Thomas Van Halewyck

I invite all Belgian tech companies to participate in this survey

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Guess how many public votes??? Last count was at 5.000 votes for the Belgium Impact Startup Awards. Tip: watch the video 🫣 Today is the last day to show your support and cast your vote for your favorite startups! You got until 23:59 tonight. Go Vote: Link in the comments 👇 Your vote counts! Reminder: Public votes, comprising 11% of the total score, could be the deciding factor between 3rd and 4th place. Help your favorite startup(s) reach the podium! 🥇🥈🥉 Let's scale up! 👏 #startups #scaleups #buildingbridges

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✋ Vote for this Belgian startup in the Qorus Innovation in Insurance Awards 2024 👇 SWINZ, the first All-In-One, on-demand insurance for the new generation of consumers (and brokers) 💡 The insurance industry must urgently adapt & align with consumers expectations. The need for innovation in products and go-to-market strategies is widely recognized. But the critical question remains: how? ✅ Swinz is built on 3 key elements: 1. SIMPLICITY - customers can sign-up in 3 min. for an all-in-one non-life insurance policy covering the risks of people’s daily life (keep it simple) 2. USE THE ECOSYSTEM - Swinz supports the network of insurance brokers to serve their customers with an easy and digital solution (empowering the insurance agents and bringing trust & expertise) 3. THE PLATFORM - an agile core platform to enable on-demand and embedded insurance solutions with multi-line insurance policies (packages) without being constrained by insurer’s legacy platforms 😉 🏆 They recently won the DECAVI Award NON-LIFE but were also nominated in the VIVIUM Digital Awards and joined Plug and Play Insurtech in 2023. Now Swinz has been selected for the Qorus Insurance Awards 2024. 📝 Vote for them via the link below - because Belgian startups with a customer obsession that create new value for the whole ecosystem deserve your support! Direct link to the 'Insurtech category' ✏ ->>>>  https://lnkd.in/ekH_adCF -- Choose INSURTECH to find Swinz. ps: If you are a B2C / B2B2C startup building a similar business model in another vertical, don't hesitate to reach out via a DM for an intro. Thanks! #Insurance #qorus #InsuranceAwards

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Thank you EY 👉 Franck Sebag Julie Van de Velde for hosting these great conversations on #buildup strategies for #tech startups / scaleups this morning. This was music to my ears, although preaching to an already sold choir 😊   I do think that size matters, and organic growth is not the sole path to glory. It’s true of traditional SMBs, and the same applies to our #tech ecosystem. A bigger ship will always better weather a storm, and  you’ll be more appealing to potential acquirers if you’ve demonstrated that you’ve made acquisitions yourself 🚀   Great story by Alexandre Pébereau who’s built TOFANE GLOBAL, a leading international telecom operator from the ground up in 7 years, solely  through acquisitions. Secret sauce: research and know your #targets ahead, and make sure you’re backed by the right type of #PE funds.   Great tips from Xavier Zeitoun who’s turned a French #leader into a European one with the backing of PSG which, with its 500+ acquisition track record, helped made Zenchef a consolidation platform in their field.   2 takeaways from brilliant Elina Berrebi of Revaia: -             in SaaS, 1 percentage point of #growth is easily worth 2 pps. of #EBITDA (if you wonder what to do to maximize #value creation) - I agree soooo much! -             Culture matters a big deal in a successful #PMI process: see what you can draw from that of the company you’ve acquired   Will we see more #startups / #scaleups acting as market consolidators in 2025? My bet is a big YES. Your take?

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Huge news: Syndicate One, Bain & Company, and Sofina are teaming up to create the first State of Belgian Tech Report! 🇧🇪 Ever since S1 got started in 2021, we noticed lots of Belgian entrepreneurs got involved in our community to share personal learnings, best practices and benchmarks with each other. We're now turning it up a notch... 🚀 The State of Belgian Tech Report aims to provide data-driven insights and a holistic overview of the tech ecosystem that can help entrepreneurs, investors and policymakers make better informed decisions. 💡 But we need your help: • Are you a CEO or founder of a start-up or scale-up in Belgium? • Would you love to learn from insights about funding rounds, compensation and internal policies of your peers? • Are you eager to push the Belgian ecosystem to the next level? Then, please contribute & share your insights in our survey! 🙏 Thanks in advance for spreading the word. Let’s create the report our tech ecosystem deserves! 🔥

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Excited to support Syndicate One, Bain & Company, and Sofina in creating the first State of Belgian Tech Report 🇧🇪🚀! By providing a clear picture of our fast-changing Belgian tech ecosystem, we believe this report will help entrepreneurs, investors and policymakers make better informed decisions.💡 If you’re a start-up or scale-up, please help us boost the Belgian ecosystem and share your views in the (7 min) survey below! 🇧🇪👇 Clock is ticking ⏰ cc: Laurens De Poorter

