

This year’s jury panel featured some of the most accomplished voices in the Dutch startup ecosystem, including:

-Bas Lemmens, co-founder of Booking.com, and CEO of HotelPlanner.com and Meetings.com, bringing first-hand experience in scaling startups from student projects to global success.

-Tea Elezi, Partner at Peak, offering a seasoned VC perspective on early-stage growth and investment strategy.

-Anna Dyachenko, Investment Associate at Golden Egg Check, emphasizing scalable, impactful innovation.

-Daniel Uusitalo, Investor at 4impact capital, focusing on purpose-driven digital solutions.

-Bas Scheele, Managing Partner at torq.partners /Benelux, providing expertise in fundraising and investor readiness.

Each founder had the chance to pitch their venture before this distinguished panel, receiving constructive feedback, exposure, and potential investment opportunities.

The evening not only celebrated entrepreneurial courage but also reflected the mission of Tulip Ventures and ASIF - to empower the next generation of founders and create a launchpad for ideas that shape the future.

🌱 From the first brainstorming session to the spotlight at PitchXL, XLerate 2025 proved that with the right guidance and community, student startups can grow into ventures that make real impact.