Overview
imec.istart is the accelerator arm of imec, the world-leading research center in nanoelectronics based in Leuven. The program supports early-stage startups and spin-offs commercializing deep technology.
Supported companies typically come out of academic research or imec's own labs, giving them access to imec's IP, cleanroom infrastructure, and global network of technology partners.
Media & appearances
- SuperNovaYouTubeDo founders and accelerators look at startups the same way? | Elise (imec.istart) & Roel (KLSTR)Accelerator combined with a fund investing in tech startups since 2011; screens founder teams with a psychologist and selects on ambition.
- De CFO PodcastYouTubeDe CFO Podcast x SuperNova #9 | Kris MertensAccelerator and first investor in tech startups, providing €50K initial investment up to €250K, an accelerator program, and access to finance.
- SuperNovaYouTubeSuperHero Conversations EP3 | Sven De Cleyn - imec.istart & Niels Van Damme - OTIVBusiness accelerator for tech-driven startups within imec; has invested in 340 companies with over 80% still active, one unicorn (Deliverect) and one indirect IPO.
- The HarbourYouTubeMAURA NACHTERGAELE (Payflip) over aan de baxter liggen bij Imec en leven als FransiscanenSoftware incubator Payflip joined in January 2021, taking €50K for 6% equity, providing SaaS/finance coaching and network; Robby remains on Payflip's board.
- ConnexiYouTube#47 Ruth Janssens (Morrow Ventures) over durven en doenAccelerator program whose selection triggered Ruth's decision to quit her job and go full-time; she recommends accelerators for first-time founders.
Stated facts & numbers
- Kris Mertens left his CFO role 8 years ago and has supported startups at imec.istart since 2017.De CFO Podcast 2025-04-180:00:30
- imec.istart gives a starting investment of €50K to its portfolio companies.De CFO Podcast 2025-04-180:03:03
- imec.istart can finance up to €250K, with follow-up funds available beyond that.De CFO Podcast 2025-04-180:03:03
- Payflip joined imec.istart in January 2021, receiving €50,000 for 6% equity.The Harbour 2024-06-060:24:09
- imec.istart has invested in tech startups since 2011, roughly 15 years.SuperNova 2026-06-180:00:06
- Roel and his co-founder met Elisa at an imec.istart booth at SuperNova in 2018, two days before the open call deadline.SuperNova 2026-06-180:01:08
- imec.istart added a psychologist-led team screening to its selection process about two years ago.SuperNova 2026-06-180:13:31
- imec.istart requires at least two co-founders as an eligibility criterion.SuperNova 2026-06-180:13:00
In the news
- The talks. The toasts. The smiles. The MIX. One week later, and we're still feeling it. Founders, partners, old friends and new faces - this is what 15 years of imec.istart looks like. Because good companies grow in good company. Thanks for being part of it!
- 200 MWh aan batterijcapaciteit, geïnstalleerd bij meer dan vierhonderd kmo's en grote ondernemingen. Dat is de basis waarop Octave.energy nu buiten België wil bouwen. De Mechelse cleantechspeler haalt een Series A van 10 miljoen euro op, een combinatie van kapitaal en flexibele schuldfinanciering. SPDG Growth leidde de ronde, met imec.istart, BNP Paribas Fortis en KBC. Tot de bestaande klanten behoren Colruyt Group, Eneco, McDonald's, Naturgy en Nextensa. De opbrengst gaat naar lokale verkoop- en servicehubs in Nederland, Frankrijk
- Thinking about applying to WeAreFounders and looking for someone to build with? 👀 Finding the right co-founder can be a game changer: someone who complements your skills, shares your ambition and is ready to build alongside you. That’s where the Co-Founder Community by imec.istart comes in, bringing together 330+ founders and founder seekers looking to find their match. For €55, you get 6 months of access, direct connections and 2 online speeddate events. 👉 Explore the community, check the link in the first comment
- Know yourself before you find a co-founder.” Indeed, finding the right match starts long before you even meet them. In this episode of How I Met My Co-Founder, Lorenzo Bown (HappyClient) shares one important piece of advice: first get clear on what 𝘺𝘰𝘶 want. How do you see your business - and your life - in the next years? What are the things you’re not willing to compromise on? Write it down. Then use it to figure out whether the people you meet are actually the right match. His take? Think of it as a “pre-shareholders agreement
- Portfolio company Peaky just raised ✨ €1.1M to help finance teams spot changes before they hit the numbers. By the time something shows up in the monthly close, it’s already old news. Peaky turns business data into a living financial plan that keeps up with what’s actually happening. There’s plenty of experience behind it too: the founding team goes back more than a decade, with roots at Netlog, Twoo, Ablo and Tinder. With fresh funding to fuel product and commercial growth, the ambition is clear: build the European standard for
- 𝗪𝗲 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 €𝟭.𝟭𝗠 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿. Sorry to whoever already published the Q2 funding numbers. Led by JK INVEST, with imec.istart, ⚡ Super Capital ⚡ and a group of exceptional business angels. Sixteen years in finance and one thing still makes no sense to me. The business changes every day. Finance finds out last. Finance still has to explain it. Most tools just help you build and update your forecast faster. But they still wait for the numbers. Four days or four minutes. Who cares. 👀 Enter Peaky. We
- A while ago it was just a beer and a crazy idea. And earlier this year we closed our €𝟭.𝟭𝗠 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 with Peaky. What a ride. 🤩 I come from design, not finance. But you don't need a finance background to see that something is broken when the people running a business are always the last to know what's happening in it. Peaky fixes that. A living financial plan that moves with your business and tells you what's changing before it costs you. Oh, and we were named Belgium's Best FinTech Startup of the Year. Still
- Driving at 120 km/h while looking exclusively in the rearview mirror sounds like a terrible idea, yet that’s how most companies still run their business. Traditional tools only tell you about the wall three weeks after you’ve hit it. Turns out, people prefer seeing the road ahead. Enter Peaky. We just raised €1.1M to build the future of financial planning, and we’re ready to accelerate well beyond 120 km/h. Thanks to our customers and early pilots for their trust. Aikido Security, Tout Bien Pils, ProPlanner, Holmes, The Harbour,
Alumni 4 went on to found or lead
Christina Hadinoto→Founder & CEO at Contour Lab
Alessandro DrappaStart-Up Advisor - Intern→Co-founder & CEO at Recovr- PBram FabeckMentor→Founder + CEO at DataForces
Piet Vandaeleimec istart mentor→Late Co-Founder at 24Flow - shop floor management and production scheduling platform
Backers
- PRuth Janssens
Ruth Janssens is Former founder (bankruptcy), now investor.
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