50 fastest growing Belgian technology companies and 10 Rising Star finalists announced  

The Fast 50 Business Forum will be held prior to the Awards Ceremony on 25 November. This year’s central theme is corporate venturing, featuring academic insights as well as best practices from Belgian scale-ups and corporates. As a new addition to the programme, participants will be able to attend the Rising Star pitches by the 10 finalists. With the Fast 50 Business Forum, Deloitte helps expand the networks of technology entrepreneurs by bringing together start-ups and scale-ups with the CEOs of corporations and family-owned and run companies, investors, and entrepreneurs. Deloitte aims to stimulate cross fertilisation and encourage technological innovation in the Belgian vibrant scale up ecosystem even more.

The Belgian start-up and scale-up scene is at full speed. We see some of the country’s most innovative and disruptive companies ranked in the Technology Fast 50. They are leading the way now and will continue to play a pioneering role in the in the (near) future.Sam Sluismans, Programme Leader Deloitte's Technology Fast 50.

Additional award categories

In addition to the award for fastest growth, one of the 2021 Fast 50 contestants that made a continuous growth over the past years will receive an award for Most Sustainable Growth.

In addition, one winner of each of the below categories will also be awarded.

1. Communications & Networking
2. Digital Commerce
3. Electronic Devices, Hardware & Semiconductor
4. Enterprise Software
5. FinTech
6. Life Sciences & Health Care
7. Media & Entertainment
8. Mobility
9. Sustainability

Rising Star and Most Disruptive Innovator nominees 

Companies that have been active in the technology sector for less than four years are featured in the Rising Star category. On 22 October 69 Rising Star applicants made a first pitch in front of a jury of Deloitte industry experts. These 10 companies made it to the finals are invited to pitch again on 25 November:

• Arcsec - Tjorven Delabie – Leuven. Arcsec develops high accuracy attitude determination and control systems for small space satellites (CubeSats and SmallSats);
• Bingli - Tom van de Putte – Antwerp. Bingli is an AI powered chatbot (digital anamnesis) that brings back empathy in doctor's visits;
• BOSAQ – Jacob Bossaer – Zwijnaarde. Bosaq develops innovative and futureproof drinking water solutions that meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs);
• cinvio – Luc De Clerck –  Antwerp. Cinvio offers hassle-free payments in B2B logistics;
• DESelect – Anthony Lamot – Antwerp. DESelect’s enables marketers to manage their data easily through user-friendly solutions built for the Salesforce Marketing Cloud;
• myNEO - Cedric Bogaert – Ghent. myNEO focuses on research, development, and optimisation of the clinical exploitability of personalised cancer immunotherapy;
• Oncomfort – Mario Huyghe – Wavre. Digital Sedation™ from Oncomfort takes patients' pain and anxiety away through clinical hypnosis and Virtual Reality, without medication;
• OTIV - Sam De Smet & Niels Van Damme – Ghent. Autonomous technology makes railway transport in complex environments safer and more efficient;
• Tailpage – Michel De Baer - Sint-Niklaas. Tailpage is a software that effectively generates top local ranks in Google on all client’s keywords, per location (city, villages) in a specific target region.
• TEO – Bien Vanderstappen – Kapellen. TEO offers a pragmatic and autonomous solution for companies to map out and develop internal and external talent.

For more information, please go to www.fast50.be.

The Rising Star panel is chaired by Duco Sickinghe, Managing Partner Fortino Capital. The jury includes distinguished members from the business community:

• Veroniek Collewaert - Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Vlerick Business School
• Omar Mohout - ‎Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Antwerp Management School, Partner and Head of Digital at Nova Reperta
• David Muyldermans – Founding Partner proUnity
• Pascal Sabbe – COO RetailDetail
• Ann Van Mele - Venture Acceleration Manager at Imec.istart
• Heidi Rakels – Founder of GuardSquare

Duco Sickinghe, Managing Partner Fortino Capital:

Many factors weigh in the decision to name one of these companies the Rising Star of 2021. An important element is whether the market size is significant enough for these start- and scale-ups to grow to a sizable company. Next to that, we look at their team. No entrepreneur can grow a company by themselves, you need a good balance in skills sets ánd personalities to create a sustainable business. A last factor we pay attention to is whether the company has a clear vision for the future but also equal attention for good execution. Seeing this high-quality list, I already know we will have heated discussions between the jury to come to a winner.

The Most Disruptive Innovator award is presented to the Rising Star nominee that has developed the most revolutionary concept or product within a specific technology segment.

Kristof Cox, Programme Director Technology Fast 50:

This year’s finalists have demonstrated that they have what it takes to become global companies. They have a clear roadmap at the early stage where they are today and many of them are very purpose-driven. Purpose drives their ambition and how that thrives their business.