Marie Weijler
Head of Impact Investing at Nexus for Development
Amsterdam, North Holland
Overview
Work Experience
Startup & Scale-up Banker
2025 - Current
Helping tech entrepreneurs scale with tailored financial solutions and strategic guidance at Rabobank — one of the world’s largest cooperative banks. 𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬: • Sourcing promising startups and scale-ups for Rabobank’s deal pipeline. • Structuring, negotiating, and closing deals, while collaborating with credit specialists and external investors. • Providing strategic guidance on business models, funding strategies, and scaling operations. • Connecting entrepreneurs, investors, and industry experts to accelerate business growth. • Representing Rabobank in the startup ecosystem and building relationships with investors, incubators, accelerators, and corporates. • Collaborating with internal teams to develop banking solutions tailored to startup needs.
Head of Impact Investing
2024 - 2024
Investment strategy and portfolio management for a UN-backed fund focused on climate and agriculture ventures across Southeast Asia and Bangladesh. 𝘕𝘰𝘵𝘦: 𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘧 𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘶𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦 (𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘐𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴) 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐀𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬: • Member of the Executive Team, driving fund strategy and decision-making. • Led due diligence and secured Board approval for an agriculture investment project. • Wrote 3 investment memos. • Developed investor reporting frameworks, co-authored the fund introduction deck, and strengthened stakeholder relations. • Executed annual fund budgeting and forecasting processes. • Documented investment processes and created a structured project timeline. • Led the hiring process for a new Investment Analyst.
Partner
2022 - 2024
Fund management and investor relations at a leading European venture capital firm specializing in cybersecurity, IoT security, and AI. Spearheaded fundraising, deal sourcing, and brand positioning to drive fund growth. 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐀𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬: • Co-raised €25 million (1st closing) for European Cyber Tech Fund V and onboarded European Investment Fund (EIF) as a fund investor. • Built long-term LP relationships and managed capital deployment, securing institutional investors. • Sourced 33 qualified investment leads, expanding the fund’s deal pipeline. • Supervised 7 Investment Analysts. • Led a full-scale website redesign and rebranding, strengthening TIN Capital’s market positioning. • Established a secure data room for fund stakeholders. • Drove portfolio company growth with tailored social media marketing strategies for 18 startups. • Accelerated audience reach, tripling newsletter subscriptions (84% open rate) and doubling LinkedIn followers in under a year.
Member of the Startup Funding Committee
2019 - 2024
Assessed high-tech and life sciences startups and provided strategic advice to a Dutch government-backed funding program. 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐀𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬: • Assessed €250,000 loan applications, evaluating business plans, financial viability, and market positioning. • Conducted in-depth due diligence on startups, including financial forecasting, product feasibility, and competitive landscape analysis. • Led founder and team assessments, conducting interviews to evaluate vision, execution capabilities, and scalability potential. • Ensured capital efficiency and risk mitigation. More on the program: https://www.nwo.nl/en/researchprogrammes/take-off
Business Development Manager
2019 - 2022
Business development, fundraising, and strategic partnerships for a nanotech startup revolutionizing infection control and preventing antibiotic resistance. Played a key role in commercial contracts within complex regulatory frameworks. 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐀𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬: • Raised €1.5 million in additional funding during the COVID-19 crisis, ensuring business continuity and accelerating R&D efforts. • Expanded corporate partnerships, introducing LipoCoat to 12 industry-leading companies. • Represented LipoCoat at the Extreme Tech Challenge (XTC) 2022, winning a spot in the global finals. • Won the Heraeus Accelerator Contest out of 1,000+ applicants, securing a strategic partnership with Heraeus Medevio for coated medical devices. • Secured key European and Dutch government subsidies, including IPA4SME and SIB Voucher Marktentree. • Drafted NDAs and commercial contracts within complex regulatory frameworks to ensure successful product commercialization. • Elevated brand presence through high-profile startup competitions, media exposure, and government initiatives.
Investment Manager
2019 - 2022
Fundraising, portfolio management, and fund governance at a top-decile venture capital firm specializing in early-stage deep tech and hardware. 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐀𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬: • Co-raised Fund III ($85 million), securing single family offices and corporate investors. • Supported the $1.3 billion exit of U.S. portfolio company Sarcos Robotics (team achievement). • Helped 9 portfolio companies with follow-on funding, sales and marketing. • Expanded Cottonwood’s co-investor network by introducing 77 corporates to the fund. • Developed and implemented ESG, Conflict of Interest, and D&I policies, strengthening fund governance and sustainability. • Board Observer at German nanotech startup SmartNanotubes Technologies. • Honoree on Venture Capital Journal’s 40 Rising Stars Under 40 (2021). • Nominee for the M&A Awards 2020 – Best Young Private Equity Manager.
Cottonwood Technology Fund is an early-stage venture capital fund that primarily invests in technology-driven companies.
Senior Business Development Manager
2018 - 2019
First employee at a fintech startup transforming deal sourcing. Scaled investor engagement, secured strategic partnerships, and was instrumental in fundraising efforts for startups and private equity funds. 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐀𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬: • Expanded the investor network from 450 to 1,500+ single family offices and private investors, significantly growing the investor base. • Secured strategic partnerships with McKinsey, BlackRock, PwC, UBS, Stibbe, Deutsche Bank, and ABN AMRO, leading to a promotion to Senior Manager. • Generated 49% of total company revenue in 2018, exceeding personal sales targets by 24%. • Played a pivotal role in raising €25 million for UnifiedPost, which later IPO’d at €252 million in 2020. • Successfully raised capital for top-tier funds, including 747 Capital, Capricorn Venture Partners, and Kharis Capital. • Honored on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe (2019) in the Finance category. • Nominated for the EWPN Awards 2019 as Emerging Fintech Leader of the Year. • Nominated for the VIVA400 Awards 2018 as "Zakenwonder" (Rising Star in Business).
Junior Business Development Manager
2015 - 2018
𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐀𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬: • Promoted to management within 10 months due to outstanding performance in client acquisition and revenue growth. • Sourced 106 high-value investment projects across high-tech industries and real estate. • Led expansion into the Netherlands, turning it into the company’s most profitable market. • Trained and supervised 15 interns from 13 nationalities, fostering a global talent pipeline. • Organized 37 investor events across 2 countries, strengthening investor relationships and deal flow.
Education
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
2020 - 2021
Master of Laws (LL.M)
2018 - 2019
Master of Arts (MA)
2015 - 2016
Summer School
2016 - 2016
Erasmus Exchange Program
2013 - 2014
Bachelor of Laws (LL.B)
2009 - 2013