In Brussels, there is a plethora of solutions for those who want support in their entrepreneurial ambitions. 'The Map' has undertaken to list them all, without exception.
Being the Belgian capital of entrepreneurship requires hard work... And Beci has once again decided to make its contribution. It now provides start-ups, aspiring entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes with a comprehensive online map of all the players and initiatives that can support them in their activities.
This major work of clarification will also be of interest to students, researchers and anyone curious about the Brussels ecosystem of business support — a complex one, it must be said. “Together with two Solvay Master’s students – Mohamed Essoussi and Édouard Maurin – and the Beci team, we wanted to identify and document all these organisations. It was a long-term effort, carried out both online and in the field,” explains Alain Heureux, who led the project.
Brussels as a Service
To achieve this, the team naturally turned to a Brussels-based company. Specialising in research and visualisation through the development of smart maps, DataScouts has developed an intuitive tool, a veritable map of Brussels as a Service, which is available free of charge at beci.be.
‘The Map’ lists all of Brussels' players involved in entrepreneurship, with no fewer than 497 points of interest. There are 30 incubators, including the well-known EEBIC, GREENBIZ, StartLab and Beefounders, as well as lesser-known structures. Such as Seven Seed, which is launching a specific programme for American tech founders wishing to ‘start a new life in Europe’. Or the Fais le toi-même collective and its ‘Unconventional and determined support programme’. Accelerators include Syndicate One, ScaleFund, Hexa and The Faktory, as well as around twenty others, including Entreprenoires, which promotes Afro-Belgian female entrepreneurship and expertise.
The map also shows research centres, such as the VUB's FARI, dedicated to AI, and the Brussels branch of IMEC. It also lists 45 sectoral federations, ‘important for any CEO who wants to connect with their sector,’ emphasises Alain Heureux. Leaving no one out, the designers have also included educational, academic and training organisations – Actiris, Digital City, Cité des Métiers and several others – as well as economic media and publishers, and online networks.
Meetings and collaborations
Key elements of the ecosystem, a number of financial partners and other specialised structures are also shown on the map. ‘Many Brussels projects involve both the private and public sectors. The latter invests nearly €500 million in entrepreneurship,’ emphasises Alain Heureux. Alongside Hub.brussels, he mentions finance&invest.brussels and Innoviris in particular. This summer, the agency announced the financing of 17 new generative AI projects for more than €830,000. Among many others, there is Citydev, which provides support in finding space, and BRUSCEFO, which specialises in supporting projects in the food sector.
The map also includes co-working spaces and event venues, because "an ecosystem is first and foremost about people exchanging ideas and collaborating. And B19 and De Warande aren't the only places to meet," continues Alain Heureux, pointing in particular to La Tricoterie and Roller Coaster, the community of women entrepreneurs founded by Clio Goldbrenner and Emilie Duchêne. Female leaders will also find, via the tool, a number of other structures specifically dedicated to them. ‘Open to all genders and cultures, The Map reflects the diversity and inclusiveness of Brussels,’ he adds.
A highly dense ecosystem
The platform showcases the incredible vitality of the ecosystem. BeCentral brings together start-ups, growing companies, training providers, investors (via BeAngels), Google's digital workshop, Proximus' centre of expertise in AI and cyber security, and the Orange Digital Centre, a vast hub dedicated to digital inclusion and innovation initiatives.
Heureux also mentions the Swedish organisation Norrsken, Europe’s largest impact-focused seed investment fund, which has recently opened its Brussels office in the European quarter. And then there’s WAT – an ambitious incubator founded by Thibaud Elzière, inspired by Station F in Paris and Ghent’s Wintercircus. Dedicated to European start-ups in AI, energy transition and health, it will open in November in a former 10,000 m² power station in Ixelles.
An evolving map
Powered by AI, the platform incorporates tools for updating and enriching data in real time. The project has thus been able to evolve beyond its initial mission, and the platform will be able to easily adapt to other developments in the future. ‘I encourage stakeholders to visit The Map and let us know about any changes,’ adds Alain Heureux, who knows better than anyone that a database must be constantly updated to retain its value.
What is his own view of the Brussels support ecosystem? ‘Efforts still need to be made to reduce administrative complexity,’ he insists, praising several initiatives in this regard, such as Partena Professional's Fast Lane and the new BelDoc application. ‘And then, we must remain ambitious, especially for companies that are two or three years old, which often tend to stagnate or leave Brussels as they grow. Start, scale... and stay in Brussels would be my message. Finally, the power of an ecosystem can only truly be expressed when its various players collaborate effectively. There is still room for improvement in this area.’