The Belgian Startup Ecosystem
The Belgian startup community is an extensive network of different players . Our goal is to create a list that helps people explore this continuously evolving ecosystem. With your contribution, it will be a great starting point to new startuppers and a handy who-is-who for experienced entrepreneurs. Feel free to edit the list and add new items to provide real insight and valuable information for the community.
If there's sufficient interest, we would also be happy to print this report as a brochure. If your organization would like to help with that, please get in touch with us via email (steve at pronovix.com).
Thank you for your collaboration.
The BootCircle Team
The following banks provide financial information, but besides that they also help you with validating your business plan. They can give you insights and concrete pointers on how to improve your business.
BNP Paribas fortis: The market leader in Belgium. BNP offers various packages and financial solutions to private clients and enterprises.
KBC Start it: A network of complex services for startups and startuppers. Beside financing, they can help you validate your idea, and they provide networking opportunities and mentoring as well.
The following business networks have a combined knowledge about their field of expertise. Getting in touch with them will get you contacts, field research and to-the-point answers to any of your questions.
Agoria: The federation of the Belgian technology industry. It defends the interests of the companies doing business on this field. Their motto “No future without technology” is pretty good news if your startup is ICT related.
Febelgra: Together with VIGC they investigate the state of affairs of the web-to-print and graphical sector.
Ghent Web Valley: Puts together web service companies and passionate ICT’ers, but also other sectors to see what they can create together.
IAB Europe: A Europe-wide network of digital businesses protecting and promoting the interests of Europe based online advertising, media, research and analytics industries. The network includes 27 countries from all over Europe.
Need to polish some entrepreneurial skills? Or do you want to learn more about marketing, business models, financing etc.? The following schools provide you with useful courses to expand your skill set.
Solvay Entrepreneurs: The Solvay Entrepreneurs Business School is part of the Free University of Brussels. It focuses mainly on entrepreneurs, but their programmes are not simply about teaching, but about coaching, training and networking as well.
Vlerick Business School: They offer accredited programmes for their applicants where theoretical and practical knowledge are mixed in one useful package.
Keeping up-to-date about new developments or companies is very important. Here are some links which provides you with the latest news about a certain topic or field of expertise.
Hockey Stick Weekly: A weekly dose of inspiration for growing and scaling your technology business through a newsletter.
Smart Business: How to make use of the latest IT developments to make your business more efficient.
Technologium: Keeping you up-to-date about any technological improvements or new products world wide.
Trends Top: An online platform for up-to-date company information, that helps you find others and makes your company visible. It also provides many online tools for analysis and management.
Everything is much nicer when it can be shared with others. This also includes your working space! When you don’t need a full-time office of yourself (or if you just want to reduce costs), but you do wish to get out of the house to work in a quiet environment or network with other companies, co-working spaces is the ideal solution for you!
Bar d’Office: A network of coworking spaces shattered all across the Flemish part of Belgium. Get inspired and work from one of the professional offices.
Betacowork: The largest coworking space in Brussels. You can not only work in an inspiring environment which improves your productivity, but you also have the opportunity to grow your network.
Co.Station: A post-accelerator providing admission to new markets for startups that already have an income and a working business model.
CoWorking: Coworking spaces in Ghent to boost productivity and stimulate inspiration and connections.
EEBIC: Much more than a business center. Provides office space, co-working areas,... And works with an easy in, easy out principle, which gives you maximum flexibility for your business.
LikeBirds: Creative coworking space in Ghent, aiming at freelancers, creative people and entrepreneurs in search of inspiration.
Officenter: They provide office space/ meeting rooms where you can work in quiet or network with other companies.
Parkoffice: Flexible coworking space and administrative support in Ghent & Kortrijk.
Silversquare: A business centre in Brussels that offers flexible services to companies such as registered addresses, virtual and fixed offices and fully equipped meeting rooms.
Managing your own business takes a lot of work and research. Thankfully there are a lot of companies who love to share their knowledge with you. You can find help of consultants in almost any area of expertise.
Accenture: One of the world’s largest organizations offers management consulting and technical services. Accenture has four growth platforms for developing knowledge capital and first class capabilities.
Congaz: Operating in the field of HR, this company assists organizations with managing the people dimension of their business.
Ernst & Young: EY provides a wide range of services for entrepreneurs in the field of consulting. The company has an international reach that makes its programs very effective.
Grant @Vice: Advises companies and research institutions in the area of innovation, technology and grants. After an intake interview G@V presents available financial solutions.
HP: Well-known multinational information technology corporation. HP consultants help to solve the most pressing technology challenges which could emerge in a company.
Porta Creatio: Porta Creatio provides a business boost through professional and individual counseling by experienced entrepreneurs. The company also offers a 9-month coaching plan and various inspiration events.
