biotope by VIB

One week ago, we concluded our sixth basecamp, pitching in front of the biotope investment committee. 🚀 "I enjoyed witnessing the creativity and passion of startups as they pitch groundbreaking ideas and innovative applications for food and agriculture," says IC member An Michiels. "It’s inspiring to see how these new technologies align seamlessly with the dynamic and thriving ecosystem we have built here in Gent." In the new year, we'll announce which startups have been selected to join the growing biotope portfolio. 👏

🚀 On December 2nd, Annick and Lore joined the New Food Paradigm event at STATION F in Paris, hosted by ShakeUp Factory and EIT Food. 💡It was amazing to see our portfolio startups PFx Biotech, Lda, I-Challenge and Probitat take the spotlight, whether on stage or at the showcase booths. 👀 What’s next for 2025? We don’t know yet, but one thing’s for sure: we’re hungry for more! 🍔🌱 Carme Plumed-Ferrer Wendy Ossieur Katrien Begyn Ali Osman Annick Verween Lore De Valck

We're approaching the climax of our basecamp.
⛰️ Tomorrow is the big day: all founder teams in this cohort will present to the biotope investment committee.
It's been wonderful to see their progress over these past few weeks. Now: go get them! 💪

After 3 weeks of basecamp, we have 1️⃣1️⃣ startups getting ready for the biotope by VIB investment committee. It always blows me away how innovative and scientifically complex some of the USPs are and how great science is translated in a startup idea to generate impact. However, no matter how fancy the underlying biotechnology of the teams is, it ALWAYS must SOLVE A PROBLEM, customers are willing to pay for to get it solved. A mantra all biotope teams know by now (and thanks Sophie Roelants for echoing this): stop ❤️ your technology, fall in love with a problem worth solving ❤️

🚀 𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐦𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐁𝐢𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡! 🌿 AmphiStar, one of the biotope alumni startups, is on a mission to 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐁𝐢𝐨𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦, transforming waste into innovative, circular alternatives for surfactants used in the products we rely on every day. To drive this vision, they’re looking for a 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 & 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐫 who’s ready to ensure our innovative solutions meet global safety and legal standards. 💡 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐘𝐨𝐮’𝐥𝐥 𝐃𝐨 - Ensure compliance with 𝐄𝐔 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐇 and 𝐓𝐒𝐂𝐀 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬. - Prepare and lead 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 for product approvals. - Collaborate with a dynamic startup team committed to sustainability and innovation. 🌟 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐀𝐫𝐞 - Experienced in 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 (biotech experience is a plus!). - A hands-on, detail-oriented 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 who thrives on solving challenges - Passionate about 𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲, and advancing the 𝐜𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐲 If this sounds like you - or you know someone perfect for the role - please do reach out! For more details and to apply, check the comments!

Our basecamp continues online this week, with virtual sessions on regulatory requirements in FoodTech, by Mathilde Do Chi, LL.M. from Forward Food Law, and a deep dive into the TAM SAM SOM framework. Tomorrow we'll introduce Mace-runners Ruben Schoenmaekers and Maxim Van Eeckhout to our newest cohort to talk about due diligence during fundraising. 📸 Snapshot of last Thursday's event at the MeetDistrict in Ghent

Recharging after an insightful first week of our basecamp. 🔋 💡 We navigated IP for biotech startups Ellen Crabbe (European patent lawyer, brantsandpatents) shared valuable insights into intellectual property strategies. 🙋🏻♂️ We made ample time for peer sharing Wendy Ossieur (I-Challenge), Emile Redant (Zymofix), Mounir Benkoulouche (Lantana Bio), and Johan Jacobs (FlyBlast) inspired us with their journeys. 🚀 We zoomed in on the challenges of scaling up Maarten Vandecruys (Urban Crop Solutions and biotope by VIB mentor) shared his experience as a scale-up entrepreneur in indoor vertical farming. 🔀 We explored how to shift from platform to product Sophie Roelants (COO, AmphiStar) reminded us to focus on market needs rather than just the technology. 💸 We dove into valuation for biotech startups Griet Vanpoucke (VIB) and Peter C. (biotope by VIB team) explored the critical topic of startup valuation. 🔍 We went in depth during our 1-on-1s Martina Bamberger (European patent lawyer) and the biotope team provided tailored guidance to startups. 🤝 We networked! Tomorrow we continue with the online part of the basecamp program. Excited to see the progress ahead!

It's hard to overstate our excitement about embarking on another basecamp with a new group of fabulous founders. Today, on the first day, we made time for introductions. We also invited Hallie Fox and Eva Somers from The Nest Family Office and Ethan (Chi-Lin) Kuo at VIB to zoom in on the investor perspective. In the afternoon, we took a deep dive into energy, team dynamics, and creative marshmallow constructions with Tom Farrand. Looking forward to an intense ride over the next three weeks! ✈️

We’re proud to share that I-Challenge, one of biotope’s portfolio startups, has been honored with the SE’nSE impact award by the Foundation for Future Generations. Congratulations to the incredible team for their growing impact on the foodtech industry and their mission to optimize product quality and reduce food waste. We're proud to support your journey! I-Challenge Wendy Ossieur Katrien Begyn Frank Devlieghere

A huge congratulations to biotope portfolio startup B'ZEOS on closing their seed funding round. 🙌 Announced last week, the round is led by Faber and ICIG Ventures and brings B'ZEOS' total funding to over €5M! This success propels the young startup to scale its innovative, seaweed-based packaging that is fully bio-based, home-compostable, and ready for industry adoption. B'ZEOS was part of our second cohort, participating in the fall 2022 edition of the biotope by VIB basecamp. Tomorrow, we kick off the fall 2024 edition with a diverse group of ambitious founders. Who knows where they will be 2 years from now? 🌱 The journey is just beginning, and we’re proud to be part of it. https://lnkd.in/ekWne5Yu