Invest for Jobs puts shoulders to the wheel with Scaleup Vlaanderen

Scaleup Flanders, the partnership between Agoria, imec.istart and Sirris that takes Flemish growth companies to the next level, can now count on the support of Invest for Jobs. The Belgian investment fund provides a financial boost to the program, lowering the threshold for companies to get in. 

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Since 2015, Invest For Jobs has been investing in Belgian companies. The fund describes itself as an "impact fund. That name is not accidental, says investment analyst Nils Nijs. 'We want to promote sustainable employment on Belgian territory with our investments. Therefore, we are not only looking for a reasonable financial return, but above all for maximum social impact.'

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The fund invested more than 22 million euros in recent years in the form of loan or capital. Invest For Jobs now has more than 100 million euros at its disposal. Money that in recent years will go mainly to companies active in the metal industry or technology sector. 'We do not invest in listed companies but in SMEs and scale-ups,' Nijs says.

So the link with Scaleup Flanders, an initiative of Agoria, Sirris and imec.istart, was quickly made. 'If anyone can create a lot of employment, it's tech companies. It is very important for the ecosystem that programs like Scaleup Flanders exist. That is why we are happy to give the initiative a financial boost.'

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The financial support will enable Scaleup Flanders to ensure in the coming months that interested companies can attend sessions and purchase services at an even more attractive rate. Because VLAIO also supports the program, this is already partly the case. "We are very pleased that one of Belgium's most important investment funds is helping to put its shoulders under Scaleup Flanders," says Expert Digital Innovation & Growth Frederik Tibau of Agoria. "

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Curious about the program? Scaleup Flanders will soon organize technology screenings and sessions around internationalization or raising funds, among other things. You can see the full agenda here.

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