Overview
Verhaert, which trades as Verhaert Masters in Innovation, was founded in 1969 by Paul Verhaert. The company works with corporations and start-ups on new products, services and businesses, and is organised in five business units: strategic innovation, digital innovation, product innovation, high-tech innovation and on-site consulting. It is active in the market through the brands Verhaert, Beacon, LOAD and Lambda-X, and runs ten competence labs, among them AILab, DesignLab, DigitalLab, EmbeddedLab, FabLab, MechLab, OpticsLab and PhysicsLab. The markets it addresses are space and defense, FMCG, life sciences and industry, with technology work in IoT and sensors, AI and data science, robotics and autonomy, cooling, heating and fluidics, and optics. The legal entity is Verhaert New Products & Services NV, with its registered seat at Hogenakkerhoekstraat 21 in Kruibeke and further offices in Antwerp, Gentbrugge, Kuurne, Nivelles, Utrecht and Aveiro. Koen Verhaert is CEO and has been the company's managing director since June 2009. Verhaert entered the space industry in 1984 and designed, built and commissioned PROBA, the first small EU satellite for ESA, in orbit in 2001. The space division was spun out in 2006 and later sold to QinetiQ Plc. Since 2015 the company has acquired Lambda-X, Moebius Consulting, LOAD, Pegus Digital, BEACON, the Academy for Corporate Entrepreneurship, Bagaar and The Engineering Network. Customers it names include AB InBev, Atlas Copco, Novartis and Zehnder.
Stated facts & numbers
- Founded: 1969
- Founder: Paul Verhaert, founder and chairman
- CEO: Koen Verhaert
- Headquarters: Kruibeke, Hogenakkerhoekstraat 21
- Legal entity: Verhaert New Products & Services NV, BE 0439.039.420
- Employees: 300
- Offices: Kruibeke, Antwerp, Gentbrugge, Kuurne, Nivelles, Utrecht, Aveiro
- Business units: Strategic innovation, digital innovation, product innovation, high-tech innovation, on-site consulting
- Brands: Verhaert, Beacon, LOAD, Lambda-X
- Markets: Space and defense, FMCG, life sciences, industry
- Customers: AB InBev, Atlas Copco, Novartis, Zehnder
- Products developed: 1,000
- Patents generated: 500
- Ventures accelerated and financed: 400
- Acquisitions: Lambda-X (2015), Moebius Consulting (2016), LOAD (2017), Pegus Digital (2018), BEACON (2019), AfCE, Bagaar and The Engineering Network (2022)
Key people
In the news
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Alumni 4 went on to found or lead
Alexander Van DammeBusiness Development Innovation Consultancy (repr. Deviant)→CEO at bedal
Felix De ColvenaerMechatronic System Engineer→Co-founder at Lynqo
Hari PrasanthSenior R&D Systems Engineer→Chief Technology Officer at NIVO- PJoran Van GrembergheInternship→Chief Electron Orchestrator at Joranalogue Audio Design
Olivier DupontApex Consultant→CTO at AUCTIM
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