Aglaia

Aglaia BioMedical Ventures, now operating as Aglaia Oncology Funds, is a Bilthoven, Netherlands-based venture capital firm founded in 2003 by Karl Rothweiler and Mark Krul, exclusively dedicated to investing in the fight against cancer. The team has been involved in the development of more than 100 oncology products and takes a deeply hands-on, operator-led approach to company building. Partners Folkert van Cleef and Eric van der Putten complete the investment team, alongside Venture Partner Ernst Geutjes. The European Investment Fund (EIF) is among the firm's LPs. Aglaia manages three funds — Oncology Fund I, an Oncology Seed Fund, and Oncology Fund II (which raised $65 million towards an $80 to $100 million target) — and has invested in 12 early-stage companies, six of which were co-founded by Aglaia itself. The firm leads rounds with initial check sizes of $500,000 to $10 million, typically acting as the first institutional capital provider. Notable portfolio companies include Merus (which had a successful IPO exit in May 2016), InteRNA Technologies, Sapreme Technologies, Inthera Bioscience, and Cristal Therapeutics. Aglaia's model of co-founding companies alongside its portfolio investments distinguishes it from conventional venture investors. By taking a driving role in product development from the earliest stages, the firm functions as both capital provider and operational partner — directly shaping scientific strategy, clinical prioritisation, and corporate formation in companies working to transform cancer treatment across Europe and North America.