Brightlands Venture Partners

Casper Bruens is a Managing Partner at Brightlands Venture Partners with venture capital experience spanning chemicals, materials, medtech, and biotech sectors. He brings commercial and financial expertise and has served as a board member and shareholder across multiple portfolio companies.

Kim de Boer is a Partner at Brightlands Venture Partners and Founding Partner of Rooted, a €100 million patient capital fund focused on companies addressing challenges in the food system across the value chain. De Boer invests in agrifood businesses with emphasis on regenerative agriculture, soil health, and circular economy solutions.

Luc Starmans is a Partner at Brightlands Venture Partners, where he focuses on healthcare and life sciences investments. He holds an MSc and PhD and works in the venture capital sector.

Marcel Kloosterman is Managing Partner at Brightlands Venture Partners (BVP) and holds supervisory board positions at several life sciences companies including Corporis Medical, Curotis, TripleMed, and Matisse Pharmaceuticals. He also serves as an advisor to Nano4Imaging and holds shareholdings in Cristal Therapeutics and EnzyTag, while serving as chairman and expert reviewer for venture capital-related startup sessions.

Marcel Lubben is the owner of Lubben Management BV and a board member and senior advisor to startups and growth-stage companies in industrial biotechnology, renewable chemistry, and circular materials. With two decades of leadership experience at DSM and Avantium, he advises founders and executives on strategy, financing, and execution, having worked with companies including Kaffe Bueno, Qorium, Vertoro, and DMC Biotechnologies. Lubben serves as Venture Partner at Brightlands Venture Partners and as an advisor to European deep tech startups.

Mary McCarthy is Chair of the Supervisory Board at Carbeau. She brings over 27 years of experience across chemistry and materials sectors in roles spanning R&D, HR, and change management, alongside entrepreneurial and venture capital positions. Her background includes partnerships at Sofinnova Partners and Brightlands Venture Partners, as well as service as a CEO, non-executive board director, and company builder.

Marcel Zijp is a Senior Investment Manager for Agri-Food at Brightlands Venture Partners, where he supports innovative start-ups and scale-ups focusing on smart and sustainable farming, green biotech, circular economy, alternative protein, and personalized nutrition. His background includes general management and international marketing roles, with experience across the food and agriculture sector at companies including Nutriad, Nutreco, and Champetit, where he developed business strategies and organizational structures in transitioning markets.