Curiosity

Curiosity is an independent creative solutions agency based in Cincinnati, Ohio, that develops comprehensive marketing, advertising, and corporate branding strategies for a variety of business clients. The organization operates through a traditional agency business model, generating its primary revenue by executing specialized client projects and establishing ongoing strategic partnerships across multiple industry sectors. To deliver these services, the firm utilizes a combination of creative design, account management, and technical development expertise. Following consecutive years of record revenue growth leading up to 2021, the firm strategically restructured its internal corporate ownership model to support further operational expansion. This structural shift involved appointing three key executives as equity partners, specifically elevating President and Chief Client Officer Trey Harness, Chief Creative Officer Jeff Warman, and Chief Development Officer Ashley Walters. Curiosity was originally founded in 2010 by Matt Fischer and Greg Livingston.

Curiosity is a community‑powered, Amsterdam‑based venture capital firm that invests in early‑stage, B2B software companies applying data, ML and AI across themes such as Sustainable Living, Trusted Society, Future of Work and Future of Commerce, with a geographic focus on the Benelux, Nordics and Baltics and an emphasis on founding teams with international ambition and European values[1][2].

High‑Level Overview

• Mission: Curiosity’s stated mission is to support European founders building “responsible AI” software companies that “serve the world, not eat it,” by combining capital with community, operator experience and advisor networks[2][1].
  - Investment philosophy: The firm is community‑powered and invests in companies that have launched a first product and show early customer traction, focusing on data/ML/AI applications and offering hands‑on support across product, GTM, recruiting and fundraising[1][3].
  - Key sectors: The fund invests across four socio‑economic themes — Sustainable Living (PropTech, Energy, ClimateTech), Trusted Society (LegalTech, Privacy, Cybersecurity), Future of Work (Enterprise SaaS, HRTech, DevOps) and Future of Commerce (Fintech, Marketing & Sales Automation, Logistics)[1].
  - Impact on the startup ecosystem: Curiosity positions itself as an ecosystem builder by making portfolio founders and expert advisors co‑owners of the fund, recycling gains into the Curiosity Foundation, and leveraging an engaged community to provide operational support and network access to early‑stage European AI software startups[2][1].

Origin Story

• Founding year and leadership: Curiosity Venture Capital was founded in 2021 and is led by co‑founders and operator‑investors Herman Kienhuis and Maurice Beckand Verwee, supported by a team of associates and an advisor community[5][2].
  - How the idea emerged and evolution: The firm emerged to back the next generation of AI‑driven software companies in Europe with a community‑powered model that blends investor capital, operator experience and advisor co‑ownership; over time it has formalized a regional focus on Benelux, Nordics and Baltics and a stage focus on companies with early revenue or initial customer traction[2][3].
  - Early traction / milestones: Curiosity reports collective team investment experience of over 60 companies across exits and IPOs, and publicly lists an active portfolio of B2B software companies where partners provide close operational involvement and fundraising support[2][1].

Core Differentiators

• Community‑powered model: Founders, advisors and entrepreneurs are invited to be co‑owners of the fund, aligning incentives and creating a reusable community for deal flow, support and follow‑on capital[2].
  - Operator network and hands‑on support: The partners emphasize operator backgrounds and provide tactical help on product, GTM, hiring and fundraising; founder testimonials highlight frequent, practical involvement from partners[1][3].
  - Thematic, regionally focused thesis: A clear sector taxonomy (AI/ML across four socio‑economic themes) combined with a regional concentration on Benelux, Nordics and Baltics gives the fund thematic and geographic focus for sourcing and supporting portfolio companies[1][3].
  - Early revenue / product‑momentum filter: The firm targets companies that have launched a first product and are gaining customer validation, reducing seed‑stage technology risk while still focusing on early growth[1][3].

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

• Trend alignment: Curiosity rides the broader shift to AI/ML‑driven enterprise software and the increasing investor attention to responsible AI and regionally rooted European scaleups[1][4].
  - Timing and market forces: Europe’s growing tech hubs in the Benelux, Nordics and Baltics, plus rising demand from enterprise customers for AI‑enabled tooling in cybersecurity, climate tech and fintech, create favorable tailwinds for the firm’s thesis[1][4].
  - Influence on ecosystem: By structuring community and advisor co‑ownership and reinvesting through a foundation, Curiosity aims to amplify founder networks and capital recycling within the regional startup ecosystem, potentially improving follow‑on funding and talent flows[2].

Quick Take & Future Outlook

• What’s next: Expect continued early‑stage investments in AI‑centric B2B software across the firm’s four themes, deeper portfolio operational involvement, and growth of their community/co‑ownership model as a differentiator in European VC[1][2].
  - Shaping trends: Continued enterprise AI adoption, regulatory focus on trusted AI/privacy, and climate/energy digitization will likely shape the sectors where Curiosity looks to deploy capital[1][4].
  - How influence may evolve: If Curiosity’s community‑co‑ownership and foundation model scales, it could strengthen regional deal flow and support mechanisms for founders in the Benelux, Nordics and Baltics, while reinforcing a values‑driven alternative to traditional VC in Europe[2].

Quick take: Curiosity is a small, operator‑led European early‑stage VC with a focused AI/ML B2B thesis and a community‑ownership approach that aims to combine practical founder support with regional ecosystem building[1][2].

If you’d like, I can: (1) pull the firm’s current portfolio list and recent deals, (2) map key team bios and prior exits in detail, or (3) compare Curiosity’s model to similar Europe‑focused AI VCs.