Tom De Kooning
TLDR
Tom De Kooning is co-founder of Driven, an AI-Native sales compensation automation startup backed by Pitchdrive, built through his connection to Lorenz Bogaert's StarApps venture studio.
Overview
Tom De Kooning co-founded Driven with Andres De Jonge and Ludovic Diercxsens. Driven automates and personalizes sales commission management, helping companies replace error-prone spreadsheet-based compensation tracking with a live, CRM-integrated platform.
Tom's route to Driven ran through the StarApps ecosystem. StarApps, the Ghent-based venture builder co-founded by Lorenz Bogaert and Nicolas Van Eenaeme, backed Driven in its early formation. Tom is described as having built his startup within the StarApps network, which provided early infrastructure, co-founder matching, and network access.
Before Driven, Tom ran De Web Bar, a web design services practice focused on small businesses and non-profits.
Driven raised EUR 1.5M in September 2025 led by Pitchdrive, with additional backing from NewSchool and Belgian SaaS founders. The round validates Tom's positioning within the Antwerp-Ghent early-stage network.
Career History
- Co-Founder at Driven (2025 - present), AI sales compensation automation, EUR 1.5M Pitchdrive-backed
- Affiliated with StarApps (venture studio, Lorenz Bogaert / Nicolas Van Eenaeme)
- Founder at De Web Bar, web design for SMBs and non-profits
Education
- Maastricht University School of Business and Economics
About
Tom represents the next generation of founders emerging directly from the StarApps studio model: rather than founding independently and seeking backing, they're incubated within a network that provides early validation, co-founders, and investor access from day one.
LinkedIn Voice
Posting style: Active, 7 posts in our data. Themes around sales automation, Company Building, and ecosystem updates.