EIF IN
BELGIUM
Investing in the future of Belgian SMEs
Small and medium-size enterprises are the heart of the Belgian economy.
Representing 99% of all businesses and more than two thirds of the workforce, Belgium's 638,000 SMEs are responsible for driving innovation as well as spurring on growth, and their daily routine is what ensures the competitiveness of the Belgian economy. But to do that, they often need finance.
At the same time, as the smallest actors in the economy, they are often the hardest hit when the economy encounters turbulence, which is why it is so crucial for them to have financial options in order to maintain and eventually grow their businesses.
At the EIF, our mission is to improve access to finance for small businesses across the EU. In Belgium, we have been supporting SMEs since 1996 using a broad range of instruments, including many tailored to the needs of the Belgian market and designed with the Belgian government and local authorities.
As a result, we've been able to support more than 23,000 Belgian businesses, ranging from companies specialising in agricultural biologicals, film post-production, and museum exhibition organisation, making sure they have the financial fuel they need to pursue their ambitions.
Our intention is to continue to extend this type of support to the Belgian market, making access to finance easier as we collectively move towards a greener, digital and more inclusive Europe.
Success stories
Freddy met Curry
Success stories
Freddy met Curry
“Consumers are becoming much more concerned about what they are eating, the origin of the products they are consuming and their carbon footprint,” says Jeremie Lambin, CEO of Freddy met Curry, a sustainable caterer in Brussels that specialises in zero-waste lunches and delivery services.
Bringing together a series of eco-responsible actors, Jeremie’s business prides itself on sustainability: everything is 100% organic; jars are collected, cleaned and re-used; menus evolve with the seasons; suppliers are local; and delivery is done by bicycle. The business focuses mainly on lunch delivery, working with B2B clients and event catering. “We make most of the food in-house but also work with external partners. Salads, cookies and desserts are made by persons with disabilities.” Future plans include centralising production: “The new central kitchen unit will help us better respond enlarge our offering, expand our formats, execute faster, and also reduce customer order times.”
CD3
“We have to invest more in the discovery of drugs targeting dangerous and emerging viruses, and already start working now to counter the next pandemic.” explains Patrick Chaltin, Managing Director of CD3. “We actually have a list of multiple dangerous viruses for which we need to be more prepared, and that list included coronavirus.”
CD3, the Centre for Drug Design and Discovery, is an investment fund and drug discovery centre that aims to turn innovative biomedical research into drugs that can be further developed by pharmaceutical industry to treat all kinds of diseases. Using its drug discovery expertise, infrastructure and financial resources, CD3 works to bridge the gap between academic research and the pharmaceutical industry. "People talk a lot about finding a vaccine. But a drug is equally important. I think that in 2-3 years we could have a highly potent coronavirus drug in clinical development that could make the difference between life and death.”
Tempora
Organising an exhibition is a massive and often daunting task. The requirements can range from the concept to the research, the logistics, transport, administration and finance, among other things. Tempora, a company based in Forest, Brussels, is a one-stop shop for exhibitions. “We carry out the whole process in-house. We collect and organise the material, research, arrange the logistics and advertising, and, finally, put up the exhibition,” explains Raphael Remiche, Chief Financial Officer of Tempora. “Because we integrate everything into our approach, we’re cost-effective.”
In short span of time, Tempora has become a reference point in the world of museums and cultural heritage. “Our work combines the typical accuracy of the scientific research process with a high degree of creativity to present knowledge in an innovative and attractive way,” says Raphael. “We want to make sure our exhibitions enhance visitors’ knowledge and offer memorable life experiences,” he adds.
Charbon Studio
“People often ask why Charbon,” says Eric Pecher, Studio Manager at Charbon Studio based in La Hulpe, Wallonia, in Belgium. “The name actually defines us in so many ways: Charbon (coal in French) is rooted in Wallonia’s past, its economic development and defines our industrial heritage. Charbon is also a shade of black vital to colour grading work because it enhances images, highlights details, which is very important in films.
Charbon Studio specialises in film post-production, offering expertise in image calibration, definition, colour grading and mastering for producers all over Belgium. The business started in Michael’s living room, but by 2012 moved to larger premises. “We first started with small budget films, short movies, documentaries but we soon began working with ambitious young Belgian production companies like Frakas Productions, Tarantula, Neon Rouge Production,” and their expansion has enabled them to work with larger co-productions from all over Europe.
