invest.bw
invest.bw is a Belgian regional venture capital and financing company based in Louvain-la-Neuve that provides equity, mezzanine loans, convertible loans, and SME digital lending to start-ups, scale-ups, and growth-stage companies in Brabant wallon.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersLouvain-la-neuve, Belgium
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What invest.bw does
invest.bw (Société d'Investissement et de Financement du Brabant Wallon, formerly Nivelinvest) is a privately held Belgian venture capital and financing company headquartered in Louvain-la-Neuve, operating as the principal risk-capital provider for entrepreneurs in the Brabant wallon province. Founded in 1994 and rebranded to invest.bw around 2021, the firm supports companies across the lifecycle — start-ups with functional prototypes, scale-ups with proven product-market fit, and established SMEs pursuing growth projects or ownership transitions (including MBO/MBI) — through equity participation (minority stakes), subordinated/mezzanine loans, convertible loans, and real estate leasing via its Lease.BW SA subsidiary.
The product lineup centers on two structures: B2START IC, a €7.8M investment fund established in June 2024 and co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund and the Walloon Region under the FEDER 2021-2027 programming period, targeting SME innovation and digital transformation; and Invest.BW Direct, a digital SME lending channel launched in October 2021 in partnership with mozzeno, offering €5,000–€100,000 loans with 48-hour decision and disbursement. Maximum intervention per portfolio company is €2.5M across multiple rounds, with a 5–10 year horizon and co-investment alongside banks and private investors. The firm holds the distinction of being the first certified CO2-neutral investment company (via CO2logic) and embeds ESG screening and portfolio-level CO2 monitoring into its investment process.
invest.bw is owned 49% by Wallonie Entreprendre (the Walloon public investment vehicle), 25% by Ackermans & van Haaren, and 25% by IBA (Investment Brabant wallon), with the balance held by minority shareholders; the firm is not under any single parent's control. It runs with a compact team of approximately seven professionals and has supported 200+ portfolio companies over three decades, including names such as Cluepoints, E-PEAS, Axinesis, intoPIX, Telemis, Novadip Biosciences, and neuroClues. Its geographic mandate is restricted to Wallonia and effectively anchored in Brabant wallon.
invest.bw firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- invest.bw
- Legal name
- SOCIETE D'INVESTISSEMENT ET DE FINANCEMENT DU BRABANT WALLON, EN ABREGE : Invest.BW
- Website
- https://investbw.be
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- invest.bw is a Belgian regional venture capital and financing company based in Louvain-la-Neuve that provides equity, mezzanine loans, convertible loans, and SME digital lending to start-ups, scale-ups, and growth-stage companies in Brabant wallon.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
invest.bw industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Investment Holding & Portfolio Management
- NAICS
- Other Financial Investment Activities (5239)
- SIC
- Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Business Services (B2B) Growth Equity (FSANACAD)
Keywords
Where invest.bw is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Louvain-la-neuve
- HQ country
- Belgium
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
invest.bw business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Equity/Shareholder Returns: Invest.BW generates returns through dividends and capital gains on equity investments in portfolio companies. As a minority shareholder, the firm participates in value creation over the 5-10 year investment horizon.
- Interest Income from Loans: Revenue generated from interest payments on subordinated loans, convertible loans, and direct lending through Invest.BW Direct (powered by mozzeno) for SME financing.
- Management Fees from B2START IC: B2START IC is a co-financed investment fund managed by Invest.BW, co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) and the Walloon Region with approximately €7.8 million in action means for the 2021-2027 programming period.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Maximum investment per company of €2.5 million across multiple funding rounds |
| Subscription | Monthly | SME loans from €5,000 to €100,000 for equipment, vehicles, and working capital |
| Subscription | Annual | B2START IC co-funded by European Regional Development Fund for SME investments |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
invest.bw product offering
Product offeringCore offering
invest.bw (formerly Nivelinvest) operates as an international investment holding company registered in Baden-Baden, Germany. It acquires, holds, and manages equity interests in operating companies across a broad range of industries — including real estate, renewable energy, financial services, healthcare, logistics, and oil and gas — with a primary focus on industrial groups and structures. The firm pursues an investment philosophy grounded in risk management and ESG principles and operates within European regulatory frameworks.
Product overview
Invest.BW is a venture capital and financing company serving entrepreneurs in Brabant wallon, Belgium. The company offers a portfolio of financing instruments including equity participation (minority stakes), subordinated/mezzanine loans, convertible loans, and real estate leasing. The product lineup centers on two main offerings: (1) B2Start IC, a €7.8M investment fund co-financed by FEDER and the Walloon Region for SME innovation and digital transformation; and (2) Invest.BW Direct, a digital lending platform (€5,000–€100,000) powered by mozzeno for TPE-PME businesses with rapid 48-hour processing. Investment horizons typically span 5–10 years with maximum intervention of €2.5 million per company.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Investment Holding & Group Structuring Acquisition and ongoing holding of equity interests in industrial groups and corporate structures across multiple sectors, offered to company owners, founders, and boards seeking a long-term holding partner.
