BACKBONE · APPLICATIONS OPEN
Powering the AI founders building Europe's critical infrastructure.
Backbone is your chance to spend eight weeks at AI House Amsterdam working side by side with Antler, Rubio Impact Ventures and Prosus Ventures. Three top VCs, each with their own expertise, and one shared goal: helping many more start-ups make it to Series A and beyond.
First teams start in early December. Ten places at a time.
Why join
14x
That's the growth in AI engineers starting companies in Europe since 2023. We help the ones making a real difference stand out.
9%
That's the share of 2023 seed-funded start-ups that have raised a Series A so far. We want to get that number up.
42%
That's how far the number of active early-stage investors has dropped since 2022. We want to help fill that gap.
Don't chase investors one round at a time. Get three in your corner from your very first idea.
What you get
01
From your business model to your pitch, sparring with three VCs who know what it takes to land a seed round.
02
A direct line into 100+ companies serving more than a billion customers, plus scaled operators and distribution partners.
03
Credits for the cloud, AI and software tools you'd otherwise pay for yourself.
04
Learn and work with the best AI specialists, operators and founders who've built and scaled global companies.
What we're looking for
We believe the next breakthrough companies will use AI and deeptech to make the systems Europe depends on more resilient. If that's what you're building, we want to hear from you.
AI that keeps the power grid stable
Protecting digital infrastructure against cyberattacks
Making them less vulnerable to disruption
Keeping health systems running
More secure food production
How it works
01
Submit the short form below.
02
Antler, Rubio Impact Ventures and Prosus Ventures select teams together.
03
Eight weeks of Backbone at AI House: weekly coaching from the partners, alongside people who have built and scaled global companies.
04
Finish with a pitch to all three investment teams.
Location
For eight weeks, this is your office. You'll be surrounded by, and working closely with, Europe's best AI and deeptech founders, with the partners' investment teams always within reach.
AI House Amsterdam, Symphony building (3rd floor), Gustav Mahlerplein 5, 1082 MS Amsterdam, Netherlands
Learn more about AI House
Meet the partners
Most founders get one investor's view. Here, you get three, each bringing expertise you won't find at any single VC.
The world's most active early-stage investor, backing exceptional people at the very start of their journey, from inception to scale. Active in 30 cities, with 2,000+ startups backed, including Lovable, Airalo and Peec AI.
antler.co“We've studied what sets apart the start-ups that reach Series A. Two things stand out: a strong seed round, and a founder who has seen a company scale before. Most first-time AI founders have neither.”
A leading European impact VC managing €250m across three funds, investing in early and growth-stage companies tackling urgent global challenges. Rubio Impact Ventures links 100% of its carried interest to independently verified impact.
rubio.vc“The AI that matters most won't just make our systems faster. It will keep the lights on, the food coming and hospitals running when things go wrong. At Rubio we know these sectors, and we help founders build that impact into the business from day one.”
The early-stage investment arm of Prosus, one of Europe's largest technology companies. $2.3B+ invested in 100+ startups across 20+ countries since 2015, from Prosus's own balance sheet, with no fund cycle and a direct line into businesses serving more than a billion customers.
prosus.com“Europe doesn't lack AI talent. It lacks places where that talent can grow into companies that last.”
Applications open
Ten places. One could be yours. You can apply at any time. New places open up whenever a team finishes its eight weeks. The form below takes about ten minutes, and your application goes straight to all three VCs.
FAQ