Louis Jonckheere
TLDR
Louis Jonckheere is one of Ghent's most connected figures: co-founder of Showpad (one of Belgium's biggest SaaS exits), In The Pocket, and Wintercircus tech campus, Chairman of Vlerick Business School, and angel investor in 17+ startups.
Overview
Louis Jonckheere sits at the intersection of building, backing, and community in the Belgian tech ecosystem. He co-founded three institutions that define Ghent tech: Showpad (Belgium's most recognized SaaS scale-up), In The Pocket (Belgium's leading digital product studio), and Wintercircus (Ghent's premier tech campus).
He co-founded In The Pocket in May 2010 alongside PJ Bouten, building it into one of Belgium's most respected digital product agencies. A year later, in May 2011, he co-founded Showpad with PJ Bouten and Peter Minne. At Showpad, Louis served as CPO from 2013 to 2022, then as Co-CEO from 2015 to 2020, staying on the founding team through the company's major US expansion and multiple funding rounds. He remained a board member until August 2025.
In May 2023, Louis co-founded Wintercircus as CEO, transforming a historic Ghent market hall into Belgium's largest tech campus. He stepped down as CEO in April 2026 and transitioned to a Curator role. The farewell post on LinkedIn attracted 2,045 likes, one of the highest-engagement posts in the Belgian tech community.
Louis was named Chairman of Vlerick Business School in May 2025, cementing his role as an institution-builder alongside his company-building activities.
In parallel, Louis has been an active investor and advisor since 2017. His angel portfolio spans 17+ companies including Entourage (the Belgian investment vehicle of PJ Bouten), Aikido Security (developer security platform, where he is now GM US), and Intelliprove. He is consistently cited among Belgium's top angel investors.
Career History
- GM, US at Aikido Security (Apr 2026 - present), developer-centric security platform
- Investor & Advisor at Aikido Security (Oct 2022 - present)
- Curator at Wintercircus Ghent (Apr 2026 - present)
- Co-Founder & CEO at Wintercircus Ghent (May 2023 - Apr 2026)
- Chairman at Vlerick Business School (May 2025 - present)
- Board Member at Showpad (Aug 2020 - Aug 2025)
- Co-Founder & Co-CEO at Showpad (2015 - 2020)
- Co-Founder & CPO at Showpad (2013 - 2022)
- Co-Founder at Showpad (May 2011 - Aug 2025)
- Co-Founder at In The Pocket (May 2010 - present), Belgium's leading digital product studio
- Angel Investor, 17+ portfolio companies including Entourage, Aikido Security, Intelliprove
Education
- Master, General Management, Vlerick Business School (2008 - 2009), Cum Laude
- Master, Law (Economic and Financial Law), Ghent University (2003 - 2007)
About
Louis operates with a rare combination of operator depth, community commitment, and institutional reach. His willingness to step into the CEO role at Wintercircus after an already successful Showpad career signals a genuine belief in physical community infrastructure as a lever for ecosystem health. The move to GM US at Aikido Security at the same time as the Wintercircus exit shows he has not stepped back from operational involvement.
LinkedIn Voice
Posting style: Long-form, personal, and opinionated. Mixes vulnerability with strong viewpoints. Very active, multiple posts per week.
Key themes: Wintercircus Ghent, Aikido Security product and partnerships, AI skepticism, Ghent tech ecosystem
Avg engagement: 430 likes, 22 comments
Notable post: Farewell as Wintercircus CEO, 2,045 likes -- deeply personal reflection on building the tech campus.
Notes
23K+ followers on LinkedIn. The highest-profile active LinkedIn voice in the Ghent tech community.