Stefan Schippers

By tripling its international #climatefinancing and mobilizing a record amount of private capital, Belgium is showing at #COP29 that it is prepared to make its contribution, in everyone's interest. 📣 BIO - the Belgian Investment Company for Developing Countries is proud to have contributed more than EUR 66 M in #climatefinance to companies and entrepreneurs in developing countries in 2023, representing around 25% of BIO’s total annual commitment target. These investments include a variety of projects, reflecting BIO’s ambition to support climate actions beyond traditional #renewableenergy. Amongst others, they include an insurance company developing climate hazard coverage for its clients and a private equity fund targeting climate agritech SMEs (https://lnkd.in/e9mxf3Uz). 💡 This BIO commitment is aligned with our new Climate Strategy (https://lnkd.in/e2-GMPTN) and demonstrates our commitment to support the low-carbon and resilient transition in our partner countries. 💡 Also interesting, my DFI colleagues Michael Jongeneel from FMO - Dutch entrepreneurial development bank, Leslie Maasdorp of British International Investment, and Tellef Thorleifsson of Norfund shared an op-ed in Reuters today on how development finance is crucial to unlock the private capital the world needs to meet net zero. Read the full piece here: https://lnkd.in/e2d8CJvR Heidy Rombouts, PhD, Alexander De Croo, Nathalie Francken, Els Hertogen, Arnaud Zacharie, Jean-Christophe Charlier, Géraldine Georges #COP29Azerbaijan #ClimateResilience #InvestmentDriven #SustainableDevelopment #ClimateAction #BIOinvests #DevelopmentFinance #TeamBelgium

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Interesting in becoming an entrepreneur in deep-tech? Let's drive innovation forward! Hightech XL is a great program that enables entrepreneurs and leading European research institutes & Corporates to connect and push amazing technologies forward to solve societal challenges!

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My new special on "Advanced EBITDA Cleaning" is now available ! With sub-topics: -EBITDA & Intangibles: Improving the statements; -Adjusted ROIC (return on invested capital); -Cleaning the cash flow statement. Enjoy reading ! Best Joris

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Record investments for Belgian technology companies in 2024 The Belgian technology sector experienced a successful investment year in 2024 with a record amount of €1.43 billion (not including biotech rounds and secondary transactions). This is evident from an analysis by industry federation Agoria. The amount raised is almost double the €738 million raised in 2023 and exceeds the previous record year 2022 (1.41 billion). Another striking trend is the strong positions of the energy and cleantech sector and the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) as an important investment category. Almost half of all tech investments in 2024 went to companies with a strong AI component, such as Robovision and TechWolf. A newcomer is the 'hospitality tech' category, where the Ghent scale-up in hotel software Lighthouse raised 350 million in a single round. The city of Ghent (Stad Gent) can call itself the undisputed Belgian tech capital in 2024 with a total of €520 million in investments in 26 tech companies (excluding biotech). Regionally, Brussels (150 million) and Wallonia (190) lag behind Flanders (1.06 billion) in terms of tech-specific investments. Read more, including full report in English ("Analysis of Belgian Tech Fundraising in 2024") via https://lnkd.in/dVaPTVdz

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Gain invaluable insights and connect with fellow professionals and our experts. Secure your spot today and take your skills to the next level! #RSMBelgium #Seminar #ProfessionalDevelopment #Learning

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Just read a survey from Profacts on Belgians' views on the economy and their financial situation. What struck me was the contrast between the general population's pessimism and the optimism of young people. Key takeaways for me: • 7 out of 10 respondents have a negative perception of the Belgian economy • In contrast, more than half of 16- to 24-year-olds have a positive image of the economy • 55% expect energy costs to rise, 49% anticipate price increases for shopping, and 38% for telecom • 7 out of 10 Belgians have little or no savings Personally, I'm more optimistic about the short-term outlook. I believe inflation will decrease in the coming months, and gas prices will drop as new capacity comes online. However, we're entering a new economic era, with underlying forces that will drive inflation and interest rates higher in the long term. As we navigate this 'Fourth Turning', it's crucial to stay informed, adapt to changing circumstances, and seek expert advice when needed. At BNP Paribas Fortis, we're ready to help our clients overcome these economic challenges. Read more about the survey in our press release: FR: https://lnkd.in/eg6vwQsF NL: https://lnkd.in/e2GwJctN #ReadyForYourWorld #Economy

