About
Jaap Zijlstra is COO at Navus Ventures, a family-owned venture capital firm focused on high-tech and sustainable start-ups and scale-ups in the food and energy sectors, where he sources and executes technology investments and supports portfolio companies. He previously worked in M&A at Rabobank, covering engineering sectors and projects in food and agriculture, media, and financial services, and later established a venture capital unit at Kramp Groep focused on agricultural and logistics technology. He holds a degree in Systems Engineering, Policy Analysis and Management from Delft University of Technology.
Contact· self-published, not guessed
Experience
- NavusCOOcurrent2026 — presentMaassluis, South Holland, Netherlands
- NavusDirector2025 — 2026Maassluis, South Holland, Netherlands
- Navus(Senior) Investment Manager2022 — 2024Maassluis, South Holland, Netherlands
- NavusInvestment Associate2020 — 2022Maassluis, South Holland, Netherlands
- StartupbootcampMentor sustainability programme2021 — 2025Amsterdam
- Kramp Ag Ventures and Innovation LabAgtech Venture Capital2018 — 2019Utrecht Area, Netherlands
- RabobankAssociate - Corporate Finance Advisory (M&A)2014 — 2018The Randstad, Netherlands
- RabobankCorporate Management Trainee2013 — 2014
- Mirus InternationalEmployee2007 — 2013
- ABN AMRO Bank N.V.Intern Corporate Finance and Capital Markets2012 — 2013
- KPMG Strategic and Commercial IntelligenceGraduate intern2011 — 2012
- Stichting Techniek BedrijvenOrganisation and Advisory Board2009 — 2012
- Tangaza CollegeMinor internship on Kenyan cooperative financial institutions2009Nairobi
Skills & more
Analysis of complex problems, systems design2Quantitative modeling, simulation, statistical analysis1Sales and negotiation2MS Excel, MS Access, SPSS, Arena, Automod, otherValuation6Private Equity3Analysis4Banking2Finance2Management Consulting1Investments1Capital Markets1
+4 more
Corporate FinanceMergers & Acquisitions (M&A)Venture CapitalBusiness StrategyLanguages Dutch · English · German
From Jaap's professional profile.
Colleagues at Navus Ventures
Frequently asked questions
- Who is Jaap Zijlstra?
- Jaap Zijlstra is COO at Navus Ventures, a family-owned venture capital firm focused on high-tech and sustainable start-ups and scale-ups in the food and energy sectors, where he sources and executes technology investments and supports portfolio companies. He previously worked in M&A at Rabobank, covering engineering sectors and projects in food and agriculture, media, and financial services, and later established a venture capital unit at Kramp Groep focused on agricultural and logistics technology. He holds a degree in Systems Engineering, Policy Analysis and Management from Delft University of Technology.
- Where does Jaap Zijlstra work?
- Jaap Zijlstra is COO at Navus Ventures.
- Where did Jaap Zijlstra go to school?
- Jaap Zijlstra studied at Delft University of Technology (Master of Science (MSc), Systems Engineering); Delft University of Technology (Bachelor of Science (BSc), Systems Engineering); Gymnasium Celeanum (Natural sciences and technology profile, with economics).
Same school
Also attended Delft University of Technology142
Michiel KottingPartner at NorthzoneGiuseppe LacerenzaPartner at Keen Venture PartnersAlexander WortmannPartner at TCVThijs SchaapInvestment manager at NoaberHugo SilvaPartner at Pi LabsRobInvestor at henQ vc
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Shared employers
Also worked at Rabobank79
Alan ShaffranSenior Portfolio Manager, Partner at Magnetar AI VenturesJohanneke van de Scheur-BaanBestuurslid at NoaberBor BoerManaging Director at CapagroRupertus RothenhäuserDigital Asset & Blockchain Specialist, C-Level Management at tokentus investment AGVirginia RodrigoOperations at 10x FoundersRedmar KoeneInvestment Manager at Gilde Healthcare
+ 73 more
Also worked at ABN AMRO Bank N.V.148
Iris WiggersFINANCE at Cottonwood Technology FundSally AppletonInvestor at Index VenturesKyang YungInvestor at DaphniKobeFinance Director at Hummingbird VenturesNesbit WestAdvisor - Fund Compliance at Keen Venture PartnersNichapat ArkDirector, Head of Thailand at Openspace Ventures
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Also worked at KPMG Strategic and Commercial Intelligence12
Derk AalbersDirector Finance & Operations at Maven 11Elliot SchoutenInvestment Manager & CFO at Curiosity VCBas OvertoomAdvisor at Curiosity VCLuc StarmansPartner at Brightlands Venture PartnersJob van SchelvenPartner at PureTerra VenturesJuliëtte DopJunior Investment Analyst at Holland Capital
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