Leuven is synonymous with research-driven innovation, anchored by KU Leuven, one of Europe’s leading technical universities. For IT and IT-enabled services startups, Leuven offers access to talent, research labs, and specialized mentorship, particularly for founders emerging from academic or deep tech backgrounds.
Ghent is one of Belgium’s most vibrant tech ecosystems, distinguished by a strong focus on AI, digital platforms, and IT-enabled services. The city benefits from a mix of academic research, innovation-driven accelerators, and a growing startup community. For IT founders, Ghent represents an ideal environment to validate products, access mentorship, and engage with early customers.
Antwerp is Belgium’s industrial and logistics hub, a city defined by its port — one of Europe’s largest — and its deep industrial networks. For IT and IT-enabled service startups, Antwerp offers unique opportunities, particularly in logistics tech, enterprise software, and B2B SaaS solutions. Founders who understand the industrial and commercial landscape can leverage local
Brussels is Belgium’s political and corporate heartbeat, and for IT and IT-enabled services startups, it represents the densest concentration of accelerators, investors, and corporate innovation programs in the country. The city is home to both established accelerators and specialized corporate programs, offering founders access to mentorship, networking, and early-stage funding. However, these advantages come with
Belgium’s startup accelerator ecosystem is geographically diverse and highly sector-driven, with hubs in Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent, Leuven, Liège, and Charleroi. For IT and IT-enabled services startups — the core focus of 1Mby1M — Belgium presents both opportunity and challenge. These hubs provide accelerators, corporate partnerships, and specialized networks, but they also illustrate the persistent accelerator
Gus Tai is a veteran Venture Capitalist and a close friend. We discuss why the Venture Capital or VC industry size needs to shrink.
This article summarizes Iceland’s Startup Accelerator Ecosystem – its incubation and acceleration infrastructure, comparing 1Mby1M to what’s available and educating bootstrapped and solo founders in Iceland on how to work with Silicon Valley from day zero. Iceland is a small country with a disproportionately innovative spirit. For solo founders, Reykjavík offers a close-knit entrepreneurial hub
This article summarizes Finland’s Startup Accelerator Ecosystem – its incubation and acceleration infrastructure, comparing 1Mby1M to what’s available and educating Finnish founders on how to work with Silicon Valley from day zero. Finland has long stood out as one of Europe’s most advanced innovation ecosystems — a nation where technology, education, and design intersect elegantly.