10 Belgian startups to watch in 2026 and beyond
Like every year, we take a country-by-country look at the teams and technologies shaping the continent’s entrepreneurial landscape. In 2026, we start this journey by turning our attention to Belgium, a country known for its strong research institutions, thriving tech hubs, and an innovation ecosystem that consistently produces high-impact ventures.
Belgium, as we all know, benefits from a unique position at the heart of Europe, supported by world-class universities, a dense concentration of corporates, and a growing community of founders working across sectors such as deep tech, biotech, climate technology, and enterprise software. From Leuven to Ghent, Antwerp to Brussels, the country’s startup scene is steadily attracting more international attention and investment, driven by increasingly ambitious companies working on globally relevant solutions.
In this article, we highlight 10 exceptionally promising startups based in Belgium that are worth keeping an eye on in 2026. They span a variety of industries and technologies, illustrating the diversity and momentum of the Belgian ecosystem as it matures and expands its influence across Europe.
Ghent-based Aikido Security is a company developing a unified platform that helps engineering teams secure their code, cloud environments, and applications. The system brings multiple security checks together in one place and uses artificial intelligence to detect vulnerabilities and suggest fixes automatically. By simplifying the process and reducing the need for manual reviews across separate tools, Aikido Security aims to help developers address issues more quickly and stay ahead of potential risks.
Founded in 2022, the company has raised €21.16 million. Aikido Security focuses on ease of use and automation, enabling technical teams to reduce security backlogs and minimise operational overhead. Their platform is designed to integrate smoothly into existing development workflows, supporting organisations as they scale their security practices without significantly increasing workload.
Zaventem-based Bnewable specialises in energy management and battery systems for businesses. Their solutions help organisations optimise how they store and use energy, particularly when integrating renewable sources such as solar and wind. Bnewable designs systems that improve energy reliability, lower operational costs, and support companies in meeting their sustainability targets.
Founded in 2022, the company has raised €40 million. Their technology is aimed at organisations looking to manage energy more efficiently as electricity demand grows and regulatory expectations evolve. By offering scalable storage and distribution solutions, Bnewable contributes to the broader transition toward flexible and resilient energy infrastructure.
Antwerp-based Conveo is a startup that provides an AI-powered qualitative research platform for enterprises. The system uses real voice and video interviews rather than synthetic avatars to collect insights, helping teams understand how customers think and behave. Conveo’s artificial intelligence then analyses the content, identifying patterns, themes, and key statements to speed up the research process.
Founded in 2024, Conveo has already been able to secure about €5 million in funding. Conveo is designed for marketing, product, customer experience, and innovation teams that need qualitative insights without time-consuming manual work. Their platform aims to make in-depth research more accessible and efficient, enabling companies to gather richer customer feedback at scale.
Ghent-based Karomia is a company developing software to support sustainability officers in conducting Double Materiality Assessments as part of their ESG reporting. The platform guides organisations through identifying financial and environmental impacts, collecting relevant data, and documenting the findings in a structured way. Karomia is designed to help teams navigate increasing regulatory requirements while maintaining accuracy and transparency.
Founded in 2024, the company has raised €2.1 million. Karomia’s system supports organisations as they adapt to new reporting standards and integrate sustainability considerations into their broader strategy. Their goal is to make ESG assessments more efficient, consistent, and accessible for businesses of different sizes.
Ghent-based LEGALFLY is an AI-native workspace designed for in-house legal, compliance, and procurement teams. The platform offers tools for contract review, risk analysis, drafting support, workflow automation, and knowledge retrieval. LEGALFLY’s legally trained AI agents help teams accelerate approvals, reduce bottlenecks, and ensure contractual and regulatory compliance across the organisation.
Founded in 2023, the startup has raised €17 million. LEGALFLY provides security features and automation capabilities tailored to corporate legal departments, enabling teams to manage high volumes of documents more efficiently. Their system aims to improve collaboration between legal, procurement, and business teams while reducing the administrative burden associated with contract work.
Mol-based PanTera is a company focused on the large-scale production of actinium-225, a radioisotope used in targeted cancer therapies. The material is considered highly promising in personalised nuclear medicine, and PanTera aims to make its supply more reliable by improving production processes and recycling key materials. Their work supports researchers and healthcare providers developing next-generation cancer treatments.
Founded in 2022, the company has raised €134 million. PanTera is working to address global shortages of actinium-225 and support the broader adoption of targeted alpha therapies. Their approach contributes to advancing precision oncology while ensuring long-term sustainability in isotope manufacturing.
Brussels-based Sirona Technologies is a company developing direct air capture technology designed to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Their systems prioritise simplicity, low capital costs, and scalability, enabling more widespread deployment. Sirona Technologies focuses on solutions that can be installed quickly and expanded efficiently as demand for carbon removal grows.
Founded in 2023, the startup has raised €6.37 million. Sirona Technologies aims to support climate mitigation efforts by providing an industrial process for capturing CO₂ directly from ambient air. Their focus on cost-effectiveness and high-speed deployment positions them as a contributor to emerging carbon removal markets in Europe and beyond.
Antwerp-based Spica Therapeutics is a biotechnology company developing therapies that target macrophages, specialised immune cells involved in many diseases. By focusing on macrophage biology, Spica Therapeutics aims to unlock new therapeutic pathways and address conditions that lack effective treatment options. Their research is centred on translating scientific advances into practical clinical applications.
Founded in 2024, the company has raised €10 million. Spica Therapeutics is part of Belgium’s strong biotech ecosystem and is working to develop new treatments that can improve outcomes for patients with difficult-to-treat diseases. Their approach reflects growing interest in immune-based therapies across the global biotech sector.
Leuven-based Swave Photonics is a company developing holographic chips that enable advanced augmented reality experiences. Their NanoPixel technology is designed to create compact, lightweight, and high-resolution displays capable of blending digital information with the real world. This technology aims to support new applications in manufacturing, entertainment, education, and consumer devices.
Founded in 2022, the startup has already raised €43 million. Swave Photonics is contributing to the next generation of augmented reality hardware by addressing key challenges such as size, clarity, and power efficiency. Their work positions Belgium at the forefront of holographic display innovation.
Louvain-la-Neuve-based Vertical Compute is a company building next-generation computing hardware and advanced manufacturing technologies. While still early in development, the company focuses on designing systems that enhance computing performance and efficiency across key industrial applications. Their work is aimed at solving problems that require specialised hardware rather than standard off-the-shelf components.
Founded in 2025, the company has raised €20 million. Vertical Compute represents a growing segment of deep tech companies in Belgium working on foundational technologies. Their ambition is to provide new computing solutions that can support sectors such as electronics, automation, and high-performance computing.
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