This Founder-First VC Just Closed $109M in Two Weeks

Jan de Vries · 2026-10-29

Entourage, the London-based early-stage VC firm founded by Showpad co-founder and former CEO Pieterjan Bouten, just closed its second fund at €100 million ($109 million). And here's the kicker: it hit its original €75 million ($82 million) target in just two weeks. The fund was capped at €100 million after securing over €100 million in commitments. That's a lot of faith in a firm that only launched its first fund in 2024. So what's driving this kind of confidence? Let's dig in. ### A Different Kind of VC Entourage isn't your typical venture capital firm. It was founded by Bouten, who co-founded and scaled Showpad into a global software company generating more than €89.84 million ($100 million) in annual recurring revenue. He then became an active angel investor before launching Entourage. The firm claims to bring a founder's mindset and an operator's experience to venture capital. That experience shaped Entourage's approach: build conviction, invest early, and keep founders firmly in the driver's seat. The firm rarely takes board seats, even when it leads or co-leads investment rounds. Bouten is blunt about why: "Most VCs destroy value in early-stage boardrooms. Too few have built a company at scale. After more than a decade as a founder and CEO, and investments in over 60 companies, I've seen investors slow founders down with misplaced advice and operational interference. Great founders don't need babysitting. They need trust, challenge when it counts, and perspective at pivotal moments." That founder-first philosophy extends to its investor base. Fund II is backed entirely by entrepreneurs, family offices, and private investors, including founders behind Aikido, TechWolf, and Collibra. "Many of our investors have built companies themselves. They know what it takes. That creates a powerful alignment between the people funding Entourage and the founders we back," Bouten added. ### Betting on Europe's Next Unicorns Since launching in 2024, Entourage has backed some of Europe's fastest-growing technology companies. Among them: - Aikido Security, which reached unicorn status earlier this year - Conveo, which recently raised a €44.92 million ($50 million) Series A - Lexroom, which reached €30 million ($33 million) in annual recurring revenue in just 24 months Entourage was among the first investors in all three, backing their founders before major international venture capital firms arrived—often before a product launch or the first euro of revenue. ### What's Next for Fund II Fund II will back around 25 companies at the pre-Seed and Seed stages across Europe and beyond, with initial cheques of €1 million to €5 million ($1.1 million to $5.5 million) and ample capacity for follow-on investments. While the first fund focused primarily on software, Fund II will broaden its focus to include AI and enterprise software, robotics, physical AI, and DeepTech. Entourage is also building companies through Entourage Studio, its venture-building arm. Alongside Fund II, the firm has expanded its team and resources to support its growing portfolio. For founders, the message is clear: Entourage wants to back driven, ambitious founders building their life's work. And with a $109 million fund and a founder-first approach, it's well-positioned to do just that. As Bouten put it: "When we launched Entourage two years ago, we had a simple ambition: to back the next generation of legendary founders. We wrote the first cheques into companies like Aikido, Conveo, and Lexroom. What these founders have achieved in such a short time has only strengthened our conviction in our founder-first approach. With Fund II, we're doubling down." If you're building something big, Entourage might just be the partner you're looking for.