Starterslabo: Starterslabo provides interactive workshops which will teach you how to set up your business plan and will give you advice on the feasibility of it.
When you think about expanding, it could be wise to get in contact with a financial consultant to plan your next move.
Participium: A specialist provider of corporate governance, finance and operational management. Participium helps you realize your company’s growth potential.
Do you have an idea that is ICT related? Or do you want to build a digital presence for promoting your company? There are a lot of companies available to help you out with any questions you might have.
Combell: A hosting company offering tailored solutions for clients. It helps startups with an extensive, free and one year long hosting service.
Cronos: Provides hi-tech technological (both hardware and software) solutions for companies with ICT related claims.
Duval Union: A network of specialised marketing services agencies and marketing technology start-ups, helping companies and brands to be the disruptor in stead of the disrupted, by putting technology in the heart of marketing.
Little Miss Robot: A product design partner that turns the right products and services from idea into reality.
Microsoft: One of the world biggest ICT company. As such, it has a huge amount of experience in the field of technology.
Pronovix: A Belgian-Hungarian software development and consulting company providing help with idea validation, content strategy, community marketing and digital prototyping.. They are committed to startups and open source software communities.
THINK with people: Cronos Group initiative that helps people build a real business from an innovative idea. Translating science and digital technology to business.
Wijs BVBA: Digital agency that truly involves its customers in the working process. Wijs defines a digital strategy for the business that makes future directions clear.
How do you see your business in a few years? How to get there? Having a great strategic plan helps you to reach your company goals. Get in touch with a strategy consultant if you need some assistance in putting together a strategy plan.
Pimento Map: Has a methodology based on the research on tons of businesses. They will evaluate your business model based on their methodology in order to calculate the chances of success.
WFMC: Supports companies to achieve their goals with business consulting, management, startup mentoring and consultancy on various fields.
Taking care of your business and getting your degree can be tough. Luckily there are some initiatives that work together with your high school/ university who can give you guidance and help to find the perfect combination for managing school with your company.
Accio: An initiative of Arteveldehogeschool, to support students with an entrepreneurial vision. Accio helps students to get from idea to a valuable startup. Setting up a business takes time, so students get a personal coach assigned to help them keep track of things.
Centrum voor Ondernemen: They advise, facilitate and coach HoGent student-entrepreneurs.
Durf Ondernemen: The centre of expertise for student entrepreneurship of UGent. They inform, help and advise student-entrepreneurs.
Student Ghentrepreneur: A place where students, lectors and business partners come together to exchange ideas and knowledge about entrepreneurship, innovation and passion. Each year there’s a boot camp where students can join and get help to develop their idea to a potential startup.
Handling a business takes a lot of time. Don’t get burned out and ask for professional help. A lot of great companies are willing to give you a hand with managing your administrative, HR or management tasks.
Acerta: A website which will provide you with information on anything you need to know when you decide to start your own company.
ADMB: Active on the social administration and HR area.
Alumnos: Provides internal coaching and training for companies to increase or maintain an optimal quality level.
Forte: Gives management advice for companies in the IT sector. Forte focuses on medium-large and large companies.
SD Worx: Offers a complete service in the HR, payroll, fiscal and social department.
Securex: An international participant of the HR and social administration area. Securex takes care of the customer’s social status and human resource management.
Unizo: Unite, inform, advise and give entrepreneurs maximum support for their ambitions to start their own company. Biggest entrepreneur organisations of the Flemish part of Belgium.
VAP Vlaanderen (Flemish Acceleration Platform): An acceleration platform that provides a very intensive, 100-day coaching period for startups. The program helps from the very beginning of the business.
Zenito: Zenito helps to set-up all administrative tasks you need to perform for setting up your own company. They also provide services for helping with administrative & HR tasks.
Share your idea with potential investors on one of the following websites to receive the needed funds to further develop your business. Or meet potential business partners to take your company to the next level.
angel.me: A crowdfunding platform that connects the entrepreneurs and investors (“Angels”) to share innovative projects and to realize great ideas.
Be Angels: Business support and smart early stage financing.
Bolero: A financial crowdfunding platform designed by KBC. A place where Belgian investors and entrepreneurs can find each other and invest in growth together.
CroFun: Financial crowdfunding platform designed to get the financial support your startup (or other project) needs.
My Micro Invest: MMI is a crowd-investor platform that allows people to invest in startups, innovative companies, while enabling the startups to complete a necessary capital increase.
Ever heard the saying “you are the average of the 5 people you connect with the most”? If you’re confident on reaching your startup goals, make sure you are surrounded with people that lift you higher. Investing in great business relations is one of the most important things in the business scene. Reaching out to fellow startup/ business owners is a great way to get inspired and feel connected to like-minded people.
