The key is to treat AI not as the product, but as the enabler - Janneke Niessen, Co-founder CapitalT and Strategic Advisor, InspiringFifty

Janneke Niessen is a serial entrepreneur, angel investor, board member and mentor for startups and co-founder of CapitalT, a VC fund that invests in technology companies using proprietary technology to evaluate entrepreneurial teams. She co-initiatied InspiringFifty, an initiative that aims to increase diversity in tech by making female role models more visible, and as part of this project, she published The New Girl Code and Project Prep, a novel for young girls.

Janneke is also a member of supervisory board of UNICEF, board member of Codam, advisory board member of FutureNL, member of the investment committee of Innovation Quarter and the supervisory board of NPEX. 

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When it comes to the principles of building with AI in the startup world, she thinks that the key is to treat AI as the enabler, and not the product.

"Sustainable AI companies deeply understand the problem they’re solving and apply AI in a way that adds real, long-term value. That means building with a clear data advantage, ensuring model performance improves over time, and designing with transparency and ethical implications in mind. 

Founders also need to think beyond the hype cycles. Sustainable businesses solve real needs, have viable business models, and understand how to scale responsibly."

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CapitalT, which has recently announced the first close of their second fund, invests in startups working in Climate Tech and the Future of Work, two areas where Janneke believes that transformation is “urgent and unavoidable”.

"These are complex systems that require new ways of thinking, and AI is one of the promising tools to drive that change.

Used responsibly, AI can handle enormous complexity, surface insights faster, and make entirely new business models possible. 

In Climate Tech, that might mean optimizing energy grids or making industrial processes more resource-efficient. 

In the Future of Work, it could be designing tools that support more inclusive hiring, better skills development, or automation that augments rather than replaces people.

We look for companies that use AI not as a buzzword, but as a core enabler to solve hard, meaningful problems. That’s where we see lasting impact."

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The Fund II will be used to double down on what ensured Fund I’s success: backing exceptional founders from day 1.

"The fund is designed to invest in early-stage startups - mainly at pre-seed and seed - that use technology, especially AI, to tackle real-world problems in the areas of ClimateTech and the Future of Work.

We’ll use the capital to make initial investments and reserve funds for follow-on rounds to support our portfolio companies as they grow.

The goal is simple: back the most promising purpose-driven founders early and help them build category-defining companies."

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Besides the problem they solve, the founding team is also very important when CapitalT makes an investment decision. 

"We look at team dynamics, passion & grit, personality traits and human capital, not just résumés. Our VC Volt model helps us assess how well a team collaborates, how they make decisions, how resilient and coachable they are. 

We believe these behavioral indicators are better predictors of long-term success than just past experience. Of course, domain knowledge matters - but how a team works together under pressure matters even more. "

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Pitches that stand out, Janneke ads, are those that show a very deep and clear understanding of the problem and the market.

"Investors see a lot of pitches, what stands out is a deep understanding of your user, a sharp insight into the market, and evidence that your team is uniquely suited to build this.

What breaks a pitch is vagueness. If you can’t clearly articulate your value proposition, the market opportunity, or how your product works, it’s hard for us to get excited."

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To see more impact-driven, AI-enhanced startups, Janneke says that we need to fund more diverse founders from the early stage, and to build the infrastructure they need to succeed.

"That includes better access to pre-seed capital, stronger support networks, and responsible AI frameworks that guide ethical development from the start.

We also need to stop thinking of “impact” as something separate from “success”. Some of the most valuable companies of the next decade will be the ones that solve real problems - AI will be a powerful tool to get there, but only if it’s applied with purpose."

Looking at her work with InspiringFifty, one of the most important things and what she’s the most proud of is how far this initiative has scaled.

"We’ve grown from a single initiative celebrated in multiple regions worldwide, highlighting women in tech and creating visible role models for the next generation.

We’ve seen honorees become CEOs, investors, board members, and mentors. That visibility matters - it changes perceptions and opens doors. But we’re not done. I’d love to see more companies make representation a real priority - not just at entry level, but in leadership and funding decisions too."

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Finally, we asked Janneke to share the names of some other women in tech she admires.

"First and foremost, I admire the female founders in our own portfolio. Each of them is building ambitious companies with incredible determination, resilience, and clarity of purpose. It’s a privilege to support them.

Beyond that, I really admire Melanie Perkins, co-founder and CEO of Canva, for scaling a globally impactful product while staying grounded in her vision. 

Corinne Vigreux, co-founder of TomTom, is another inspiration - she’s managed to keep the company relevant through multiple tech cycles, which is no small feat. 

And Ebi Atawodi has built an impressive career as a tech executive across global platforms, while also paving the way for more inclusive leadership in the industry."

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Thank you, Janneke Niessen!