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Day 2 of the Flanders Investment & Trade (FIT) and @projectgoose EU mission in Tokyo 🇧🇱 🇧🇱 🇧🇱 🇧🇱 to explore public sector opportunities for European companies has come to an end. Great discussions with web3 leaders at Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Financial Services Agency, Japan (JFSA, 金融庁). Very encouraged by the progressive approach of both organizations! I was asked "What can Japan do to attract web3 companies, global partnerships, VC investment and foreign direct investments to grow the domestic web3 ecosystem?" and to be honest, the missing factor seems to be a global megaphone 📣 . It seems the word is out domestically and there is a rapidly growing domestic ecosystem but the rest of the world is yet to learn about the progressive stance of the public sector and financial regulator in Japan. From what I have seen in other regions, there are few countries with such well developed policies, regulatory stance and federal support for web3 and an open dialogue with key public officials to establish Japan as a #web3 hub of the future. Just need to get the word out! Great work earlier this year with Japan FinTech Festival ELEVANDI Japan Makoto Shibata to start spreading the word and with public sector leaders like Ryosuke Ushida, Chihiro Ban and Waka Itagaki Toyohara pushing web3 ahead in Japan, looking forward to what the years ahead will bring! Hope to play a role in helping to get the word out and looking forward to the next 3 days of the trade mission! Hiroki Morita Kenji Sugawara Nandan Joshi Jason Beale Masaki Bessho Masaki Tsunada Kaya Kanamori Hiroyuki Sato Graham Stone Mathieu MICHEL

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My 5 Key Learnings of Day 1 of GreenTech Forum Brussels 1) Sustainable IT in Belgium is very much in the awareness phase; France is leading the way 2) Large organisations are taking action with tools, standards and startups to support them 3) There is a huge challenge: reducing the impact of digital versus the growth of new technology (AI!!) 4) Eco-design considers the entire lifecycle of a digital system and aims to reduce waste (in terms of hardware, resources, unused features, etc.). 5) An architecture that excels in sustainability will also excel in terms of performance, cost efficiency, and customer satisfaction! #GTFBrussels #SustainableIT #GreenIT #ITforGreen

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Today, we are thrilled to announce that Felix Capital led the $42.75 million #SeriesB funding round for TechWolf. Based in Belgium, TechWolf is at the forefront of innovation in #AI and #HRtech, a space that we have been following for some time as a team. We started Felix in 2015 as a thematic investment firm, following trends impacting consumer lives, whether at home or at work. We explored the evolution of the “modern workplace” ever since, leading us to enterprise #SaaS investments from our early days, including TravelPerk and Mirakl. It has been exciting to see the tremendous impact of #AI across the vertical markets we focus on. As we delved deeper on the impact of AI on HR in particular, we found TechWolf - an AI-powered skills platform to help enterprises establish an automatic, instant, and always up-to-date view of skills and skill gaps across their teams. As a venture firm for the Creative Class, we felt aligned with this mission: enabling individuals and organisations to unlock their skills, competencies and passions in the workplace, and subsequently their lives, in a transformative way. Even better, this company has been born in our own home in #Europe, joining the ranks of other #AI pioneers. We are joined in this round by a great set of co-investors including 20VC, Workday Ventures, ServiceNow Ventures, SAP, Notion Capital, and existing investors Acadian Ventures, Fortino Capital, and Stride.VC. Many congratulations to TechWolf founders Andreas De Neve 🐺, Jeroen Van Hautte 🐺, Mikaël Wornoo🐺 and welcome to the Felix family! 🙌 https://lnkd.in/g4uFgbgm

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I invite all Belgian tech companies to participate in this survey

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Here are a few thoughts on our to revitalise our #economy, and boost #innovation! Let me have your insights.

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What an energy boost for our startup ! ... I am thrilled to share about participating in the Creatures Academy in #Brussels. So great to meet like-minded entrepreneurs and making new connections with local tech companies that are entering the global game. This program offers a unique opportunity to engage with innovative minds and develop essential growth skills. I am excited to also start collaborating with other participants at the same development stage and to leverage this experience to propel our mission of providing transparent and sustainable financing solutions. The main strong point : in-person workshops and masterclasses covering various aspects of #creativity, #innovation, and #businessdevelopment. So far it enabled us to evolve so many different aspects about ou business model and especially about how we define and approach the personae of our business made for investing in tangible products & for accelerating #sustainable brands. (Let me know if you are a startup active in #Belgium looking for info or insights about the program)

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Spreds is the Belgian regulated #investment #platform that focuses on democratizing #equity & #debt investment through #crowdfunding and #venture #pooling, helping startups secure funding while reducing administrative complexities. The platform has assisted over 400 companies since its inception and manages over 610 dedicated compartments. More info: www.spreds.com or [email protected] #capital #raise #share #stakeholders #management #seed #startups #scaleups #innovation #entrepreneurial #ecosystem Investing involves serious risks, including the partial or total loss of the invested capital. Please read the Key Investment Information Sheet and risk factors and log in before investing.