Aerey: Community for and by entrepreneurs. Makes strong connections among businesses and supports the community.
Betagroup: A non-profit organization that aims to connect entrepreneurs and startups from the tech industry. Provides a platform for startups to make a demo of their products.
Bizcamp: A networking and knowledge-sharing event organized by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs.
BootCircle: A peer to peer meetup for bootstrapping entrepreneurs with monthly meetups in Ghent and Leuven (Brussels and Antwerp coming soon). A great place to get feedback and advise about your startup.
Bryo: Offers many different methods of assistance for startups or pre-starter projects, such as meetings, scanning, assistance of “role models” etc.
Finance for Startups (Brussels): The purpose of this group is to spread some basic financial concept to startups.
Growth Hacking Belgium: A meetup organised in several big cities all over Belgium. Growth hacking is about using tools to boost your marketing efforts. During these events people can discuss and advise each other on which tools work and which don’t.
Leuven Startups: Organises events, meetups and other social events aimed at bringing the Leuven startup-scene together.
WeStartup: Helps to find investors from the local business network to non-profit companies and builds an entrepreneurial network (from experienced to young entrepreneurs) in order to transfer knowledge.
Businesss incubators provide entrepreneurs with the opportunity to turn their ideas into real companies. Or even if you already have a company, they can be a huge help for further developing it. Most of them have a thorough programme where you can get coached, advised and helped with, by supporting you in different aspects of making your company sustainable.
Brussels Life Science Incubator: Provides a dynamic environment to boost your innovations in the field of life sciences.
Bryo: An initiative which aims at young persons between the age of 18 and 36 with an entrepreneurial mindset and high potential. They offer a 3 year support for participants who get selected.
Founder Institute: the world’s largest entrepreneur training & startup launch program.
ICAB: Offers many services to help start a business, such as accommodation, infrastructure, entrepreneurial environment and variable strategic solutions.
iCUBES: ICT incubator that provides full-service facility and inspiring business environment to startups.
Idealabs: Ideas are important, but they are worthless without execution. Telenet Idealabs provides opportunity to turn ideas into real companies.
iMinds: IMinds’ incubation and entrepreneurship programs connect entrepreneurs and researchers, enabling them to join forces and achieve stronger market potential. It’s an independent institute founded by the Flemish government.
Incubaid: A technology incubator that helps its members grow into successful companies.
inQube: European female digital incubator located in Brussels as an initiative of the Digital Leadership Institute.
LeanSquare: A Walloon incubator programme. They provide a startup ecosystem which will boost your idea/ start-up.
Microsoft Innovation Center Flanders: A non-profit organization that aims to encourage the development of Walloon companies in the IT sector.
NEST’up: First TechStars-style startup incubator in Belgium.
Startathlon: An incubator programme from technology company Sirris. Aimed at boosting your SaaS startup company.
Starter coaching: An incubator for entrepreneurial talents. Offering an intense 6 month program with personal one-on-one coaching.
The Faktory: Private tech startup accelerator and seed investment fund.
Ubiz: Private tech startup Accelerator dedicated to organic growth through business development. Targets startups having already some proven traction. Focus on European and African markets. Thematic tracks.
Unizo: See description above.
WSL: A Walloon incubator for engineering sciences. More than just an incubator, a community of entrepreneurs.
To make sure your company keeps growing and doesn’t get out-dated, you need to innovate. In order to keep up-to-date about recent developments in your field of expertise, the following initiatives can help you out. They can also offer you a motivating community where you can exchange knowledge and ideas.
CETIC: A research centre in the ICT field to support economic development by transferring the results of the latest research about ICT to companies.
CityMiX: CityMiX is a project of MiX, the iMinds Media Innovation Center. Each month they visit a different city to infiltrate in the local media scene to start a debate on innovation.
Corda Campus: A motivating business community for innovative businesses and startups. CC is the place to be for fruitful partnerships and a fascinating exchange of knowledge and ideas.
iMinds: See above.
Share: Offers many different support services, such as business plan, prototyping and funding for start-ups.
Sirris: A non-profit organization that helps companies by focusing on their markets and technologies to achieve their goals.
Do you have international ambitions? Take a look at the following initiatives to get visibility abroad.
Webmission: A group of Belgian web, tech and mobile entrepreneurs that travel abroad to promote their companies and to networking. Their mission is to increase the companies’ visibility.
If you're in need of financial resources to further develop your company, it could be wise to look for an investor. Keep in mind that they allocate capital with the expectation of a future financial return.
Business Angels Netwerk Vlaanderen: BAN Vlaanderen is a network of entrepreneurs who want to invest in startups and other prosperous companies.
Europe Unlimited: Provides critical business resources to innovative technology entrepreneurs, corporations, investors and researchers, allowing them to successfully build and maintain a healthy economy.
