Back to overview
imec.istart goes evergreen

Flemish Government and private partners convert imec.istart’s pre-seed fund into evergreen fund

Program news - 15 Jul 2020

In 2017, the imec.istart Fund was established thanks to the Flemish Government, imec, ING, BNP Paribas Fortis, Telenet and Cronos Groep. With a starting capital of 12.5 million EUR, the fund could guarantee pre-seed funding for our selected startups until 2022.     

The Flemish Government and our strong private partners have now agreed to convert imec.istart Fund into an ‘evergreen’ fund, allowing us to support new startups in the long term. An extra 14.4 million EUR will consequently be injected into the fund.  

The initial pre-seed funding by imec.istart has an important leverage effect on attracting follow-up funding. Today, our startups have attracted more than 256 million EUR follow-up funding. This means that every euro invested by the imec.istart Fund generates 24 EUR funding through other sources. The initial investment and thorough support enable young startups to grow from a solid base. By giving the imec.istart Fund the evergreen status, the capital that returns form exits can be reinvested in the new generation of startups. 

Sven De Cleyn, manager of the imec.istart program and fund, explains the importance of the long term vision: “The results of our program prove that a long term investment in promising young technology startups pays off. Even in these difficult times, our startups continue to deliver satisfying results. Not a single portfolio company was urged to stop its activities due to the COVID-19 crisis, and a fair number still succeeds to grow and attract new resources by risk capital investors and banks. We are very pleased that the Flemish Government, as well as our private partners, underline the ambition to continue our way of working. By converting the imec.istart Fund into an evergreen fund, we can continue to help  new startups in becoming healthy, ambitious scale-ups.” 

Read more

amsterdam-blog-header

The Belgian Take-over – This was our international mission to Amsterdam & Eindhoven

Program news

Doing business in Belgium is hard, doing business abroad is even harder. That’s why the imec.istart program not only supports tech startups with early funding and extensive mentorship but also brings long-term value by organizing industry-centric missions to new territories for startups and partners. These inspirational trips usually consist of high-quality meetings, an efficient local network to support the missions, and, of course, the obligatory but nonetheless splendid dinners and cozy drinks, all enjoyed in the company of a fun and diverse group of enthusiastic portfolio founders. 

How to find the right co-founder for your tech startup

How to find the right co-founder for your tech startup

Program news

Your relationship with your co-founder can make or break your startup. According to CB insights 23% of all startups fail because of a weak founding team. Finding the right co-founder might just be the biggest challenge you will encounter as a startup founder. So, how do you increase your chances of a match made in heaven? 

2024-03-05-imecistart-kickoff-1002-lr

Meet the imec.istart Spring 2024 cohort

Program news

Say hello to our new Spring 2024 imec.istart cohort, fresh off the press and filled to the brim with promise and potential! We've selected 9 ventures, each helmed by founders who are talented, ambitious and determined to leave their mark on the world. By stepping into the imec.istart accelerator program, they gain access to funding, mentorship, cutting-edge tech, and a supportive network that feels like family. Let’s dive deeper into the selected startups, and the exciting work they're doing.