Proof > Claims

Author

Michael van Lier
October 31, 2025

We’re done with promises. October was about receipts: a round closed, founders on stage, a CTO room arguing with data, and a studio roadshow that turned opinions into operating rules.

First things first: We raised €4.5m. Proof, not polish

We closed our funding round totalling €4.5m by adding an additional €3m. Not a finish line, a force multiplier.

What this unlocks (and how we’ll prove it):

  • Enterprise AI focus, Europe‑first. More Navigators with deep domain scar tissue → fewer “advisors,” more operators. Proof: 3 new Navigator placements inside ventures by December.

  • The studio’s AI backbone. Agent systems that learn across ventures (interviews, support, GTM). Proof: cut internal ops time by 50% on two workflows before year‑end.

  • Founder capacity at the edges. More zero‑to‑one bets with single‑threaded ownership. Proof: 2 new venture starts with first‑customer signal within 90 days.

Read the full release here. Or watch our story here.

And because press releases don’t show the grind: we also shared the lows, the almost‑out‑of‑money moments, and the messy whiteboard where it began. Building in public means showing the scar tissue, not just the headlines. This round lets us go faster, sharper, and bigger — starting with the team itself.

In the loop: Stages, breakfasts, and sharp takes

  • World Summit AI — on stage and in the arena. Michael joined two sessions in Amsterdam: judging AI for Impact founders and debating Navigating Uncertainty with Lisa Brouwer, Frank Herrman, and Henk Kok. Takeaway: Europe isn’t short on talent, it’s short on audacity. Let’s raise the bar and tackle problems that matter. Read more. 🔗

  • CTO Network × Cloudflare — infra as an edge. Over coffee in Amsterdam (hosted with No Such Ventures), we dug into the reality of AI in production. Sharpest line of the morning: “Data in Europe” isn’t a sovereignty strategy by itself. Translate compliance into competitive edge. Read more. 🔗

  • Studio Roadshow #1 — High Alpha × Builders. We opened the hood on Founder alignment: Rhythm > chemistry. Ownership follows authorship. Constraints create clarity. Full write‑up here. Read more. 🔗

  • Navigator Spotlight — Ruben Kruit. Founder‑operator energy meets enterprise reality. He’s the person you call to unblock the one decision that moves everything else. Read more. 🔗

Ventures in motion: From rooms to results

  • Everday — Slush 100 Top 20. From ~1.000 applicants to the top 20. Why it matters: they’re proving what happens when people data drives real‑time action. Eyes on Helsinki — and yes, we’re coming for that €1M prize. Check out their story. 🔗

  • Avery — Grand Tour, hard lessons → new rules. After five cities and hundreds of conversations, we codified what worked:

    • Structure wins, always.

    • Partnerships reveal belief.

    • Conversion is truth.

    • Audience–message fit beats perfection.

    • Reality is the ultimate filter.

  • Cortena — hiring to ship the beta. Numbers meet narrative. Building an AI‑native FP&A brain, with roles open for engineers and analysts who like their insights used, not admired.

👀 What we’re reading (and writing):

Final word: Proof beats polish

Building in public isn’t a branding strategy. It’s a quality strategy. When you show the work, decisions get sharper, feedback loops get tighter, and teams rally around evidence, not vanity.

Claims are easy. Proof is earned

Forward, always,

Michael van Lier
Managing Director at Builders