Impact Shakers
Impact Shakers is a Belgian impact-investment ecosystem operator that deploys capital through a €20M venture fund, a 100+-member cooperative Microfund, and an angel-investor training programme, targeting diverse-founded impact startups across Climate Tech, Inclusion Tech, and Impact Infrastructure in Europe.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersBeernem, Belgium
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Impact Shakers does
Impact Shakers is a Belgian impact ecosystem investor headquartered in Brussels that operates a multi-vehicle platform supporting diverse-founded impact startups across Europe. Founded in 2011 by Yonca Braeckman, Diana Pati, Alina Klarner, and Anaïs Bouzidi, the firm deploys capital through three primary vehicles: Impact Shakers Ventures (a €20M fund investing €250k in pre-seed companies with potential follow-on up to €1.5M), the Microfund (a cooperative investment vehicle with 100+ members pooling tickets of €250-€12,500), and the Impact Angel Programme (an 8-week virtual training course priced at €995-€1,295). A €40k fixed support fee accompanies each Ventures investment. The firm's revenue is generated from a combination of programme fees, microfund management, venture support fees, and long-duration equity returns from portfolio investments. Distribution is community- and ecosystem-led, leveraging 20+ partner organisations including Google Digital Atelier, Village Capital, Hatch Enterprise, and Female Foundry across Belgium, the UK, Portugal, the Netherlands, and Germany.
The firm operates complementary capacity-building programmes including the Raise programme (a 10-week hybrid fundraising-readiness programme for Belgian founders delivered with Cresco, PwC Belgium, and Pulse Foundation), annual Impact Shakers Awards (recognising impact businesses aligned with doughnut economics), and a multi-city events platform (Impact Dinners, Lightning Talks, biennial Summit). Impact Shakers also co-manages or partners on specialised initiatives such as the Google Digital Atelier Incubator for female entrepreneurs, EU-funded CRAFT and EXPAND projects, and thematic accelerators including Studio Waste and FAROL. The organisation maintains a portfolio of 30+ companies across Climate Tech, Inclusion Tech, and Impact Infrastructure verticals, with named portfolio companies including Humara, Sila Health, Sensegrass, Vyld, Tazaar, and Faircado.
The company is structured as a cooperative (Impact Shakers Coop CV) with a service-entity parent (Impact Shakers Hub BV) and operates with approximately 15 team members spanning investment, platform, impact measurement, and operating-partner functions. Leadership includes Yonca Braeckman (Founder & CEO), Diana Pati (Co-Founder & COO), and Alina Klarner (Founding Partner and Head of Ventures). The firm has received multiple recognitions in 2024, including ELLE Belgian Woman of the Year, WISE100, EU Startups Top 100 Women in VC, and ImpactAlpha Transformative 25, providing reputational capital in the European impact-investing market.
Impact Shakers firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Impact Shakers
- Legal name
- Impact Shakers
- Website
- https://impactshakers.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Impact Shakers is a Belgian impact-investment ecosystem operator that deploys capital through a €20M venture fund, a 100+-member cooperative Microfund, and an angel-investor training programme, targeting diverse-founded impact startups across Climate Tech, Inclusion Tech, and Impact Infrastructure in Europe.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Impact Shakers industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Impact Investing & Venture Capital Services
- NAICS
- Open-End Investment Funds (52591), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Impact / ESG Venture Capital (FSANAAAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Sustainable Private Markets (Impact PE/VC, Private Credit, Infrastructure) (FSAAALAG), Impact Investing (Intentional, Measurable Social/Environmental Outcomes) (FSAAALAC), Micro-VC & Angel Funds (FSANAAAI), Impact Investing & Social Finance (Funds, CDFIs, Microfinance) (BPAGALAA)
Keywords
Where Impact Shakers is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Beernem
- HQ country
- Belgium
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Impact Shakers business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Investment Returns from Portfolio Companies: Impact Shakers generates returns through equity investments in impact ventures. Their Ventures programme invests €250k in capital and support in exchange for equity stakes in early-stage impact companies.
- Programme Fees - Impact Angel Programme: Revenue generated from the Impact Angel Programme which charges participants €995 early bird or €1295 full price for training and network access.
- Microfund Management: The cooperative structure of the Microfund allows members to pool investments with a minimum €250 share purchase, generating management fees for Impact Shakers.
- Venture Support Fees: A fixed fee of €40k is charged for support services provided alongside the €250k capital investment in portfolio companies.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | One time/ perpetual license | Impact Angel Programme - Early Bird |
| Other | One time/ perpetual license | Impact Angel Programme - Full Price |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Microfund Membership |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Multi-year contract | Ventures Investment Package |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Impact Shakers product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Impact Shakers is an impact ecosystem investor that deploys capital into diverse-founded impact startups across Europe via its €20M Ventures fund (€250k tickets, up to €1.5M follow-on) and a cooperative Microfund (€250–€12,500 tickets). It complements investing with an 8-week Impact Angel educational programme for aspiring angel investors, a hybrid Raise fundraising-readiness programme for Belgian founders, and an events/community platform (Impact Dinners, Summit, Lightning Talks).
