Vini Mini, a preventive child healthcare startup, has announced a seed funding round of €500k. The Dutch startup has been backed in their previous round by APX, the German early-stage fund and the Dutch Rabobank. The closing of the current round comes three months after Vini Mini was crowned as the winner of the FEM-START Up Awards 2023, hereby securing a €100k investment from Antler, one of the world’s most active early-stage investors.
The round also includes Irene Groenink (Vrederijk Investments), an experienced healthcare entrepreneur & investor, the Donor Impact Investment Fund, which backs impact-led businesses in the Netherlands, business angels from The Angel Initiative and the Dutch bank Rabobank.
Vini Mini is developing nutritional products and supplements that can be given to babies to expose them to allergens in a healthy, simple and safe manner. Addressing one of the fastest growing health challenges in the world – food allergies in children, Vini Mini is aiming to become a leading player in preventive child healthcare.
Jozien Boersma, co-founder of Vini Mini, commented: “Introducing allergens to a baby should become as commonplace for parents as giving supplements like vitamin D & K. Our products and information should be available wherever young parents are found. And this is just the beginning; Vini Mini aims to become a leading player in preventive pediatric healthcare.”
One in four children in Europe have a food allergy, costing an estimated €40 billion in direct and indirect costs across Europe. This number is set to increase by 2050, when more than half of the population is expected to have some form of food allergy. However, research shows that 80% of food allergies can be prevented by offering babies allergens early and often. Vini Mini is creating easy, healthy and safe products that can be given to the five million babies born every year in Europe, helping them avoid a lifetime of food allergies.
Vini Mini has already developed peanut, hazelnut, cashew nut and walnut Startkits, Follow-up kits and snacks tailored to the risk profile of babies. This funding will allow the company to expand distribution into new markets and make a number of key strategic hires in the sales and marketing teams.
The founding team consists of two highly experienced Dutch female entrepreneurs. Jozien Boersma and Laurie Lancee met 20 years ago during their studies and became friends. With more than 15 years’ experience working in the finance, marketing and sales departments of some of the most well-established consumer brands in Europe, including Heineken and Danone, they are now building Vini Mini together. Irene Groenink will join as strategic advisor to assist the company in realizing its ambitious growth plan.
Laurie experienced the risks of food allergies first hand when her 6-month-old son suffered a severe allergic reaction whilst on holiday. This only subsided after the hospital administered a shot of adrenaline. It was after the incident that Laurie found out her son was allergic to egg, and she managed to prevent him from peanut and nut allergies through careful and early exposure.
RJ Schuurs, Partner at Antler, added: “Jozien and Laurie are a highly experienced and motivated founding team addressing one of the biggest challenges in pediatric healthcare. They combine commercial experience with a strong sense of purpose and they could have a positive impact on millions of lives in the Netherlands and across Europe. I am delighted to have backed them and have every confidence in their future success.”
