Karen Boers, Startups.be
Front runners in the global village

Once most
of us
were self
employed

Then it became global business

To grow into a global village

#BETECH STARTUPS
2015
Omar Mohout & Karen Boers
+3,000
STARTUPS
49,000
JOBS CREATED
More than

BELGIUM
B2B
B2C
69%
31%
TOP 10 INDUSTRIES
1. AdTech
2. Manufacturing
3. HealthTech
4. FinTech
5. HRTech
6. Mobility
7. EdTech
8. MICE
9. MusicTech
10. Retail
*Counting for 54% of total

BELGIUM
47% 39% 8% 6%
Startup Scaleup Deadpool Acquired

ECOSYSTEM CHARACTERISTICS
STARTUPS ONLY
1. Brussels: 29%
2. Antwerp: 12%
3. Ghent: 10%
4. Leuven: 4%
5. Liège: 3%
Counting for 59% of total
SCALEUPS ONLY
1. Brussels: 21%
2. Ghent: 8%
3. Leuven: 7%
4. Antwerp: 7%
5. LLN: 5%
Counting for 47% of total

ECOSYSTEM CHARACTERISTICS
ACQUISITIONS ONLY
1. Leuven: 19%
2. Brussels: 16%
3. Ghent: 12%
4. Hasselt: 7%
5. Kortrijk/Lochristi/Liège/Antwerp: 4%
Counting for 68% of total
AVERAGE EMPLOYEES
PER COMPANY
1. Leuven: 33
2. LLN: 32
3. Liège: 22
4. Brussels: 20
5. Ghent: 18

ECOSYSTEM CHARACTERISTICS
AVERAGE FOUNDING YEAR
1. Leuven: 2006
2. Hasselt: 2007
3. Brussels: 2008
4. Ghent: 2009
5. Antwerp: 2010
INTERNATIONALISATION
1. Ghent: 17%
2. Leuven: 16%
3. Hasselt: 15%
4. Antwerp: 11%
5. Brussel: 8%
Belgium average = 11%

VENTURE CAPITAL
2013
1. Ghent: € 9M (26%)
2. St.-M-Latem: € 9M (26%)
3. Hasselt: € 6M (18%)
4. Lochristi: € 5M (14%)
5. Leuven: € 3M (8%)
Total = € 33M
2014
1. Lochristi: € 20M (23%)
2. Brussels: € 19M (23%)
3. Leuven: € 17M (20%)
4. Ghent: € 12M (14%)
5. Antwerp: € 2M (2%)
Total = € 86M (of € 100M)
2015
1. Leuven: € 77M (33%)
2. Brussels: € 56M (24%)
3. Antwerp: € 26M (11%)
4. Ghent: € 24M (10%)
5. Hasselt: € 7M (3%)
Total = € 233M

STARTUPS WITH FOREIGN BRANCHES
31% 11% 11% 7%
USA France Netherlands UK
4%
Luxembourg

So what did/do we do
?

www.startups.be
ONE-STOP-SHOP
& MATCHMAKER
- Access to customers &
partners
- Access to coaching &
experts
- Access to investors
- Access to startups &
innovation
- International Go-to-Market
CENTER OF EXCELLENCE
- Data insights & Research
- Access to experts
(speakers, mentors
& jury members)
- Startup Voice in Policy
Making

A one-stop-shop on #betech
STARTUPS.BE COMMUNITY:
• 1000+ #BeTech startups
• 100+ #BeTech enablers
• 400+ investors
• 10+ corporate innovators
• 75.000+ online engagers
PARTNERING WITH:
• Policy makers at all levels
• Startup nations all over the world

Connecting the dots…
Sign up and…
• Get Visibility &
Tailored information
• Connect with investors,
partners and more!
• Register NOW AT
datascouts booth
Go to -> data.startups.be

Go global
2015 track record:
• 72 startups took the leap
• With 40+ B2B meetings/startup on
average
• 25+ pitches on main stages
• 45+ (inter)national press articles
Prize Winners:
• neoScores (Gustav)
• Teamleader
• Turbulent
• Bart De Wever
Go to > startups.be/go-global

Go gloal
• Take your startup to the
international arena
• Join our delegations
traveling to worldwide
tech hubs!
Go to -> startups.be/go-global

www.startupmanifesto.be
Launched: 12 March 2015

Impact so far…
• Digital Belgium: Startup Plan
• City of Antwerp: buy from startups @
ACPAAS
• FEDICT: buy from startups & open data
• EU Startup Manifesto Movement & European
Startup Network launched with Belgium as
best practice
• Press attention (#BeProud) in mainstream
press for startup & entrepreneur stories
• Work-in-progress: procurement framework
Go to -> www.startupmanifesto.be

So what’s next?

Join the startup manifesto
movement
• Share your ideas & views. Tell us
how the manifesto helped you!
• Let us know what should be the next
step – 2 month sprints per topic:
Use -> #bestartupmanifesto
• March-April: Startup Inc
• May-June: Buy from Startups
• Sept-Oct: Educate & Cultivate
• Nov-Dec: Pay if Forward
• Jan-Feb: #BE Proud

SHARE YOUR
PROPOSALS
JOIN OUR
TASK FORCES
HELP US
CROWD-FUND
Go to -> https://opencollective.com/bestartupmanifesto
Open Collective by @xdamman

www.europeanstartups.org
Main goals of the network:
• Benchmarking & sharing of best practices
• Data Analytics & Research
• Joint international go-to-market for European startups
Founding members :
• Austrian Startups
• Beta-i Association (Portugal)
• German Startups Association
• Italia Startup
• Spanish Startup Association
• Startup Britain
• Startup Cyprus
• Startup Delta
• Startup Estonia
• Startup Ireland
• Startup Norway
• Startup Poland
• Startups.be (Belgium)
• Swedish Startup Association
European startup network

Study, nurture and grow the ecosystem …
Grow the international footprint …

Grow access to customers & experts …
Grow access to & success rate with
investors …

With a Kick-Ass to make it happen !!!
Karen Boers Thibaut Claes
Laura
Ortiz
Gabriela
Fernandez
Philippe Rangoni Yeri TieteYonca Braeckman
Diana
Pati
Nataliya
Tkachenko
Naïri
Bonte
Anaïs Bouzidi
Marleen
Heyndrickx
Yoshi
Janssens

And thanks to our many Supporters
& Sponsors
… and ALL of our
COMMUNITY
PARTNERS &
AMBASSADORS !