Amsterdam, 25 September 2026 – Duqu has raised €1.5 million in a seed round from No Such Ventures and Curiosity VC. The Amsterdam-based fintech gives entrepreneurs immediate access to money they have already earned but that is still tied up in outstanding invoices. Duqu has also built its own AI underwriting engine, which automates 95% of the credit assessment. It offers this technology as a white-label solution to banks, lenders and leasing companies. Duqu will use the new capital to grow both parts of the business.

Paid for work already done, weeks later

Co-founder Maas de Goede came up with the idea for Duqu when an entrepreneur he knew asked him for a loan to bridge the wait for a payment. The business was financially healthy, but its money was stuck in an unpaid invoice with long payment terms.

That experience is not unique. Dutch businesses pay 46% of their business invoices late on average. Money for work that is already done can stay tied up for weeks. Meanwhile, employees still have to be paid, and spending on stock, marketing or a new hire can't wait.

Duqu solves this with a short-term advance, so entrepreneurs get the money from an outstanding invoice as soon as they have sent it.

An advance without selling the invoice

Duqu assesses outstanding business invoices and pays the invoice amount out to the entrepreneur. Unlike factoring, the entrepreneur does not sell the invoice and keeps the relationship with their customer. There is no minimum or maximum amount, and entrepreneurs only pay a fee when they actually use an advance. Once approved, the money is in their account within 24 hours, often within the hour.

"Entrepreneurs can arrange almost anything instantly these days, yet after delivering their work they still have to wait weeks to get paid", says De Goede. "That no longer fits the pace at which businesses operate. Growth can't wait for an invoice to be paid."

White label for financial service providers

Duqu has spent the past eighteen months building its own AI underwriting engine, which currently automates around 95% of the credit assessment. The technology is modular and can also be used outside Duqu's own platform. Lenders can use the engine as a white-label solution to assess applications automatically against their own credit policy.

Investment aimed at automating credit assessment

No Such Ventures partner Thijn van Helvoirt sees the engine as the key to Duqu's wider potential.

"For many lenders, credit assessment is still a labour-intensive process. If you want to handle more applications, you quickly need more people", says Van Helvoirt. "Duqu automates a large part of that process, while lenders keep their own credit policy. The same technology can also be used for leasing, mortgages and buy now, pay later. So alongside its product for entrepreneurs, Duqu is building technology that applies to a much larger part of the credit market."

About Duqu

Duqu is an Amsterdam-based fintech that gives entrepreneurs immediate access to money still tied up in outstanding invoices. Through the platform, entrepreneurs can request a short-term advance without selling their invoice and without a minimum or maximum amount. Duqu built its own AI underwriting engine for the assessment, which financial institutions can also use as a white-label solution. Duqu was founded in October 2025 by Maas de Goede, Victor Brouwer and Diederik Nassenstein. The platform has 1,170 users and has handled €3.8 million in applications since launch, of which €980,000 has been advanced.