biotope by VIB

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

The sixth edition of the biotope basecamp will kick off next week with a fresh cohort of founders and startups. 🎉 We are eager to meet all of them and dive deep into their plans and ambitions. Of course, we also want to introduce them to some of the experts in the extended biotope network, from business support to IP en legal support as well as scientific and scale-up facilities... We will do so at our (speed) networking event next Thursday. Looking forward! 🤝 🚀

"How great people can build amazing #biotech #startups, when proven science is part of the package" People who know me will agree, what you see is what you get 🤭 , so a straightforward opinion on what to me is the necessary recipe for bringing a startup forward, whether it is "refreshing" or not. Thanks AgTechNavigator for the coverage on VIB and biotope by VIB

🚀 One of our partner accelerators, StartLife Accelerate 2025, is open up for applications! Are you a foodtech or agritech startup and ready to take your business to the next level? StartLife Accelerate is here to help you scale fast! Join a network of 400+ startups that have raised over €650 million in capital and benefit from exclusive access to Wageningen University and a global network of 70+ mentors, corporates, and investor partners. Startlife is looking for startup teams that: ✅ Are beyond the idea phase ✅ Are working on innovative technologies or business models ✅ Are addressing social, health, or environmental challenges ✅ Have at least two founders ready to commit to the program ✅ Have the ambition to scale rapidly Key dates: Pre-applications closing: Friday 22nd November 2024 Full applications closing: Saturday 7th December 2024 Learn more and apply today: https://lnkd.in/e6SiZhbg

Today, on Women’s Entrepreneurship Day, we’re shining a spotlight on the incredible female co-founders in our biotope portfolio. These trailblazers are leading the charge toward a more sustainable future. To all the women entrepreneurs in our community and beyond—thank you for dreaming big and building boldly. 🦸♀️ 🦸🏻♀️ 🦹♀️ 🦸🏾♀️ #WomensEntrepreneurshipDay #PowerInDiversity

Excited to introduce cohort six! 🤩 Meet the 12 startups that will join us for an immersive basecamp experience in less than two weeks. 👇 🍉 AgroGrIN Tech 🇵🇹 – Upcycling fruit and vegetable waste recovering target enzymes and vitamins, gluten-free flours, natural additives 👨🌾 Elaniti 🇬🇧 – Agricultural decision-making platform, predicting valuable agronomic outcomes from the soil microbiome 🐟 FEESH 🇩🇰 – Developing Black Soldier Fly Larvae based fish feed for the aquaculture industry ☕ Koppie 🇧🇪 – Saving the coffee ritual through a natural, sustainably sourced bean coffee alternative and cutting-edge science 🎨 KorallionBio 🇧🇪 – Develop thermosensitive pigments from microalgae (phycobiliproteins, carotenoids, etc.) that can be used as food colorants 🍎 Landman Bio 🇧🇪 – Sustainable bacteriophage-based solutions to combat bacterial crop diseases 🍄 Maicelium Biomaterials 🇮🇱 – Turning waste into biodegradable, high-performance biopolymers through advanced fungal fermentation 🥩 Mewery 🇨🇿 – Developing a platform for cell-cultivated meat products using a proprietary method of co-culturing animal and microalgae cells 🧪 Omaiko 🇮🇱 – Farming microalgae out of the water in the form of biofilms on a novel vertical biofilm farming platform 🧑🔬 Pathfinder Bio 🇬🇧 – Sustainable chemical manufacturing powered by innovative enzyme technology 👩🍳 Primogene GmbH 🇩🇪 – Developing biotechnology platforms for human-identical ingredients 🌽 SymbioMatch 🇩🇰 – Customized biofertilizer tailored to the soil profile and crop target Congrats everyone. We're looking forward to meeting you all in person soon. Let's g(r)o(w)! 🚀