Discover the winners and nominees
of the 2023 edition of the PE Awards.
In the category Venture Company of the year, our winner is:
Agomab
Agomab is a biotech company founded in 2017 and is based in Ghent.
Led by CEO Tim Knotreus, Agomab aims to develop novel treatments that preserve and restore organ functions in a range of acute and chronic conditions associated with tissue injury, inflammation, fibrosis and degeneration. The company’s disease-modifying treatments are developed based on a deep understanding of growth factors and their implications in fibrotic-related diseases.
In July 2022, the company raised 40 million USD, bringing the aggregate financing to 140 million USD. Big pharma companies, such as Boehringer Ingelheim and Pfizer have invested in the company.
The company currently employs 36 people.
In the category Growth company of the year, our winner is
Biobest
Biobest is a pioneer in the production of bumblebees since 1987 and is located in Westerlo.
Under CEO Jean-Marc Vandoorne, the company has become one of the world’s leading companies in natural pollination and biological control of pests and diseases using beneficial insects, mites and microorganisms.
With strong international growth, the company has recently raised EUR 100 million, mainly from Sofina and from private investors. In 2022, Biobest acquired US Plant Products, one of the most important distributors of integrated biological products in the US and Canada.
The company currently employs 2.000 people.
Our winner in the category Buy-out company of the year, is:
VK architects+engineers
VK architects+engineers is a multidisciplinary design agency located in Brussels.
The company, led by CEO Paul Corbeel, delivers exceptional design and engineering solutions to its clients. Specialising in a full lifecycle service approach, which means they take projects from conception to completion, VK wants clients to receive the highest quality of service at every stage.
VK architects+engineers, in which Down2Earth Capital has been a majority investor since 2018, was acquired by Sweco from Sweden, the largest engineering bureau in Europe. VK is active in architecture, as well as engineering for the construction sectors. It has provided services for a number of significant projects, including the new NATO building, and hospitals in Brussels, Ghent and Antwerp.
The group employs more than 600 FTE.
Videos other nominees
Aphea.bio
(Venture Company)
Dualyx
(Venture Company)
UgenTec
(Growth Company)
Ecosteryl
(Growth Company)
Trustteam
(Buy-out Company)
Veldeman Group
(Buy-out Company)