The Venture Cup: Founders vs. Investors
Part of Amsterdam Tech Week 2026. June 16–19
16 founders. 16 investors. 3 hours. No dilution — just padel.
Founders and investors usually meet in offices, coffee bars, or over a pitch deck. This time, they meet on the padel court.
Mollie is hosting a padel tournament for 32 people from Amsterdam’s tech ecosystem: 16 founders and 16 investors. You’ll play short, timed matches, rotate across the courts, and collect points for your side.
Every match adds to the total score: Founders vs. Investors.
You don’t need to be a padel expert. The format works for regular players and newcomers. Rackets and balls are provided by Peakz.
What’s happening
The tournament starts with a round robin on the standard courts. Founder pairs and investor pairs play fast rotations, with each match contributing to their side’s score.
At 17:00, the best-performing founder pair and investor pair move to the Mollie Dome for the final match.
The final will be played on the show court, with music, lights, and the full group watching.
Who it’s for
This event is for founders, investors, and people active in Amsterdam’s startup and tech ecosystem.
Come to play padel, meet people outside the usual event setting, and spend time with founders and investors in a more informal way.
Schedule
15:00 – 15:20
Arrival, warm-up and coffee
15:20 – 16:40
Round robin tournament with timed rotations
16:40 – 17:00
Move to the Mollie Dome
17:00 – 17:45
Final match: top founder pair vs. top investor pair
17:45 – 18:00
Bites and networking drinks
What’s included
Court fees and equipment
Rackets and balls are provided by Peakz.
Mollie kit
Every player receives a pair of Mollie socks.
Drinks and bites
Coffee on arrival, electrolytes during play, and drinks and bites after the final.
Curated group
32 spots: 16 founders and 16 investors.
Location
Peakz Padel Amsterdam
Tournament: standard courts
Final: the Mollie Dome
Capacity
32 players
16 founders - full, join the waitlist, or just show up for the networking part
16 investors - 1 more slot, after that you can join the waitlist and do the same as above
See the full AMS Tech Week calendar.