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💼💰 #Growth, #Margin, #Cash 💰💼 I know, talking about money can be a bit touchy here in Belgium. But let's break the taboo, shall we? Because I firmly believe that for startup founders, focusing on consistent growth with a healthy industry margin can make the biggest #impact in their market. Imagine your company grows by 25% each year. Totally achievable, right? Now, keep that up for 5 years straight... What do you get? Your company's revenue doesn't just increase, it skyrockets. If you started with a modest 1 million turnover, after 5 years of this growth, you're looking at over 3 million annually. And guess what? With that kind of revenue, your team can grow too. From a staff of 10 to a robust 25-30. Now, that's tangible impact. If you want to leave a lasting mark on your market, this is the way to do it. Focus on turning your company into a powerhouse of continuous growth and invest in a talented team. Why? Because not only does it elevate your company, but it also inspires others to follow suit, creating a ripple effect of positive dynamism. So, what are your thoughts on this approach? Let's start a conversation about the real drivers of success in business! 💬✨ #BusinessGrowth #StartupSuccess #PositiveImpact

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Today we organised a "Brown Paper Session" for parking.brussels, focusing on the strategic redesign and development of Cyclo Parking, which currently manages more than 8,000 bike parking spots across the Brussels region. 🚲🅿️ As they prepare for an ambitious expansion that will more than double its' capacity in the next three years, this workshop was crucial. We dived deep into the existing processes for both users and customer service, employing a visual and interactive approach to outline the "as is" process 📊💻 During the session, we mapped out: ➡ User Interactions: Understanding the full user journey to identify pain points and opportunities ➡ Customer Service Workflows: Analysing the quantity and quality of requests to streamline operations and improve response times. ➡ Potential Improvements: Pinpointing key areas where technological and process innovations can improve the service 🔍With the insights gained we will design and develop a more user-centric and operationally efficient platform! Stay tuned as we transform these insights into action and continue to revolutionise urban mobility and parking solutions! 🌟

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Building Bridges Between Startups and Corporates. One of my key goals with the Belgium Impact Startup Awards is to connect startups with large corporations. By bringing these two worlds together, we can accelerate startup growth and create mutually beneficial partnerships. Join me in supporting this initiative 🙏 and helping startups thrive 🚀. Let's scale up! 👏 #startups #scaleups #buildingbridges

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Fundraising process -> 95% completed! 🚀 Closing? End of the year! (Which means we’re also 95% closer to popping the champagne. 🥂) We’ve got a term sheet from a Belgian fund, two very relevant angels flying into the investment nest, and a thumbs-up from PMV for the 'Startlening' of another €100K! Oh, and we’re also knocking on the grant gods’ doors for €240K. But wait, there’s more! We’re still looking for €50K-€100K from a relevant angel to top it off and close above €1.000.000 in total. Why join us? Sure, we’re passionate about innovation, marketing, and sponsorships. We help brands connect with audiences in smarter, more impactful ways. But let’s be honest about the real perks? ⛳ Next to 'getting rich by supporting us', you can now totally tell your partner: “I’m going to work” while heading to a football game or a festival. Because when we talk about sponsorships being part of our GTM model, we mean the front-row kind, where “networking” involves stadium snacks and epic performances. Business and pleasure? Yes, please! If you really want, we can always arrange an extra ticket so you don't have to 'lie'. 🤥 We’re already working with 4 Pro League teams and several big advertisers since starting in February. So if you’re into innovation, creativity, and turning VIP events into legit work duties, slide into our DMs. 🚀 Let’s make history (and excuses) together! Please tag angels, that should take a look at this! :) #seed #investment #excuses

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Syndicate One was founded to elevate the Belgian tech ecosystem. But you can’t fly blind, and we increasingly felt the lack of a truly comprehensive overview of our ecosystem to guide us forward. That's why we teamed up with Bain & Company and Sofina to create the first-ever State of Belgian Tech Report 🇧🇪 — a clear map of our ecosystem for entrepreneurs, investors and policymakers to make better, more informed decisions. After analyzing data, surveying 130+ founders, and conducting in-depth interviews, we found: 📈 Capital investment is growing, with 2024 poised for a record year, 💥 The ecosystem is maturing, with more exits expected, 🐣 Early-stage startups receive most of the funding, 🤝 A ‘mafia’ of entrepreneurs is emerging, but support remains fragmented, 🏆 Talent scarcity and ESOP policy hinder scaling. The Report is now live — dive in at syndicate.one/report, reach out, and help drive Belgium’s entrepreneurial future. It’s looking bright! 🚀 Grateful for your support Cedric Bovy, Narcis Savu, Yanni Vissers, Olivier Lippens, Nicolas Boschman, Céline Koyen, Robin Wauters, Alexis Eggermont, Giulia Van Waeyenberge, Constantin Jamar, Stefanie Broes, Willem Delbare, Thoralf Gutierrez, Hendrik Isebaert, Louis Opsomer, Adrien Roose, Thibaut Claes, Sven De Cleyn, Katrin Geyskens, Jürgen Ingels, Quentin Nickmans, Kamil Mieczakowski, Olivier Rousseaux, Matthieu Demolin, Yoram Wijngaarde, Jonas Winand, Frederik Tibau, Sarah Guemouri

