Slingshot Ventures

Marco Pieters was educated in the Netherlands, Spain, Germany, and the US, and began his career at Merrill Lynch in the early 1990s, developing new business in Eastern and Central Europe. In 1996 he became an entrepreneur in the UK, building seven businesses with his partner Paul Daniels and achieving six exits, after which they formed Involved Investors in 2010 to back early growth companies. He co-founded Slingshot in 2014 with Tom, focusing on early growth ventures in Western Europe and taking a hands-on approach with founders.

Roope Vahahyyppa began his career in investment banking, working in M&A at Lazard in Amsterdam for over four years advising on cross-border corporate transactions and private equity deals across various industries. He then joined Heineken's M&A team, where he executed minority and majority transactions in markets worldwide and gained experience in the consumer space. He now serves as an Investment Director at Slingshot Ventures.

Ernst Rustenhoven is Chief Strategy Officer at The Cirqle, a Meta and TikTok marketing partner. He has held roles as an operator, advisor, investor, and founder across venture capital, investment banking, and digital-first businesses, with experience on transactions representing billions in aggregate value. His background includes leading cross-functional teams, managing P&L responsibilities, and executing organizational transformations and growth initiatives across product, marketing, data, and operations.

Constance Scholten left law school at 19 to start her first company, which she later sold to Van Beuningen & Partners. She then served as Commercial Director at TravelBird and founded the personal bonding app Camarilla, which was acquired by HR-tech company Appical in 2017. She was named among the Netherlands' 50 most inspiring female tech entrepreneurs in 2016 and 2017.

Amy Toornent studied Event Management & Communications at Hogeschool Inholland and worked as a team assistant at DRS Real Estate for about four and a half years. She joined Slingshot Ventures in March 2021 as Office Manager, handling the firm's social media channels and providing support across the team.

Marly Wijvekate is an Investment Analyst at Slingshot Ventures with a background in International Relations and Business Administration. She grew up on the African continent and completed internships at Coty and L'Oréal, where she developed an interest in consumer products and wellness brands, later interning at Slingshot before joining. She has a personal interest in physical and mental wellbeing.