A unique journey, from initial ideas to a possible IPO
KBC is investing EUR 100 million through Start it @KBC to strengthen the Belgian start-up ecosystem. This investment is accompanied by the launch of Start it Fund, which focuses on providing start-up financing for leading start-ups from the Start it program.
“Thanks to the new fund, we can now support founders from the initial idea to the IPO: we support them not only with our knowledge and network, but also with capital tailored to their growth ambitions.“
Johan Thijs, CEO, KBC, is stepping up a gear. Every year, more than 150 scalable young companies are supported by Start it @KBC, which was launched in 2014. In total, the accelerator has already coached more than 1,900 start-ups!
“We already had coaching, a community, and a European ecosystem; the only thing missing was investing ourselves in the start-up phase,” adds Lode Uytterschaut, founder & CEO, Start it @KBC. “We are now filling that gap, at the request of the founders themselves and in line with our founder-centric approach.“
On average, EUR 300,000 in the start-up phase via the Start it Fund
The “no equity” philosophy that characterizes the start of the Start it @KBC program remains unchanged, but the opportunity to invest is now available through a new start-up fund managed by Start it itself: the Start it Fund.
While other accelerators initially grant a small amount of money on fixed terms, the Start it Fund only offers the top 1% of all applicants, at the end of their journey, a larger sum, depending on the needs and stage of the start-up at that time. Start-ups are entirely free to accept or reject the financing offered by the Start it Fund. On average, the fund invests EUR 300,000 in start-up companies, but this amount may be higher in some cases.
“In addition to capital, we offer one year of additional support within Start it @KBC. This allows us to connect founders with our extensive national network of former participants who have followed the same path or who have successfully exited,” continues Lode Uytterschaut.
Additional financing
The best start-ups selected will also have the opportunity to obtain additional financing of up to EUR 5 million through KBC Securities.
“After the initial investment phase, the amount of funding available in Belgium for those who want to expand is limited. With this new capital, we want to create a platform to help leading start-ups grow into stable scale-ups,” explains Tim Derycke, Head of Investment Services & KBC Focus Fund at KBC Securities.
This is not only follow-on financing, but also access to the investment team’s venture capital experience and technological expertise. In addition, KBC Securities adds value to the future growth of companies: from M&A advice and financing solutions to support during an IPO. “Thanks to this integrated approach, we offer founders a unique ecosystem of support and financing, an offering that is unmatched in Belgium.”
A unique selection based on data and personalized monitoring
For Start it @KBC, the key to selecting the right start-ups, and therefore also the right investments in the start-up phase, lies in rigorous personalized monitoring of the founders, supported by in-depth analysis of data from more than 1,900 start-ups that have received support.
“The best investment decisions are not based on presentations or superficial signals, but on proximity. Traditional investor- miss opportunities because they are too influenced by superficial parameters and have relatively brief contact with the founders,” explains Andy Gijbels, CTO, Start it @KBC. We follow them closely for a year and find that it is often teams with atypical profiles that build strong and successful companies.”
EUR 1.1 billion raised
Of the 1,923 start-ups supported by Start it @KBC since 2014, 227 have already raised more than €1 million, while 122 have raised more than €2 million. In total, they have raised more than EUR 1.1 billion and created more than 12,000 jobs, making this ecosystem one of the largest employers in Belgium. With the recent sales of DESelect to Unaric and Segments.ai to Uber, the program has also seen two new successful exits.
In terms of survival rates, Start it @KBC start-ups also perform very well. After five years, around 73% of them are still in business, compared to an international benchmark of 51% for start-ups that raise venture capital. Among Start it’s greatest successes are well-known names such as Aikido Security (Scale-up of the Year 2025), Bolt, Loop Earplugs, Conveo, Keyrock, Segments.ai, Crazy Games, and Ritchie.
Text: Alain de Fooz – Photo: Koen Bauters
