
Qbic Fund
Description
Qbic Fund is a prominent inter-university venture capital fund based in Belgium, uniquely positioned to invest in high-tech spin-off companies originating from its partner universities and knowledge centers, including Ghent University, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), University of Antwerp, UZ Gent, and VIB. The fund operates with a multi-sector focus, primarily targeting innovations in Life Sciences, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), and Materials/Cleantech. Its strategic alignment with leading academic institutions provides a direct pipeline to groundbreaking research and entrepreneurial talent, fostering the commercialization of cutting-edge technologies.
The fund's investment strategy centers on early-stage opportunities, typically engaging with companies during their seed and Series A rounds. Qbic Fund plays a crucial role in bridging the gap between academic discovery and market viability, providing not only capital but also strategic guidance and access to a broad network. They seek to support ventures with strong intellectual property, significant market potential, and scalable business models, aiming to transform scientific breakthroughs into successful commercial enterprises.
Financially, Qbic Fund has demonstrated substantial capacity to support its portfolio companies. Their latest fund, Qbic Fund III, launched with an impressive €100 million (approximately $108 million USD) in committed capital, signifying a robust commitment to the Belgian innovation ecosystem. For initial investments, Qbic typically writes checks ranging from €500,000 to €3 million (approximately $540,000 to $3.24 million USD), demonstrating their commitment to providing meaningful early-stage capital. Furthermore, they have the capacity to provide significant follow-on funding, potentially investing up to €10 million over the lifecycle of a single company, enabling sustained growth and development. To date, Qbic Fund has supported over 40 spin-off companies, contributing significantly to job creation and economic development within Belgium.
Investor Profile
Qbic Fund has backed more than 47 startups, with 7 new investments in the last 12 months alone. The firm has led 12 rounds, about 26% of its total and boasts 8 exits across its portfolio.
Investment Focus Highlights
- Concentrates on Seed, Series Unknown, Series A rounds (top funding stages).
- Majority of deals are located in Belgium, The Netherlands.
- Strong thematic focus on Biotechnology, Software, Health Care.
- Typical check size: $540K – $3.2M.
Stage Focus
- Seed (38%)
- Series Unknown (26%)
- Series A (17%)
- Series B (13%)
- Series C (2%)
- Angel (2%)
- Pre Seed (2%)
Country Focus
- Belgium (96%)
- The Netherlands (2%)
Industry Focus
- Biotechnology
- Software
- Health Care
- Medical
- Information Technology
- Therapeutics
- Semiconductor
- Life Science
- Chemical
- Service Industry
Frequently Asked Questions
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