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Noaber Foundation
Founded in 2000 by IT entrepreneur Paul Baan, Noaber Foundation channels a family fortune into Dutch health-system reform. The foundation operates from the...
Noaber Foundation
Founded in 2000 by IT entrepreneur Paul Baan, Noaber Foundation channels a family fortune into Dutch health-system reform. The foundation operates from the Netherlands with additional offices in Menlo Park, Scottsdale, and Sioux Falls. Its mandate is deliberately narrow: drive breakthroughs that improve health outcomes, lower costs, and enhance experiences for patients and professionals alike. Noaber deploys across two lanes. The first is a venture portfolio of early-stage health startups, where the foundation takes direct equity positions. The second consists of proprietary programs — Join Us combats youth loneliness, Nieuw pleidooi voor gezondheid advocates for a shift from care systems to a healthy society, Meela improves patient-therapist matching, De Gezondheidstransitie pushes for longer healthy lifespans nationally, and GelijkGezond fights health inequality. The foundation's website confirms partnerships with these named initiatives, and a theory-of-change framework governs all activity. Baan's original IT fortune provides permanent capital, freeing Noaber from LP-cycle constraints. The foundation's geographic footprint spans Dutch program delivery and US-based venture activity, guided by four operating values: noaberschap (neighborliness), entrepreneurship, innovation, and courage. In September 2023, the foundation closed a direct startup participation alongside an undisclosed health-tech co-investor, consistent with its dual strategy. Noaber's architecture separates it from a typical venture firm: program grants and startup equity sit inside one vehicle, and the foundation measures success by systemic health improvements rather than fund-level IRRs. That blended model — venture capital plus field-building programs — makes it a rare hybrid in European health philanthropy.
General information
Firm type
Endowment / Foundation
Year founded
2000
Location
Region
Europe
Country
Netherlands
City
Gelderland
Corporate office
Gelderland, Netherlands
Additional offices
Menlo Park, CA, United States · Scottsdale, AZ, United States · Sioux Falls, SD, United States
Principals
Paul Baan
Founder
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Noaber Foundation?
The foundation was established by Paul Baan, who built his wealth in the information technology sector. While specific investment committee members are not publicly listed, the organization's dual-track approach — programmatic initiatives and startup participations — suggests a small, founder-led decision structure. Portfolio construction aligns with the foundation's theory of change and its core values of noaberschap, entrepreneurship, innovation, and courage.
How does Noaber Foundation source its startup deals?
Noaber does not publicly disclose a proprietary sourcing model. Given its operational hubs in the Netherlands and US technology corridors, deal flow likely emerges from health-tech networks and the foundation's own program work. The foundation's website states it 'seeks opportunities to participate in young companies' within the health domain.
Does Noaber operate as a venture firm or a traditional foundation?
Noaber functions as a hybrid: it makes direct equity investments in early-stage health startups while simultaneously running its own impact programs. This structure allows grant-funded field-building to inform venture decisions. Unlike a conventional venture firm, the foundation measures success through systemic health outcomes rather than standalone financial returns.
What is Noaber Foundation's geographic focus?
The foundation maintains offices in Gelderland (Netherlands), Menlo Park, Scottsdale, and Sioux Falls. Its programmatic work is concentrated in the Netherlands, while its venture activity appears to draw on both US and European health-tech ecosystems. The specific split of capital between regions has not been disclosed.
Does Noaber Foundation participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
The available record shows only direct startup participations and self-run programs. No evidence of fund-of-fund commitments or LP relationships has been made public. If the foundation does invest through external funds, it has not disclosed those positions.
Which sectors does Noaber Foundation explicitly target?
Noaber focuses strictly on health and healthcare, with an emphasis on healthy aging, independent living, and systemic reform of care delivery. Its program portfolio spans loneliness reduction, health-equity advocacy, and patient-therapist matching. The foundation does not tag any sectors as explicitly excluded beyond its health mandate.
Where does Noaber Foundation's underlying wealth come from?
The endowment originates from Paul Baan, who accumulated his fortune in the information technology industry. The specific company source is not confirmed by the foundation's current public materials, but Altss research identifies IT entrepreneurship as the wealth origin. The foundation was capitalized in 2000 with private family capital, not a public fundraising campaign.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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