LinkedIn·Saturday, 4 July 2026·04 Jul 2026
EXECUTION IS THE NEW MOAT: WHAT BELGIUM'S SCALEUPS TELL US ABOUT 2026 Just released our 2026 Scale-Ups Confidence Survey, and the message…
Omar Mohout
Partnering with Tech Scaleups to secure funding, drive acquisitions, and achieve growth
EXECUTION IS THE NEW MOAT: WHAT BELGIUM'S SCALEUPS TELL US ABOUT 2026
Just released our 2026 Scale-Ups Confidence Survey, and the message is crystal clear: the game has changed.
We surveyed 226 Belgian founders and CEOs, and the data reveals a decisive shift. Confidence stands at 7.7/10 -solid, but down from last year's peak. More importantly, the bottleneck has moved
Here's what's changed:
📊 64% cite market demand & sales execution as their #1 challenge -not funding, not talent. The ability to convert pipeline into revenue is now the defining constraint. Building products is no longer the hard part; selling them at scale is
🎯 Growth ambitions remain strong (98% expect growth in 2026), but projections are grounded. We're seeing a maturation of forecasting discipline after the over-optimism of 2022-2023. Companies are aligning projections with what they can operationally deliver
💰 Funding appetite is softening but selective. 68% still seek capital, but confidence in securing it has dropped. The message: capital is available, but only for companies demonstrating execution quality and capital efficiency.
🤖 AI is no longer experimental -it's foundational. 53% prioritize AI & automation, but here's the split: startups are building AI-native products (20% have AI as core revenue driver), while scaleups are layering AI into existing models. This creates a structural gap in speed.
👥 Scaling is no longer headcount-driven. 75% still plan hiring, but the focus has shifted from volume to capability. Companies are doing more with fewer, better-aligned teams -powered by AI and automation.
The bigger picture:
Belgium's ecosystem is maturing. We have at least 8 unicorns, Ghent is in the global top 10 for tech ecosystems, and exit activity remains robust. But success now depends on commercial excellence, operational discipline, and scalable architecture -not just ambition.
For founders: execution maturity is the new differentiator. Go-to-market clarity, sales discipline, and the ability to convert demand into revenue will separate winners from the rest.
For investors: execution risk is now the primary filter. Beyond product quality, assess commercial traction, pipeline conversion, and scalability of revenue engines.
The 2026 survey shows Belgian scale-ups aren't stepping back from growth-they're redefining how it's achieved: more selective, more disciplined, more execution-driven.
Read the full report: https://lnkd.in/edhZ8GcE
#Scaleups #Startups #DeloittePrivate
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