Syndicate One debuts as a Belgian investment company, raising €6.5 million in funding to support Belgian founders and startups. Although the amount is small, the important point is that it is the first Belgian fund to receive support from all four federal regions of the country. The country is so divided that there are even periodic periods where there is no real government.
Founded in 2022, the fund is backed by over 100 entrepreneurs and startup operators and has since been backed by Techwolf, Aikido Security, Sirona Technologies, Donna, Cosmic Aerospace, Vendorvue, SAPI, Powernaut, Kennek, and more. invests in early-stage startups.
The fund's founder backers include companies such as Collibra, Deliverect, Datacamp, Showpad, Qover, Cowboy, and Go Vocal.
The four government funds supporting this fund are PMV (Flanders), SFPIM (Federal Government), Finance&invest.brussels (Brussels) and Wallonie Entreprendre (Wallonia).
Despite being a small country, Belgium is starting to focus on nurturing startups in Europe.
According to the State of Belgian Tech Report 2024 (edited by Dealroom), total investments in eight Belgian tech startups in the first half of 2024 amounted to nearly 500 million euros, compared to 424 million euros in all of 2023. .
From 2018 to the first half of 2024, early-stage funding rounds accounted for around 77% of the funds raised by Belgian tech startups, compared to just 42% in Europe during the same period. According to Dealroom, this difference has been consistent for the past five years.
AI companies will account for more than 70% of invested capital in the first half of 2024, and foreign investor participation has averaged about 66% since 2020.
“By uniting investors, operators and founders, we not only provide ambitious startups with the funding they need to grow, but also the resources they need to grow,” Syndicate One founder Laurence de Puerter said in a statement. “We have created a platform that also provides guidance and networking.”
Those joining in on the fun include Andreas De Neve, co-founder of TechWolf, Felix Garriau, co-founder of Aikido Security, Roeland Delrue, Willem Delbare, and Willem Schroe, founder and CEO of Botanix Labs. , Holly co-founder Boris Gordts, Vendorvue co-founder Michael, and more. Berel.