Lorenz Bogaert
TLDR
Lorenz Bogaert is the central figure of the Ghent tech mafia: co-founder of Netlog, one of Europe's first social networks, with a chain of exits and co-founding credits spanning Twoo, Delta (eToro), Rydoo (Sodexo), Realo, StarApps, Pitchdrive, and Introw.
Overview
Lorenz Bogaert, born 1976, is the most connected founder in the Belgian tech ecosystem. He co-founded Netlog with Toon Coppens in Ghent in the early 2000s, building one of Europe's earliest and largest social networking platforms. The company, originally named ASL.TO / Facebox / Redbox, grew to over 94 million registered users across 20+ languages. Netlog was renamed and the Massive Media group, which also operated Twoo (a dating platform launched in 2011), was acquired by Meetic (IAC) in 2012 for USD 25 million.
Post-exit, Lorenz became one of the most prolific serial founders and investors in Belgium. He co-founded Delta (cryptocurrency portfolio tracker, acquired by eToro in 2019), was executive chairman of Realo (real estate data platform), and was involved in the launch of Rydoo (expense management, acquired by Sodexo in 2017). He co-founded StarApps in May 2020 as an independent venture builder, operating alongside co-founder Nicolas Van Eenaeme.
Through StarApps, he has backed and co-founded Bizzy (SME intelligence), Introw (digital partnership rooms), Cashfeed (automated invoice booking), Driven (sales incentive platform), Donna (sales copilot), and FixForm (facility management). He co-founded Pitchdrive with Boris Bogaert, Koen Christiaens, and others as the institutional investment arm of the Netlog/Rydoo founder generation.
In 2019, Antwerp Management School ranked Lorenz as the fourth most important angel investor in Belgium. He is referenced within the ecosystem as "the Don" of Belgian tech.
Career History
- Co-Founder & CEO at StarApps (May 2020 - present), Ghent-based venture builder
- Co-Founder at Cashfeed (Jan 2025 - present), automated invoice booking
- Co-Founder at Driven (Jan 2025 - present), sales incentive platform
- Co-Founder at Donna (Jan 2024 - present), sales copilot
- Co-Founder at Introw (Apr 2023 - present), digital partnership rooms
- Co-Founder at Pitchdrive (2020), early-stage VC fund, third fund EUR 40M (2024)
- Executive Chairman at Realo (proptech, real estate data platform)
- Co-Founder at Opus Labs / Delta (cryptocurrency tracker, acquired by eToro 2019)
- Co-Founder at Rydoo / Xpenditure (expense management, acquired by Sodexo 2017)
- Co-Founder at Match Group Belgium / Massive Media / Twoo (dating platform, Meetic/IAC acquisition 2012)
- Co-Founder at Netlog / Facebox (social network, founded early 2000s), 94M+ users
- Investor at Bizzy, FixForm, Colibry, and 10+ other Belgian startups
Education
- Master, Law and Management in ICT, Universite de Namur (2001 - 2002)
- Master, Law, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (1996 - 2001)
About
Lorenz represents the Ghent founder archetype at its most concentrated: technical insight, long-term community commitment, and a systematic approach to building and funding the next wave. His StarApps studio model is a deliberate attempt to replicate the conditions that produced Netlog, applied to B2B SaaS rather than consumer social.
Notes
16K+ followers on LinkedIn. Posts frequently about startup building, board advice, and Ghent ecosystem updates. Central to understanding nearly every company in the Ghent SaaS cluster.
LinkedIn Voice
Posting style: Community-oriented and supportive. Amplifies ecosystem content through reposts. Personal when posting original content. Active but mainly reposts.
Key themes: Ghent ecosystem (office space, community building), portfolio companies (Cashfeed, backbone, Colibry), personal and family milestones
Avg engagement: 130 likes, 10 comments
Notable post: Celebrating Wendy Geeraert at Colibry, 209 likes and 14 comments.