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📢 To investors (seed stage +), corporate innovators/execs: 10 promising, early stage, belgian'tech for good' startups will be pitching on "Spark!" 31/10 Wintercircus Ghent by Hubs4Growth. Discover selected teams (such as ResultX 🎉 📈 ) who just raised 1.2M this week) who are at the forefront of sector transitions... : ☀ Energy Management: focusing on the future of flexible energy consumption, optimizing energy flows, and improving building heating / cooling. 🌍 Road to carbon zero & ESG: enhancing supply chain emissions tracking, ESG reporting, and bio-economy aimed at decarbonizing industries. 🚗 Transport: optimizing fleet & asset management for efficiency and sustainability. 🌊 Resource Management: Advanced tools for pipeline monitoring, leakage detection, and localized detailed asset management. 🧪 Product Development: Software that optimizes product life-cycles. PM us if you want receive an invitation. DJ, drinks and food under the Ghent Wintercircus dome also included! 😎 Schrijf hier in: https://lnkd.in/e7sqEfWq

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For the second year in a row, we're hosting the Masterclass: Build Your Future! Last year's edition was our highest-rated program. Rik Vera, the maestro himself, will focus on 3 things: 🔍 Understand the latest trends 🌍 Discover how they impact the world 📈 Learn to leverage them in your business strategy The focus is 50-50 inspiration/workshop. The workshop itself is generic, but the tools and learnings are applicable to your situation. Link in comments. See you there! :)

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How is the #Belgian #Tech landscape evolving? 🚀 The first State of Belgian Tech report by Syndicate One, Sofina, and Bain & Co. shows strong growth. €470M was invested in H1 2024, surpassing last year’s total! Yet, with early-stage deals making up 77%, Belgium’s ecosystem has room to mature. Key insights: ⚡Strong growth in early-stage investments while late-stage investments lag behind ⚡AI drives 70% of recent funding ⚡Foreign investors show confidence in Belgian innovation, bringing essential expertise ⚡Talent gaps remain a major challenge Belgium’s tech ecosystem is still maturing, but the potential is undeniable. Time for the next phase: scaling success stories! 🚀 Read full article below 👇 #BelgianTech #Innovation #Belgianeconomy

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Last Thursday we attended an event hosted by Health Hub Aalst & ZorgLab Aalst. The aim was to facilitate innovation by connecting entrepreneurs with the healthcare sector 🌱 During our conversations at the event, two opportunities to utilize data in healthcare management struck us most. Effective data analysis could help hospitals and other centers optimize their stock levels, reducing both overstock and shortages of crucial supplies. This increased precision ensures that resources are available when needed without tying up capital in excess inventory. Additionally, data can support staffing decisions and facility usage, ensuring that healthcare providers are deployed efficiently. By minimizing waste and improving logistical operations through data-driven strategies, healthcare facilities can significantly reduce costs, ultimately leading to more affordable care for patients at a higher quality! 🚀 #healthcare #data #innovation

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What is the most important succes factor for entrepreneurial ventures? Is it the idea? The team? The timing? During yesterday’s INSEAD Alumni Association of Belgium Entrepreneurship Club visit to Twipe, I asked the question to the participants. Opinions were mixed, but most people selected “the team”. Research from amongst others Harvard Business School has shown that eventually timing is the most determining factor. Looking back at 25 years of entrepreneurship, I can confirm that the (founding) team is really important and ideas are key but change over time. However capturing the opportunity at the right time often makes or breaks a venture. Thanks Muriel Van Severen Thomas De Clerck and Thomas Goubau for organising and Lien Callens Simon Duyver Marc Verhaeren Mia Cariño Gigi Chik Alexander De Luca Edouard Benroubi Maurizio Pedriale Eveline Le Bruyn Varvara Litvinova Valentin Ringlet Tanguy Peers Frederic GUYARD for the engaging exchanges.

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Download ons Lookbook! Laat je inspireren!

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Absolutely love this, Namrata! This is exactly what The Octopus Movement is all about—turning nonlinear brilliance into tangible change. The way we are harnessing AI to capture, organize, and validate ideas is a game-changer. It's like we've found a way to connect the wild creativity of our non-linear brains with the precision and depth of AI's pattern recognition. This isn't just ideation—it's about creating a constant flow from thought to think tank, to white papers, to startup potential, and beyond. We are unlocking new possibilities, making sure no brilliant idea slips through the cracks. I'm excited to see how this synergy between human creativity and AI's capabilities will lead to world-changing outcomes. Let’s bring those ideas to life and redefine how we create in this age of chaos!

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Here are a few thoughts on our to revitalise our #economy, and boost #innovation! Let me have your insights.

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