Janine de Leeuw

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

ABOUT JANINE DE LEEUW

I’m part of the team at First Momentum Ventures, where I support Europe’s most ambitious technical founders at the very beginning of their journey. We are a dedicated Pre Seed VC for B2B Tech and Deep Tech founders, investing in Industrial Tech and Deep Tech companies across Europe. Over the past years, we have backed more than 50 startups, building a portfolio valued at over €1 billion. We typically invest between €200k and €1m as a first check and work closely with angels and follow on investors to support long term growth.Before joining FMV, I worked as a Senior Technical Program Manager at FERNRIDE, where I helped scale the company through its growth phase and towards a successful exit to Quantum Systems. I gained hands on experience in building and scaling deep tech products, ranging from cross functional execution and financial modeling to close collaboration with OEMs and strategic partners. This experience shaped my operator mindset and a deep appreciation for the realities founders face on a daily basis.Earlier in my career, I spent several years in strategy consulting, supporting organizations in navigating growth, transformation, and business model development. I later completed an MBA focused on entrepreneurship and venture financing, and have since taught courses in venture capital and entrepreneurship, which keeps me closely connected to emerging founders and new ideas.Today, I enjoy working at the intersection of technology, strategy, and early stage investing. My focus is on sourcing exceptional teams, supporting portfolio companies, and helping turn bold ideas into scalable businesses. Based in Munich and deeply connected to the European startup ecosystem, I’m excited to help build the next generation of category defining technology companies.If you are working on something cool, feel free to get in touch!