Hendrik Winkelmans · Person in Belgium Tech

Overview

Hendrik Winkelmans is the founder of Freshmen Fund, which he started in 2016. He is based in Antwerp.

Before that he founded Bike Republic - Fiets!, serving as its chief executive from 2010 to 2016. From 2007 to 2009 he was chief strategy officer at Uplace, and between 2001 and 2006 he worked at McKinsey & Company as an engagement manager. He began his career as an associate at Linklaters from August 1999 to July 2000.

Winkelmans studied law at KU Leuven, completing a licentiaat in de rechten between 1993 and 1998, followed by a first year of licentiaat criminologie in 1998 and 1999. He then took a Master of Laws at New York University School of Law from 2000 to 2001.

Career history

FounderFreshmen Fund

In the news

I spoke to De Standaard this week about the state of the bike 🚲 market, against the backdrop of another major bankruptcy (link in first comment). Let’s be honest: the market is in decline. 📉 The Netherlands just sold fewer bikes than at any point in 40 years. Germany’s turnover fell almost 8%. Even Shimano is heading for its lowest profit since 2013. But look closer and it’s not one market anymore. It’s two kinds of money behaving very differently. 1️⃣ 🏢Leasing money flows to premium. When the bike comes through a companyLinkedIn · 12 Aug 2026

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