The Belgian startup scene is a very active ecosystem, that can quickly become overwhelming for entrepreneurs looking for help. That’s why we did a survey to identify as many active players as possible. We started to compile a list to make it possible for startups, no matter of their current development phase, to find useful information about organisations that could help them succeed. The list isn’t complete, so feel free to get involved and share your insights and valuable information with the community.
We have seen more startups in the past 4 years than we did in the past 40 years. More than 80 000 people stepped on the path of becoming an entrepreneur in 2014. Exact figures can be found in the Startersatlas, which shows that Belgium has a very active and fast growing startup scene. With the economic crisis and the global mindshift to constant innovation, we’ve found our way into the vibrant and exciting startup world.
Not only has the number of startups increased dramatically over the past few years, the network supporting them grew as well. Every year more and more great startup events are held across the entire country. Think of Meetups, Startup Weekends, Hackathons, Open Coffees and the many incubation programs & workshops that provide startups with decent answers to their questions and offer them a place to do some valuable networking.
A very good overview of our Startup scene has been put together by Omar Mohout in this infographic. This shows that the startup scene is scattered across our tiny country. These startups created nearly 50 000 jobs, so they boost our economy.
Startups are constantly looking for ways for turning new ideas into valuable products or services. Startups can be set up to test new business models, new ways of thinking or to play with new technologies.
At the moment, we’re more connected to each other than ever before. So it’s easier to do proper research, or to get in contact with like-minded people to build something that many people can benefit from. There are a lot of people who wish to build something of their own, people with brilliant ideas, who are waiting for their time to shine. There’s something appealing in being your own boss, commercialising an idea and starting your own business. But in order to be profitable for the economy, businesses need to be healthy and stable. That’s why it’s important that startups get the right support from the beginning.
Who is who in this evolving ecosystem? Many entrepreneurs in their search for help ask this question. When we combine our forces, we can put together a great roadmap for entrepreneurs. If you don’t find your organisation on the list, or one you know, please follow the step-by-step instructions and help us complete this list.
- Create a GitHub account or login.
- Edit or add new organisations.
Your contribution will be attributed in the GitHub repository.
If you like our initiative it would be great if you could help us spread the word.
We are also considering to print the report, if there is sufficient interest. If you could help us distribute, or you would like to sponsor the printing of the list, you can contact us via bootcircle@pronovix.com.
Who are we and why are we doing this?
We at Pronovix are right in the middle of the startup scene. We’re developing our own software products, while connecting founders & entrepreneurial thinkers in our BootCircle meetups. Our motto is “Grow & help grow”, so we’d like to foster the very ecosystem we are a part of.
