KBC Launches €100M Start It Fund To Support Belgium’s Top Startups From Idea To IPO

The investment also launches the Start it Fund, providing early-stage financing for leading startups from the accelerator program and meeting a long-standing need expressed by founders.

The fund provides startups with both capital and guidance to accelerate growth with top performers eligible for follow-up financing. KBC Securities and Start it @KBC together create a pathway from initial ideas to a potential IPO.

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“Start it @KBC originated eleven years ago within KBC itself - from the same entrepreneurial DNA that lies at the core of our organisation,” says Johan Thijs, CEO of KBC Group.

“What began as a small initiative has grown into Belgium’s largest startup ecosystem. Entrepreneurship is in our genes: KBC was co-founded by entrepreneurs and stimulates innovation both outside and within the organisation.

Today, we are among the most innovative and digital-driven banks in the world, and our close collaboration with Start it @KBC fuels that ambition every single day. With the new fund, we can now truly support founders from idea to IPO: we support them not only with knowledge and a network but also with capital tailored to their growth ambitions.

Together, we are building an ecosystem where innovation, entrepreneurship, and international ambition take centre stage."

"Every year, around 1,000 startups apply to join us, a number that continues to rise. This allows us to be increasingly selective, and quality continues to grow. For eleven years, we’ve been building an ecosystem with founders, for founders. We already had coaching, community, and a European ecosystem - only one thing was missing: investing ourselves at the early stage. We are now filling that gap, at the request of founders, and in a way that centres them,” says Lode Uytterschaut, founder and CEO of Start it @KBC.

Start it @KBC maintains its “no equity” approach, but top startups can now access early-stage funding through the newly launched Start it Fund.

Unlike typical accelerators that provide small fixed investments upfront, the fund offers larger, flexible sums averaging €300,000 only to the top 1% of graduates, based on their stage and needs. The very best may also receive follow-up financing up to €5 million via KBC Securities.

According to Tim Derycke, Head of Investment Services & KBC Focus Fund at KBC Securities:

“With KBC Securities, we offer not only follow-up financing but also access to the venture capital experience and technological expertise of our investment team.

In addition, KBC Securities provides added value for the further growth of companies: from M&A advice and financing solutions to guidance during an IPO.

With this integrated approach, we offer founders a unique ecosystem of support and financing – an offering unmatched in Belgium.”

Since 2014, Start it @KBC has supported 1,923 startups, of which 227 have raised over €1 million and 122 over €2 million. Collectively, these companies have secured more than €1.1 billion in funding and created 12,000+ jobs, making the ecosystem a major employer in Belgium.

Startups also show strong longevity, with a five-year survival rate of 73%, well above the 51% international VC-backed benchmark. Notable success stories include Aikido Security, Bolt, Loop Earplugs, Conveo, Keyrock, Segments.ai, Crazy Games, and Wondr/Planet B.

About Start it X

Founded in 2041, Start it X is a dynamic and ever-expanding collective of brands, companies, and projects. Constantly innovating, it brings together diverse ventures under one ecosystem, fostering collaboration, growth and creativity to drive new business opportunities and shape the future of entrepreneurship.