- Real Estate Investment Portfolio Equity and asset investments in real estate, held within the group's diversified portfolio and managed for long-term value.
- Renewable Energy Investments Equity investments in renewable energy projects and companies, aligned with the group's ESG-oriented investment philosophy.
- Financial Services Investments Equity holdings in financial services companies held within the diversified investment portfolio.
- Healthcare Investments Equity investments in healthcare companies held within the diversified investment portfolio.
- Logistics Investments Equity investments in logistics companies held within the diversified investment portfolio.
- Oil and Gas Investments Equity investments in oil and gas companies held within the diversified investment portfolio.
Quantifiable outcome
- 200+ companies supported over 30+ years of operation
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use invest.bw
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
invest.bw technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
invest.bw partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Lease.BW SAcoreSpecialized subsidiary for real estate leasing operations, enabling Invest.BW to offer 15-year minimum real estate financing for economic infrastructure projects in Brabant wallon.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights4 records
invest.bw competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sambrinvest: Belgian regional VC and financing company based in Charleroi with similar mandate to Invest.BW: provides equity, loans, and convertible financing to SMEs and startups in its region, with mixed public/private shareholders and co-investment alongside local partners.
- Noshaq: Belgian regional investment fund focused on startups, scale-ups, and SMEs in the Liège area, with public-mission ownership and similar multi-instrument (equity, mezzanine) approach to risk capital deployment in Wallonia.
- LRM (Limburgse Reconversie Maatschappij): Belgian regional investment company in Limburg providing risk capital to local SMEs, with similar permanent-capital structure, public/private shareholder mix, and focus on economic development of a single province.
- PMV (Participatiemaatschappij Vlaanderen): Flemish regional investment company providing equity and loans to Flemish SMEs and scale-ups; comparable to Invest.BW in size, mandate, and instrument mix, though operating in Flanders rather than Wallonia.
- S.R.I.W. (Société Régionale d'Investissement de Wallonie): Walloon regional investment holding company that invests in SMEs across Wallonia with a similar public-mission mandate, though typically with larger ticket sizes and broader sector focus than Invest.BW.
- W.IN.G (Wallonia Innovation and Growth): Walloon public investment fund supporting innovation and growth-stage companies, with overlapping mandate to Invest.BW around digital transformation and SME financing in the Walloon region.
- Wallonie Entreprendre: Walloon public investment company and 49% majority shareholder of Invest.BW; provides equity and loans to Walloon SMEs with comparable mission and instruments, and is both a corporate parent and a structural peer for regional risk capital deployment.
Broad incumbents
- Gimv: Belgian listed investment company with much larger AUM, providing growth capital across Belgium and Europe; broader portfolio span but overlapping focus on Belgian scale-ups in tech and healthcare, making it a relevant incumbent benchmark for Invest.BW.
- Capricorn Partners: Belgian independent venture capital and growth equity firm managing multiple funds across technology, cleantech, and healthcare; comparable in terms of Belgian tech investing focus, though with larger AUM and fund structures vs. Invest.BW's permanent-capital approach.
Regional players
- Bpifrance: French national public investment bank providing equity, loans, and co-investment to French SMEs and startups; the French analogue of regional Belgian development capital players like Invest.BW, with similar public-mission mandate and multi-instrument financing approach.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
invest.bw social profiles
Digital presenceinvest.bw financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
invest.bw leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
invest.bw subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
invest.bw funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
invest.bw M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments13 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about invest.bw
What does invest.bw do?
invest.bw (formerly Nivelinvest) operates as an international investment holding company registered in Baden-Baden, Germany. It acquires, holds, and manages equity interests in operating companies across a broad range of industries — including real estate, renewable energy, financial services, healthcare, logistics, and oil and gas — with a primary focus on industrial groups and structures. The firm pursues an investment philosophy grounded in risk management and ESG principles and operates within European regulatory frameworks.
Is invest.bw a public or private company?
invest.bw is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was invest.bw founded?
invest.bw was founded in 1994. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is invest.bw based?
invest.bw is headquartered in Louvain-la-neuve, Belgium, in the Europe region.
How does invest.bw make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Equity/Shareholder Returns are the primary driver. The others are interest Income from Loans and management Fees from B2START IC.
Who are invest.bw's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sambrinvest, Noshaq, LRM (Limburgse Reconversie Maatschappij), PMV (Participatiemaatschappij Vlaanderen), S.R.I.W. (Société Régionale d'Investissement de Wallonie), W.IN.G (Wallonia Innovation and Growth) and Wallonie Entreprendre. Broad incumbents are Gimv and Capricorn Partners. Bpifrance is listed as a regional player.
Does invest.bw have an API?
No public API is recorded for invest.bw.
What industry is invest.bw in?
invest.bw's product category is Investment Holding & Portfolio Management. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANACAD, Business Services (B2B) Growth Equity. Its NAICS code is 5239 and its SIC code is 6211.