PJ Bouten

TLDR

PJ Bouten (Pieterjan Bouten) is the central node of the Ghent SaaS mafia, having moved from early Netlog employee to co-founder of In The Pocket, co-founder of Showpad, and now GP at Entourage.

Overview

PJ's career traces the arc of Ghent's tech ecosystem. He started as an early employee at Netlog, the Ghent social network co-founded by Lorenz Bogaert and Toon Coppens that seeded the city's founder community. From there, he co-founded In The Pocket, the Ghent digital product studio, alongside Louis Jonckheere and Peter Minne.

He then co-founded Showpad with the same partners, building it into one of Belgium's most recognized SaaS companies and a globally referenced sales enablement platform. Showpad raised significant venture funding and became a flagship Belgian exit story.

After Showpad, PJ launched Entourage as GP, a Ghent-based venture fund and studio that backs the next generation of founders in the ecosystem. His fund has attracted LPs including Joris Van Der Gucht, Louis Jonckheere, and Marc Coucke, among others.

Connections

Deeply embedded in the Ghent ecosystem through co-founding relationships with Louis Jonckheere and Peter Minne, and through Entourage's portfolio and LP network.

Career History

• General Partner at Entourage (Nov 2023 - Present)
• Co-Founder & Shareholder at Wintercircus Ghent (May 2023 - Present)
• Co-Founder - Board Member at In The Pocket (May 2010 - Present)
• Board Member at Showpad (Mar 2022 - Oct 2025)
• Co-Founder & CEO at Showpad (Apr 2011 - Mar 2022), scaled from 0 to $100M ARR and 500+ employees
• Non Executive Director at Corilus (Aug 2020 - Jan 2025)

Education

• Master, Communication Sciences, KU Leuven (1999 - 2004)
• Erasmus Program, Communication Sciences, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (2003 - 2004)

LinkedIn Voice

Posting style: Supportive and portfolio-celebrating. Mix of Dutch and English. Low ego, high conviction. Lets portfolio companies shine. Posts 2-3 times per month.

Key themes: Entourage portfolio companies (Aikido, SereneDB, Epiminds, Basalt, TextYess), founder journey stories, Belgian startup ecosystem (Ghent tech, Tectonic event), Entrepreneurship wisdom

Avg engagement: 94 likes, 3 comments

Notable post: Aikido as first Entourage investment reaching Unicorn, 238 likes -- "Former Showpad employee as co-founder."