Press release: FemTech Leader Pro Parents Raises €1 Million in Growth Funding
The total funding now amounts to 3.3 million, which is unique in the Netherlands for a female founder in Women’s & Family Health.
“The past few years have been all about gaining a crystal clear understanding of how our solution aligns with the needs and barriers of parents and employers. The coming years will be about system innovation and impact.”
Joyce Knappe, CEO and founder of Pro Parents.
Pro Parents - 24 April 2025 10.00
FemTech Leader Pro Parents Raises €1 Million in Growth Funding
Dutch FemTech Pioneer Pro Parents Accelerates Growth to Transform Women’s & Family Health at Work
Pro Parents, the Dutch market leader in Workplace Wellbeing and Women’s & Family Health, has successfully closed a new funding round of €1 million. This round welcomes several new investors, including Dutch serial entrepreneurs Mike de Boer (founder of Knab Bank) and Andre Grimbergen (founder of Albelli), who are investing through their new fund Quantum Leap Capital. They are joined by informal investors Lara Koole, former venture partner at Philips Ventures and co-founder of Carbon Equity, and Jeroen ter Huurne of Collin Crowdfund. The round is backed by existing investors, among early-stage supporters HealthTech investor Oost NL, Peakfijn and Bram Smeets. Previous support was provided by the Goldschmeding Foundation and the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS). This round brings Pro Parents' total funding to €3.3 million in equity funding for the company– a unique achievement in the Netherlands for a female founder in Women’s & Family Health. This past weekend, the FD reported that only 2.1% of European health tech companies specialize in FemTech. Attracting funding remains challenging in Europe.
Fueling Growth and International Expansion
This latest investment will enable Pro Parents to accelerate its growth and strengthen collaborations with academic partners, including Radboud University and the Baby and Child Research Centre. Pro Parents is already part of several academic and medical consortia, securing an impressive €6.7 million in non-dilutive funding, both in cash and in kind — with the ambition to grow its key position in enabling public-private partnerships. Pro Parents also prepares for European expansion. Pro Parents is dedicated to improving Women’s and Family Health in the workplace through innovative HR technology that helps employers better support employees during the phase of family formation, pregnancy, postpartum, return to work and the combination of work and parenthood. The result? Reduced absenteeism, lower turnover and healthcare costs, and healthier, happier employees.
Unlocking the Future of Women’s Health: Tapping into a High-Growth FemTech Market
According to a recent report by the World Economic Forum, the FemTech market is expanding rapidly and is expected to be worth $103 billion by 2030. A global gender health gap remains: although women live longer than men, they spend fewer years in good health (70.8 vs. 73.5 years, respectively). One key reason is that women often experience different symptoms and conditions than men, but are typically treated in the same way. This leads to delayed diagnoses and suboptimal care. Closing this gender health gap would add $1 trillion to the global economy by 2040 – a major opportunity for companies focused on women’s health, such as Pro Parents.
Successful Funding Round Despite Market Challenges
The funding climate in the Netherlands has become increasingly difficult. According to the ‘State of Dutch Tech 2025’ report by Techleap, total venture capital investments in the Dutch tech sector have declined significantly, dropping from €800 million in 2021 to just €400 million in 2024. This decline is partly due to global economic uncertainty and conservative investor behavior. Access to capital in the Netherlands remains especially limited for female founders in tech, with less than 1% of Dutch venture capital going to startups led by women.
Despite challenges, Pro Parents has once again closed a successful funding round. Joyce Knappe, CEO and founder of Pro Parents, is proud of the trust investors and partners have demonstrated in the company and the mission: "What made all the difference is the crystal-clear vision we’ve developed over the past years — on what works, for whom, and why. We understand the value that HR technology brings in structurally strengthening employers’ vitality and workplace wellbeing strategies. By now, we have both the broad experience and the in-depth knowledge to create lasting change by meeting the needs and overcoming the barriers faced by both parents and their employers. The coming years will be all about transformation and impact."
Pro Parents shows how to truly make a difference: healthy employees and a better workplace. Founder Joyce Knappe brings vision and drive, combining deep domain expertise, entrepreneurial strength, and a clear impact-driven mission.
Mike de Boer
Mike de Boer, Quantum Leap Capital, former CFO & co-founder Knab Bank
Note to editors (not for publication):
For more information and media inquiries, please contact Joyce Knappe, Founder & CEO via [email protected]
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