Brussels, 20 September 2024 – The Belgian Venture Capital & Private Equity Association (BVA) and BNP Paribas Fortis are organising the seventh edition of the Private Equity Awards. There are nine finalists, who were nominated based on criteria such as sustainable growth, authentic leadership and active ownership. The award ceremony will take place on Wednesday 9 October 2024.
The nine finalists are divided into three categories. For each category, the jury selected three nominees from a list drawn up by Belgian stakeholders in the field of venture capital and private equity:
- Best Venture Capital Company: Aikido Security, Henchman, Micledi Microdisplays
- Growth Company of the Year: Cluepoints, Robovision, Silverfin
- Buy-Out Company of the Year: Hertecant, Sofico, Tech Tribes
More information about each company can be found below in annex to this press release.
The Private Equity Awards reward high-performing Belgian companies that are supported by private capital. They focus on private equity as an asset class that helps companies to develop and grow.
This makes venture capital and private equity driving forces in our economy: in 2023, private equity and venture capital funds invested a total of EUR 2 billion in 264 Belgian companies. Capital is an important source of financing for our start-ups and scale-ups.
According to data from Invest Europe, Belgium has 1,070 companies that are supported with venture capital. Together, they employ 220,000 people. In the past year, the increase in the number of jobs in companies financed by private equity was six times greater than in other companies. These strong figures are also reflected in this year’s nominees: Tech Tribes, Sofico and Cluepoints have a combined workforce of 1,300 people.
“We congratulate the nine nominated companies who, together with their investors, have written a fantastic story The entrepreneurs involved have a strong financial track record and contribute to innovation and job creation in Belgium”, said Renaat Berckmoes, Chairman of the BVA.
“BNP Paribas Fortis is pleased to be a partner in the seventh edition of the Private Equity Awards. Private equity represents a unique way to support and further develop innovative and sustainable business projects. This year, some remarkable companies have again been selected, each of which has achieved impressive results with the support of their investors. We look forward to welcoming the nominees to the Docks Dome and reflecting on their success”, added Raf Moons, Head of BNP Paribas Fortis Private Equity.
2024 nominees
Venture
- Aikido Security
Aikido Security is a cyber specialist that helps developers write more secure software. The company was founded in 2022 and is based in Ghent. Willem Delbare, founder of Teamleader, is the CEO of Aikido Security.
Companies need to comply with many complex compliance regulations and standards. These growing compliance obligations are the responsibility of developers who increasingly need to act as security experts. Aikido Security offers software solutions to meet this need.
Since the company was founded in 2022, EUR 24 million has been raised from Singular, Notion Capital, Connect Ventures and others.
Aikido Security currently employs 60 people.
- Henchman
Henchman was founded in Ghent in 2020 by Jorn Vanysacker, Gilles Mattelin and Wouter Van Respaille.
Henchman provides an AI tool for lawyers, which allows them to scan, index and rank clauses from contracts. This digital ‘henchman’ allows lawyers to work faster and more efficiently, saving time while improving the quality of their research work.
The company, which was co-financed by Pitchdrive, was sold to LexisNexis in the summer of 2024.
There are currently 45 people working at the company.
- Micledi Microdisplays
Micledi Microdisplays is a Leuven-based hardware company. Founded in 2019 as a spin-off of imec, the firm develops unique micro-LED technology for augmented reality glasses.
Led by Sean Lord, Micledi Microdisplays develops augmented reality glasses that have a much higher resolution than existing models and are also much lighter and more compact.
The company has already raised EUR 30 million from imec.xpand, FPIM, KBC, PMV and others.
It employs 10 people.
Growth
- Cluepoints
Founded in 2012, Cluepoints develops data analytics technology for clinical trials of pharmaceutical companies and is based in Louvain-la-Neuve. IDDI, a world-renowned contract research organisation specialising in statistics and data science and founded by Marc Buyse, was the developer behind the technology. The technology provided by Cluepoints helps pharmaceutical companies detect errors and fraud when preparing clinical studies.
The company counts major names such as Pfizer, BioNTech, UCB and Novo Nordisk among its client base. Following a financing round by Summit in 2020, it was acquired by EQT in 2024 at a valuation of EUR 500 million, with WE, Invest.BQ and Theodorus making a successful exit.
Cluepoints employs 287 staff, of which 130 work in Belgium.
- Robovision
Founded in 2007, Robovision is a specialist in AI computer vision. The company develops software that enables machines to see their environment.
Robovision is headed up by CEO Thomas van den Driessche.
So far, the company has raised EUR 65 million from a mix of Belgian and international investors. Astanor, PMV, Finindus, Dovesco, Atlas Invest, PE Capital Group and Red River West are among its shareholders.
Robovision has 105 members of staff.
- Silverfin
Ghent-based Silverfin provides accounting software with a focus on AI and automation. It was founded in 2013 by Joris Van der Gucht and Tim Vandecasteele.
The company is led by CEO Lisa Miles-Heal. Silverfin has more than 900 customers in 15 countries.
At the end of 2023, Norwegian firm Visma acquired the company, resulting in a successful exit for Smartfin.
The company currently employs 170 people.
Buy-out
- Hertecant
Hertecant Flanges from Westerlo produces flanges. The company is rapidly expanding through its provision of business-critical pipeline repair parts for industry.
Hertecant has 350 customers in 36 countries. 80% of its customers are located in the EU. The company recorded revenue growth of 40% in the past year.
Hertecan’s CEO is Mark de Wachter.
Shareholders Down 2 Earth Capital and PMV sold the company to the Italian firm Wise Equity at the end of 2023.
Hertecant has 46 members of staff.
- Sofico
Founded in 1988 and based in Ghent, Sofico is a software company that provides solutions to the leasing sector. The company operates in more than 20 countries.
Sofico is led by CEO Gémar Hompes and provides both B2B (fleet) and B2C solutions (retail). It has a strong portfolio of national and international customers, including KBC Lease, ALD Automotive, Interleasing, Athlon, Volkswagen and Mercedes.
At the end of 2023, the French investment fund Astorg took control of the company, in which Apheon reinvested together with its founders.
Sofico has 513 employees.
- Tech Tribes
Founded in 1988, Tech Tribes is based in Antwerp.
The company, led by CEO Benjamin Goesaert, is active in IT consulting. Since 2017, its growth has been supported by the private equity investor Bencis. Turnover and employment tripled between 2017 and 2024 to EUR 100 million with 750 employees working in Belgium and the Netherlands.
The company specialises in providing digital connectivity solutions for both the media industry and airport baggage handling.
Bencis exited the company in 2024. NPM is continuing the company’s growth trajectory.
Tech Tribes has 750 employees.