Product overview
Impact Shakers is an impact ecosystem investor operating as a multi-vehicle investment and support platform for diverse-founded impact startups across Europe. The organisation offers a comprehensive portfolio of investment vehicles (Ventures with €250k+ investment, Microfund cooperative investing), educational programmes (Impact Angel 8-week training, Raise fundraising programme), and event platforms (Impact Dinners, Summit, Lightning Talks). Additionally, Impact Shakers manages or partners on specialised incubation programmes including the Google Digital Atelier Incubator for female entrepreneurs, EU-funded projects (CRAFT, EXPAND), and thematic accelerators (Studio Waste, FAROL). The ecosystem is anchored by an Impact Shakers Awards programme celebrating doughnut economics-aligned businesses, and provides knowledge resources through annual reports and practical tools. The overall architecture combines direct investment vehicles with capacity-building programmes to support founders from awareness through growth to exit.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Impact Shakers Ventures: Direct investment vehicle investing €250k in diverse-founded pre-seed impact startups with potential follow-on up to €1.5M
- Impact Shakers Microfund
- Impact Angel Programme
- Raise
- Impact Shakers Awards
Products and services
- Impact Shakers Ventures Investment vehicle providing €250k in capital plus €40k of hands-on support (CFO, GTM Strategy, Impact/ESG Track, Personal Coaching) to diverse-founded pre-seed impact startups in Europe, with potential follow-on investment of up to €1.5M and access to a 500+ partner ecosystem.
- Impact Shakers Microfund Independent investment cooperative enabling members to co-invest in underrepresented diverse founders with tickets ranging from €250 to €12,500. Operates on '1 person = 1 vote' participatory governance with 100+ members aged 18-82.
- Impact Angel Programme
Quantifiable outcome
- €250k capital deployment per portfolio company with additional €40k support value
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Impact Shakers
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Impact Shakers technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Impact Shakers partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Google Digital AteliercoreStrategic partnership for incubator programmes supporting startups. Google Digital Atelier provides resources and expertise for Impact Shakers' startup support initiatives.
- Village CapitalcoreEcosystem partner supporting impact entrepreneurship. Village Capital collaborates on programmes and deal flow for diverse founders.
- MazeminorEcosystem partner providing resources and community for impact entrepreneurs in the network.
- Allia ImpactminorImpact-focused organization supporting the ecosystem of diverse founders and impact investors.
- Hatch EnterpriseminorEcosystem partner supporting diverse entrepreneurs through mentorship, resources, and network access.
- Female FoundryminorFemale-focused startup ecosystem partner supporting women entrepreneurs in the Impact Shakers network.
- CrescocorePartner in the Raise investment readiness programme, providing expertise and support for startups.
- PwC BelgiumcoreProfessional services partner for the Raise programme, offering advisory and consulting support.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Impact Shakers competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Atomico: European venture firm investing in technology companies across stages and geographies. Comparable as an established European VC with ecosystem events, reports, and founder community programmes.
- Bridges Fund Management: UK-based sustainable and impact investment manager spanning private equity, venture, and debt strategies. Comparable as an established impact investor operating multiple funds across asset classes.
Direct peers
- Ada Ventures: UK-based early-stage VC investing in diverse founders at the intersection of impact and technology. Most direct peer given shared focus on underrepresented founders and impact-first thesis in Europe.
- Acumen: Global impact investor supporting early-stage enterprises tackling poverty. Comparable as a mission-driven VC combining patient capital with capacity-building support for founders.
- Kiva: Crowdfunding microfinance platform enabling pooled community capital to underwrite borrowers excluded from traditional finance. Directly comparable to Impact Shakers' cooperative Microfund model.
- Antler: Global early-stage VC with a multi-programme stack (residency, funding, follow-on) for founders across geographies. Comparable ecosystem-builder approach and pre-seed cheque size.
- Norrsken Foundation: European impact ecosystem builder combining an accelerator, fund-of-funds, and coworking hub for impact entrepreneurs. Comparable multi-programme ecosystem structure supporting founders across the lifecycle.
- Unreasonable: Impact entrepreneurship support organisation running programmes, fellowships, and capital access for ventures tackling social/environmental challenges. Comparable programme-driven approach to scaling impact founders.
- Pale Blue Dot: European climate-tech VC investing in early-stage impact startups. Comparable as a European early-stage impact VC operating with a focused thesis and active portfolio support.
- LocalGlobe: London-based pre-seed and seed VC investing across Europe with strong founder support programmes. Comparable European early-stage investor with platform-style founder support and community-building GTM.
Market position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Impact Shakers social profiles
Digital presenceImpact Shakers financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Impact Shakers leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Impact Shakers funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Impact Shakers M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments16 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Impact Shakers
What does Impact Shakers do?
Impact Shakers is an impact ecosystem investor that deploys capital into diverse-founded impact startups across Europe via its €20M Ventures fund (€250k tickets, up to €1.5M follow-on) and a cooperative Microfund (€250–€12,500 tickets). It complements investing with an 8-week Impact Angel educational programme for aspiring angel investors, a hybrid Raise fundraising-readiness programme for Belgian founders, and an events/community platform (Impact Dinners, Summit, Lightning Talks).
Is Impact Shakers a public or private company?
Impact Shakers is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Impact Shakers founded?
Impact Shakers was founded in 2011. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Impact Shakers based?
Impact Shakers is headquartered in Beernem, Belgium, in the Europe region.
How does Impact Shakers make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Investment Returns from Portfolio Companies are the primary driver. The others are programme Fees - Impact Angel Programme, microfund Management and venture Support Fees.
Who are Impact Shakers's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Atomico and Bridges Fund Management. Direct peers are Ada Ventures, Acumen, Kiva, Antler, Norrsken Foundation, Unreasonable, Pale Blue Dot and LocalGlobe.
Does Impact Shakers have an API?
No public API is recorded for Impact Shakers.
What industry is Impact Shakers in?
Impact Shakers's product category is Impact Investing & Venture Capital Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAG, Impact / ESG Venture Capital, with a secondary code of FSAAALAG, Sustainable Private Markets (Impact PE/VC, Private Credit, Infrastructure). Its NAICS code is 52591 and its SIC code is 8742.