Belgium counts numerous seasoned financial players with high expertise in financing companies at every stage of maturity. Banks, private equity funds, public investors all are active, complementary, being locally or internationally. For some years now, a strong willingness has emerged to encourage seed and early stage investments.

Besides, Belgian universities have been promoting technological transfer for a long time. It is worth noticing that there exist many seed capital funds from this universe: SOPARTEC (UCL), IMEC Incubatiefonds (Leuven), Gemma Frisius (K.U.Leuven), Antwerps Innovatie Centrum (UA), Baekeland (RUG), I3 (VUB), Spinventure (ULg).

In particular, the Université catholique de Louvain, due to the success of its spin-off funds SOPARTEC, keeps on pushing its venture capital experience.

Finally, the European Investment Fund (EIF) develops an ambitious European program to help young companies get financing and support their growth.

All these players have, in December 2003, collaborated to the creation of VIVES. Private investors and the EIF bring their investment capacity and experience, whereas UCL brings its technological and management know-how.