As the heart of the European Union, Brussels offers a unique environment for startups aiming for continental growth. The city provides access to a variety of programs designed to help young companies succeed.

The European Innovation Council has made over 1,100 investments, showing its deep involvement in the ecosystem. EIT Digital Accelerator also stands out with 46 company exits from its portfolio.

Below is our list of the best 14 accelerators and incubators in Brussels.

Failory's Top 10 Picks

EIT Digital Accelerator propels European deep tech ventures onto the global stage by providing access to new markets and finance. Through their pan-European ecosystem, they connect scaleups with international customers and investors to help them raise Series A and B funding.

Year Founded2010
Founders—
Nº of Investments234
Nº of Exits46
Duration (Weeks)48

As part of the European Commission, the European Innovation Council champions deep tech and scientific breakthroughs from concept to commercialization. They provide substantial funding through a mix of grants and equity investments to a diverse group of innovators, researchers, and small companies across all sectors.

Year Founded1957
Founders—
Investment AmountGrant: up to €2.5M; Equity: €0.5M-€10M; STEP Scale-up: up to €30M
Equity TakenBlended finance (87% use grant + equity)
Nº of Investments1199
Nº of Exits35

Backed by the Horizon Europe programme, the EIC Accelerator provides grant funding and equity investments to deep-tech startups and SMEs. They help de-risk and scale high-impact innovations, empowering companies to bring game-changing technologies to the global market.

Year Founded1958
Founders—
Nº of Investments416
Nº of Exits6

Managed by the King Baudouin Foundation, the Caring Entrepreneurship Fund supports Belgian entrepreneurs launching innovative businesses in the Health and Wellness sector. They provide crucial seed-stage support through interest-free loans and hands-on coaching from a team of experienced entrepreneurs.

Year Founded—
Founders—
Nº of Investments17
Nº of Exits2

Functioning as a massive intergovernmental platform, Eureka Network provides funding for international R&D and innovation projects. They connect businesses and research institutions across a global network, helping them develop market-ready products and services.

Year Founded1985
FoundersHelmut Kohl, François Mitterrand
Nº of Investments16
Nº of Exits1
Beangels Logo

Be Angels operates as Belgium's most active business angel network, connecting innovative startups and scale-ups with private investors. They provide crucial early-stage funding and access to an experienced network to help young companies grow and scale their operations.

Year Founded2000
Founders—
Nº of Investments11
Nº of Exits1
Lab Box Logo

7. Lab Box

As a corporate startup studio backed by D'Ieteren Automotive, Lab Box builds mobility companies from the ground up. They have successfully launched ventures including the car-sharing service Poppy and the digital car leasing platform Lizy.

Year Founded2017
FoundersValentin Haarscher, Michaël Grandfils
Nº of Investments2
Nº of Exits1

PARSEC Accelerator helps startups and SMEs build and launch new products based on Earth Observation technology. They provide essential resources for companies innovating in the food, energy, and environmental sectors.

Year Founded2019
Founders—
Nº of Investments4
Nº of Exits1

As Europe's largest public-private innovation partnership for climate action, Climate-KIC provides early-stage startups with the tools and funding to tackle climate change. Delivered in London by Imperial's Centre for Cleantech Innovation, the program helps entrepreneurs in sectors like agriculture and transportation build commercially viable, climate-positive businesses.

Year Founded2010
Founders—
Nº of Investments8
Nº of Exits1

PhotonHub Europe accelerates the adoption of light-based technologies across European industry by connecting companies with cutting-edge resources. They primarily support small and medium-sized enterprises, offering a one-stop-shop for training, technology access, and investment readiness to drive innovation.

Year Founded2021
Founders—
Nº of Investments1
Nº of Exits—

4 Additional Brussels Accelerators and Incubators Worth Applying To

Our favorite picks are just the beginning of what Brussels has to offer. Together, the remaining programs have backed almost 50 companies.

They represent a mix of newer and more established organizations. Here’s a look at the other programs worth considering for your startup.

Accelerator/IncubatorYear FoundedNº InvestmentsNº Exits
Harika Ventures logo Harika Ventures2021——
EIT Digital logo EIT Digital201031—
European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency logo European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency201412—
Sparkalis logo Sparkalis19194—