Wintercircus
TLDR
The central startup campus of the Ghent tech ecosystem, housing 40+ companies in a former circus arena, operated by imec.
Overview
Wintercircus is the beating heart of Ghent's tech scene. Located in a converted historic circus building in the city center, the campus hosts over 40 startups and scale-ups across sectors including AI, SaaS, cleantech, and deep tech.
The hub is operated by imec and run day-to-day by Dorien Van Steenberge. Key resident companies include TechWolf, Aikido Security, and Polysense. The campus spans 15000 m2 across the converted historic building.
Connected to Hilde Schuddinck via VOKA, reinforcing its role as a connector between startups and the broader Ghent business community.
Wintercircus hosts a regular calendar of events including startup pitch evenings, corporate innovation events, cultural programming, and The Summit by FTI Gent. The campus has a partnership with Vlerick Business School Business School, adding academic programming to its mix.
Key People
- Dorien Van Steenberge - Hub director
- Bruno Vandegehuchte
- Stijn Jansen (Wintercircus)
- Victor De Coster
- Kim Zenner
Notes
Wintercircus is a Tier 1 target for VibeMedia's Inside EU Tech series (Episode 4, planned). Strong concentration of relevant companies and people in one location.