Aphea.bio
“There’s a lot of pressure on farmers these days,” says Isabel Vercauteren, CEO and co-founder of Aphea.Bio. “From both regulators and the authorities, but also from the consumer. Consumers play an important role. Everyone wants the perfectly straight carrot, no spots on the leeks, surreal demands… And we all generate way too much waste. We need to think more in terms of the circular economy, to be more realistic about what we are asking for as consumers. And agriculture needs to be more sustainable.”
Founded in 2017, Aphea.Bio develops new and superior agro-biologicals that use micro-organisms rather than chemicals to improve crop health and fitness. A spin-off from research projects at the Universities of Ghent and Leuven, Aphea.Bio has two main projects: one focussing on bio-stimulants, that increase yields; and another on crop-health, ridding crops of diseases and pests. In both cases, the ‘weapon of choice’ is naturally occurring micro-organisms.
KAAI
The leap from a stable job in a large organisation to starting-up your own business can be a daunting prospect and definitely takes a lot of courage. But that’s exactly what ex-top executives Ine Verhaert and Helga Meersmans did, quitting their positions in top management at large fashion companies to start their own business. “Before, we coordinated large teams. Now, we do everything on our own – from marketing to web development and logistics,” says Ine, co-founder of KAAI, which designs and produces handbags for working women in big cities.
The brand takes its name, KAAI, (quays in Dutch) from the canals of the city of Antwerp, one of Europe’s capitals of fashion and second-largest port. “Handbags need to be as dynamic as the women who carry them. With our own brand, KAAI, we aim to create bags that are both stylish and practical at the same time, for women who are always on the go.”
Key figures
Over
of EIF financing
Transactions with financial intermediaries
Equity investments since inception
Guarantees support since inception
made available for
Belgian businesses
Mandates in focus
The EIF continues to deploy capital in Belgium under a wide range of strategic programmes and mandates. Below are brief summaries of our main initiatives in Belgium.
InvestEU
The InvestEU programme provides the EU with crucial long-term funding by leveraging substantial private and public funds in support of a sustainable recovery. It is helping to mobilise private investments for the EU's policy priorities, such as the European Green Deal and the digital transition. The InvestEU Programme brings together under one roof the multitude of EU financial instruments previously available to support investment in the EU, making funding for investment projects in Europe simpler, more efficient and more flexible. The programme consists of three components: the InvestEU Fund, the InvestEU Advisory Hub and the InvestEU Portal. The InvestEU Fund is implemented through financial partners that will invest in projects using the EU budget guarantee of €26.2 billion. The entire budget guarantee will back the investment projects of the implementing partners, increase their risk-bearing capacity and thus mobilise at least €372 billion in additional investment.
RCR
The EIB’s Risk Capital Resources (RCR) is the core pillar of the EIF’s equity activity. It has enabled us to pursue our equity strategy in the venture capital and growth segments for more than 25 years. In 2023, RCR accounted for 25% of our equity activity, committing €1.4bn to financial intermediaries.
EFSI
The European Fund for Strategic Investments formed part of the EU's Investment Plan for Europe, launched by the European Commission in 2015. EFSI addressed market gaps in financing – whether in infrastructure, research, energy efficiency or risk finance for SMEs – and mobilised private investment into these areas. Through EFSI the EIF deployed €10.5bn in resources of the European Commission, the EIB and the EIF to improve access to finance for SMEs and small midcaps.
REPowerEU
The EU launched REPowerEU in 2022 to reduce dependence on fossil-fuel imports and accelerate the green transition. To support the plan, in October 2022, the EIB Group developed a package of measures focussing on renewable energy, energy efficiency, electricity networks and on deepening its engagement in green innovation and breakthrough technologies. Under REPowerEU, the EIF will invest €4.5bn by 2027 through EIF equity products.
ETCI
The European Tech Champions Initiative was launched in February 2023 with EIB Group resources alongside contributions from Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and hopefully soon, also other EU Member States. Managed by the EIF, this is the first of its kind growth stage fund-of-funds in Europe, with and endowment of €3.75bn of capital to tackle the European scale-up gap.
EGF
The European Guarantee Fund was created by the EIB Group with contributions from Belgium and other Member States to protect companies struggling in the crisis caused by COVID-19. With almost EUR 25bn in guarantees, the EGF allowed the EIB and EIF to swiftly offer companies, mostly SMEs and mid-caps, access to loans, guarantees, asset-backed securities, capital and other financial instruments. The EGF forms part of the package of recovery measures put in place by the EU, with the objective of providing a total of EUR 540bn to support the hardest hit sectors of the European economy.