Peter Cauwels, Biotope Ventures Fund Manager, looks back at a successful afternoon: “The investors were really leaning in, eager to understand the nuances of the groundbreaking technologies covered in the diverse series of pitches. That’s a testament to both the quality of the startups and the significance of the problems they’re solving.”

The secret to this success? Cauwels believes it’s the unique constellation of biotope by VIB. “To me, last week’s event really highlighted the win-win partnership between biotope and VIB. Having the backing of such a globally recognized institute provides us with a strong tailwind. At the same time, biotope’s agile approach allows us to push forward in exciting new directions.”

The event showcased pitches from different biotope portfolio startups and VIB spin-offs, each tackling key challenges in the agrifood and biomaterials space.

The biotope startups were quick to highlight the tailored support they receive in their development journey. For many, this support has been transformative.

Emile Redant from N-Fix noted: “Without biotope, our startup simply wouldn’t exist. The resources and mentorship we’ve received have been critical to our growth.”

Johan Jacobs from FlyBlast said: “For those still wondering why a good incubator program makes a huge difference: try getting 30 carefully selected VCs in a room to listen to your pitch yourself… (Spoiler: you can’t.) Just imagine how much time, energy and luck it would have taken us to get meetings with all of these VCs! Thanks for organizing, and thanks for the chance to pitch in front of this audience.”

Maria Gonçalves Maia from Corium Biotech added: “Great event! Even in a room filled with investors and the stress this can put on startups, for us it felt like being home. Thank you for having us!”

As the event wrapped up, it was clear that the Agrifood Biotech Pitch Event had achieved its goal: fostering meaningful connections between startups and investors, and further cementing biotope’s role as a leading biotech incubator and community builder.

A big thank you to everyone who made this event possible, both at biotope and at VIB.