finance
Brussels Startups Face Stalled Strategies and Support Shortfalls This Year
A frozen Smart City strategy and weakened ecosystem backing create headwinds even as the city maintains its position as a leading European tech hub.
How we reported this
Brussels startups are confronting headwinds from a frozen Smart City strategy and weakened ecosystem support at a time when the Brussels-Capital Region ranked fourth in Europe for funding awarded to local organizations between 2021 and 2024.
The challenges matter now because early-stage founders in AI, health and mobility sectors still lack dedicated infrastructure despite the EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy adopted in May 2025. Local programs must compete with cross-border scaling measures such as the 28th regime and the Scaleup Europe Fund while addressing immediate gaps in the capital.
Healthtech dominance remains understated
Brussels stays Belgium's undisputed healthtech leader with an ecosystem twice the size of Ghent and triple Leuven's, yet the city has stayed strangely silent about this dominance. Twenty-three-plus digital hubs, including Silversquare Louise and Tour & Taxis, host activity, but founders report that support structures have weakened even as Innoviris invested €7.3 million across 46 AI projects in February 2026.
Digital vulnerability affects 300,000 residents, or 40 percent of the 16-74 age group, limiting broader participation in the innovation economy. Trosort secured Horizon Europe-funded IN-TRANSIT funding for its SortMate textile sorting automation project and BEEODIVERSITY received EIC Accelerator equity and grant for its BeeOimpact project, showing selective wins amid the broader constraints.
September garage launch targets early gaps
The planned 1,000 m² startup garage opening in September 2026 will support 100 early-stage tech founders in AI, health and mobility sectors. This step directly responds to the documented need for early-stage infrastructure while the city works through the listed challenges of strategy stagnation and support shortfalls.
Founders can track updates through Innoviris channels and local networks such as StartLab.Brussels to prepare applications ahead of the September opening and position projects for the upcoming European Innovation Act measures.
This article is general information only and is not personal financial or investment advice. Consider your own circumstances and seek licensed professional advice before making financial decisions.