Omar Mohout

TLDR

Omar Mohout is a professor of Entrepreneurship and Belgian tech ecosystem analyst, best known for creating the Belgian tech "mafias" visualization and his detailed city-by-city analyses of Belgium's startup landscape.

Overview

Omar Mohout is a professor of Entrepreneurship who combines academic work with hands-on advisory for Belgian tech scaleups. He helps founders navigate funding rounds, acquisition processes, and growth strategy.

He previously chaired the board of BeCentral, the digital campus at Brussels Central Station, and served on the board of Startups.be. He was a fellow at Sirris, where he worked alongside the team that launched Startathlon, one of Belgium's first formal accelerator programmes.

He created the Belgian tech "mafias" concept and visualization, mapping the key companies whose alumni networks went on to seed the next generation of Belgian startups and investors. The work identified Netlog, Porthus, Lernout and Hauspie, and ML6 among the top talent accelerators that built the Belgian tech scene.

He publishes detailed ecosystem analyses through his "Silicon Waffles" newsletter, covering individual cities including Brussels and Ghent with data on headcount growth, investment patterns, founder demographics, and exit histories.

Career History

• Professor of Entrepreneurship (current)
• Former Chairman of BeCentral board
• Former Board Member at Startups.be
• Fellow at Sirris

Notable Work

• Belgian tech "mafias" visualization mapping talent networks
• "How Brussels became Belgium's most surprising startup city" (Apr 2026)
• "Ghent: the most connected tech ecosystem" (Nov 2025)
• Silicon Waffles newsletter