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People have frequently asked me over the past few months: "Jeremy, is Quantum just a buzzword or is it real?" Our #1 Quantum community for Belgium answers the question: 🎤 The #Quantum era isn’t a distant dream, it’s happening right now, and it will redefine how industries operate! These real-life applications are already reshaping how businesses operate, pushing industries toward unprecedented levels of efficiency and innovation. 🔎 Don’t want to get left behind? Get involved with the Quantum community that’s positioning #Belgium 🇧🇪 at the heart of the Quantum #innovation map and gain the ability to enter a valuable network of forward thinkers. 🔗 Connect with us: https://lnkd.in/eUwvCfBc #IndustryInnovation, #Community Quantum Circle

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🔊The 23rd edition of the Belgian Awards for Sustainability Reports is still open for submissions, but not for long. Don't miss your chance to participate! 🌿🚀 📌 Who can participate? Any organization that has issued a sustainability report on its activities in Belgium or beyond is eligible. Here are the key criteria: 🌱The report must relate to the year 2023 or the most recent available report prior to 2023, published in 2023 or 2024, and not previously submitted. 🌱It should cover activities of a Belgian legal entity or Belgian activities of a foreign entity with clear sustainability objectives and detailed information for Belgium. 🌱The report must disclose environmental, social, and governance (ESG) activities and performance. 🌱It can be based on national, EU, or international sustainability reporting frameworks. 🗓️ Submission Deadlines: General submissions are currently open but will soon close on 1st July. Submissions for SMEs and other organizations will be accepted until 22nd July. Don't miss out on this opportunity to showcase your sustainability efforts. Submit your report now! (https://sowo.kr/J2dvSDLf) 🌍 For more details and submission guidelines, visit our website. (https://sowo.kr/gf3fwYda)

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One page interview in La Libre Eco this weekend! Sharing the tremendous success of the #1 Belgium Impact Startup Awards. I had the pleasure to discuss with Nicolas Ghislain the reasons why I’m organizing these unique Awards 🏆 . 1️⃣ Building bridges Bringing #startups and large corporations through the Juries. We have jury members working for many very prestigious large corporations such as AXA, BNP, D’Ieteren, Orange, ING, Spadel, XLG, Securex, UCB, AGInsurance, Eurostar, Lyreco, Volvo CE, …  2️⃣ Creating value for all stakeholders. Prizes for winners have been thoroughly selected to help the winning startups to make a difference in their business. At the same time, the sponsors and partners can demonstrate the relevance and impact of their product and service offering for the startups. Win-win! 3️⃣ Federating our 🇧🇪startup ecosystem This is an initiative from the startup ecosystem for the startup ecosystem. It compensates for the flagrant lack of public and political support. Regional public drive is good but who’s federating? There’s a clear missing support from the federal public entities to create synergies between the regions and as such foster the national ecosystem. 👉 Stay tuned. 📅 Tomorrow we are unveiling the Nominees. 👈 Let's scale up! 👏 #startups #scaleups #buildingbridges 💪 JCDecaux Belgium & Luxembourg, Silversquare, Google Cloud, La Libre, TheMerode

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To create a Crisis-Adjusted CV, candidates should: Highlight Crisis Management Skills: Clearly outline skills and experiences related to crisis management, such as problem-solving under pressure, quick decision-making, and effective communication during crises. Detail Relevant Experiences: Include specific roles or projects where the candidate successfully navigated companies through difficult times, emphasizing the challenges faced and the outcomes achieved. Showcase Leadership in Adversity: Provide examples of leadership roles during times of financial distress, restructuring, or significant organizational change. Quantify Achievements: Use numbers and data to demonstrate the impact of the candidate’s actions during crises, such as funds saved, percentage of growth, or recovery time reduced. Tailor the CV to the Role: Adjust the CV to reflect the specific requirements of the interim management position, focusing on relevant competencies and experiences. Use a Clear, Concise Format: Ensure the CV is easy to read, with a clear structure that allows the reader to quickly identify the candidate’s suitability for crisis management roles. By following these guidelines, candidates can create a CV that better reflects their qualifications for crisis management positions and aligns with the expectations of Kruger Interim Management B.V.

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# interesting food for thought but the aim should remain to build BE smart & unique eco-systems based on all the BE talents in Flanders, BXL and Wallonia and through combing smart BE public private partnerships with all the BE best practices alongside the EU/ITL ones

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