Gimv: The company's mission is to enter into temporary partnership, on the basis of selected strategic investment platforms, with entrepreneurial and innovative companies having strong growth potential, with the objective of supporting their growth into market leaders.
Qunova: Aims to initiate, develop, deliver and manage projects and businesses in innovative ways by bringing together creative people with significant experience in different areas.
Smartfin Capital: European private equity fund investing in smart technologies aimed at the financial technological market.
Volta Ventures: Seed & early stage venture capital and coaching for internet & software companies in the Benelux.
Join in on any of the following networks aimed at helping out fellow entrepreneurs. Get inspired or get helpful feedback on your visions. These networks are also a great place to get in touch with potential partners.
Betagroup: The largest tech community of Belgium. Each month you can present your idea and get instant feedback of this large community.
Startup Nations: Shares ideas about what is working and what is not in the group members’ respective environments. SN is an organic and nimble network that promotes knowledge sharing and collaboration.
Voka: Flemish network of enterprises. Jong Voka is directed at young entrepreneurs or high potentials.
Do you need a helping hand? Don’t hesitate to get in touch with following organisations, they are here to help!
1819: A telephone information service where startuppers or managers of existing companies can ask practical questions about starting or running a business.
Agence du Numerique (ex-AWT): The ICT platform of Wallonia, set up by the Walloon Government.
Agentschap Ondernemen: Helps startuppers set up a business in Flanders by providing the information they are looking for on various fields of business.
Bridee: Bridging design, entrepreneurs & education. Co-creation platform which brings together design & business students with creative business owners.
City Ghent: They provide help in any field of expertise to entrepreneurs.
City Antwerp: Supports entrepreneurs who want to start their own business. The city also gives customized advice for the customers.
Flanders Investment & Trade: Promotes international enterprise in Flanders. They assist, support and stimulate companies in international business. Flanders Investment & Trade offers tailored advice and guidance.
SOS Idee: An initiative of Flanders DC. SOS Idee offers free services to anyone with an idea.
Flanders DC: Flanders DC is the Flemish organisation for entrepreneurial creativity.
Green Bridge: A sustainable breeding ground for technical businesses, initiated by the University of Ghent.
Impulse Brussels: Created in 2003 by the Government of the Brussels-Capital region, the Brussels Enterprise Agency (BEA) has rapidly become the leading partner for any starting or experienced entrepreneur in the Brussels-Capital region. In 2013, BEA was rebaptised as impulse.brussels. It provides support and information to Brussels enterprises.
Incorporated Angels: A place where you can share your idea or business plan to have intelligence angels to build the business for you. Don’t let good ideas go to waste!
Innotek- Bedrijven Creëren Bedrijven: Supports and assists new business initiatives and offers flexible office and laboratory space to startups. Through these activities, Innotek aims to contribute to the creation of additional employment in Flanders.
Leaders in Security (LSEC): An international IT - & Information Security cluster, a non-profit organization that promotes Information Security and expertise in Europe. Founded by the University of Leuven, supported by European Commission.
Microsoft Innovation Center Belgium: A non-profit organization based in Mons, resulting from a partnership between the public (Wallonia) and private (Microsoft, HP and VOO) sectors, which aims to encourage the development of Walloon IT companies.
Pulse Foundation: A private initiative that brings together entrepreneurial families, industrialists and entrepreneurs under the same philanthropic ideal: to contribute to the prosperity of the country by stimulating entrepreneurship.
Software in Brussels: A cluster that gathers more than 150 high-growth potential software companies, private and government support organizations. It provides a unique business-oriented platform where members can share knowledge and best practices.
The Egg Brussels: A site spread out over 5000m² in the heart of Brussels, offering perfect modular accommodation where event organizers can give free rein to their creativity when organizing their events for 2 to 999 guests.
Vlaamse Bedrijvencentra: The group is established by the government and various companies to support entrepreneurs in their growth towards stability. The group provides not only offices or storage space but contacts and knowledge sharing.
WSL: A Walloon incubator of engineering science. It is the first incubator to be recognised outside of the USA.
Who's who in the Belgian Startup Community
The list is constantly growing, so if you could extend it with other members of the ecosystem, please, don’t hesitate to send us your suggestion via email (steve at pronovix.com) and we will add the players you recommended to the post and the slides.
1. Introduction
2. The Belgian Startup Ecosystem
3. Banks
4. Business networks
5. Business schools
6. Publications
7. Co-working space
8. Consultants
9. Financial consultants
10. ICT consultants
11. Strategy consultants
12. Student entrepreneurs
13. Management consultants
14. Crowdfunding
15. Founder networking
16. Incubators
17. Innovation partners
18. International
19. Investors
20. Network of networks
21. Support
22. Slides