What QBIC II does

Qbic Venture Partners II (Qbic II) is the second vintage of Qbic, Belgium's inter-university venture capital platform, established in 2016 and headquartered in Zwijnaarde (Ghent). The fund invests seed and Series A capital into technology spin-offs originating from 16 Belgian knowledge partners, including major universities (UGent, VUB, KU Leuven, UHasselt, ULiège, UAntwerpen), research institutes (VIB, imec, VITO), and university hospitals (UZ Gent, UZ Brussel, UZ Antwerpen, CHU de Liège, and others). Qbic II sits within a three-fund platform (Qbic I 2012, Qbic II 2016, Qbic III 2022 — €88.5M final close) and is managed by Qbic Venture Partners II alongside Qbic III under Managing Partner Sofie Baeten.

Qbic's portfolio spans biotech (Spica Therapeutics, Animab, MRM Health, Trince, AmphiStar, Flindr Therapeutics), healthtech (Innocens, moveUP/Cascador Health), deeptech (AILOS, Swave, VoxelSensors, eyeo, Blue Foot Membranes), and software/industrial (Pleevi, Aloxy). The platform also holds a minority interest in agtech (Aphea.Bio, Rainbow Crops) and supports European Union/InvestEU-backed initiatives. Portfolio outcomes disclosed include >350 jobs created, >500 million patients potentially benefiting from innovations, and 32% female CEO representation across the Qbic II portfolio.

The business model is a conventional early-stage venture capital fund: deploying committed LP capital into equity rounds (typically leading or co-leading seed/Series A), generating returns through equity appreciation and exits, supplemented by management fees on committed capital. Qbic III is structured as an Article 8 SFDR fund promoting ESG characteristics. Distribution relies on direct relationships with the 16 knowledge-partner institutions for top-of-funnel deal flow, supplemented by industry events, LinkedIn presence, and a small direct-investment channel. Operating geographies are primarily Belgium, with portfolio companies scaling across Europe (e.g., Samsung Ventures in Swave, Qualcomm collaboration with VoxelSensors).

Name

QBIC II

Legal name

Qbic Venture Partners II

Website

https://qbic.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Qbic Venture Partners II is a Belgian inter-university venture capital fund formed in 2016, investing seed and Series A capital into technology spin-offs originating from 16 Belgian universities, research institutes, and university hospitals across biotech, healthtech, deeptech, and software sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Capital

NAICS

All Other Financial Investment Activities (52399), Other Financial Vehicles (525990)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B) (FSANAAAB)

Keywords

• Seed venture capital
• Early-stage investment
• University spin-offs
• Biotech venture funding
• Deep tech investing

Headquarters

HQ city

Ghent

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Fund Management: Qbic generates returns through managing venture capital funds, investing in early-stage technology spin-offs from Belgian knowledge institutions. Returns are generated through equity appreciation and exits from portfolio companies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

QBIC II is the second fund in the Qbic inter-university venture capital fund series, formed in 2016 to provide seed and early-stage equity capital to technology spin-offs and start-ups originating from Belgian knowledge institutions. The fund invests in companies commercializing research in biotech, medtech, deep tech and software, typically participating in the first external capital round. QBIC II is managed by Qbic Venture Partners II and operates alongside Qbic I and Qbic III under a multi-fund platform.

Product overview

Qbic is an inter-university venture capital fund management organization managing three funds: Qbic I (2012), Qbic II (2016), and Qbic III (2022). Qbic II and Qbic III are managed by Qbic Venture Partners II and III respectively, headquartered in Belgium. The funds invest in spin-offs and start-ups from knowledge partners (Belgian universities, research institutes, hospitals). Qbic III is an Article 8 SFDR fund promoting ESG characteristics and investing in technologies impacting climate, environment, or health. The portfolio spans Biotech (Spica Therapeutics, Animab, MRM Health, Trince, AmphiStar, Flindr), HealthTech (Innocens, moveUP/Cascador Health), Deeptech (AILOS, Swave, VoxelSensors, eyeo, Blue Foot), and Software (Pleevi, Aloxy).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Qbic I Venture Capital Fund The first fund in the Qbic inter-university venture capital series, formed in 2012, providing seed and early-stage equity capital to spin-offs and start-ups from Qbic's knowledge partner network with sustainability factors embedded in investment decisions.
• Qbic II Venture Capital Fund The second fund in the Qbic series, formed in 2016 and managed by Qbic Venture Partners II, providing seed and early-stage equity capital to spin-offs and start-ups commercializing technological innovations originating from Qbic's partner universities, research institutes, and hospitals across biotech, medtech, deep tech, and software sectors.
• Qbic III Venture Capital Fund The third Qbic fund, formed in 2022, structured as an Article 8 SFDR fund promoting ESG policies across all portfolio companies and investing in technologies with potential impact on climate, environment, or health, reaching a final closing of €88.5 million in 2023.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Universiteit Gent (UGent)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor knowledge partner providing research-based spin-off opportunities in technology and life sciences.
• VUB (Vrije Universiteit Brussel)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKnowledge partner contributing to biotech and medical technology spin-offs.
• Universiteit HasseltcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKnowledge partner contributing to research-based spin-off opportunities.
• ULiège (Université de Liège)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKnowledge partner contributing to life sciences and medical technology spin-offs.
• Universiteit AntwerpencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKnowledge partner contributing to academic spin-off opportunities.
• VITOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch institute contributing to clean technology and sustainability spin-offs.
• imeccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld-leading research institute in nanoelectronics and digital technologies contributing to deep tech spin-offs.
• VIB (Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading life sciences research institute contributing to numerous biotech spin-offs including Animab, MRM Health, and others.
• UZ GentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity hospital contributing to medical technology and health tech spin-offs.
• UZ BrusselcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity hospital contributing to medical research spin-offs.
• UZ AntwerpencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity hospital contributing to medical technology spin-offs.
• CHU de LiègecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity hospital in Wallonia contributing to health tech spin-offs.
• Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg GenkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional hospital contributing to medical technology spin-offs.
• AZ Maria MiddelarescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHospital contributing to medical technology spin-offs.
• OLV AalstcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHospital contributing to medical technology spin-offs.
• VITAZcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHospital contributing to medical technology spin-offs.
• Clinique Saint-Luc BougecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHospital contributing to medical technology spin-offs.
• BioWinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWalloon health competitiveness cluster providing R&D project support to ABSCINT.
• AnacuraminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVeterinary health company joining Animab as new investor.
• HuvepharmaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEntered exclusive distribution agreement with Animab for Nanoprotec in Europe.
• Qualcomm TechnologiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVoxelSensors announced collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies for 3D perception sensors.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Gimv: Listed Belgian investment company with broader buyout and growth investment activities across Europe. Comparable due to Belgian origin, deeptech/life sciences exposure, and prior professional overlap (Sofie Baeten was Managing Partner at Gimv); functions as a broader incumbent rather than a pure early-stage spin-out specialist.
• PMV (Participatie Maatschappij Vlaanderen): Flemish regional investment company acting across the full risk-capital spectrum from seed to growth. Comparable as a Belgium-based institutional investor and co-investor in Qbic's portfolio rounds (e.g., Aphea.bio, Animab), with broader sector and stage mandate than Qbic's early-stage focus.

Direct peers

• imec.xpand: imec's dedicated venture fund investing in nanoelectronics and semiconductor spin-offs. Directly comparable as a Belgian deeptech-focused early-stage fund sourcing from a single major research partner (imec), with overlapping portfolio companies such as eyeo and VoxelSensors.
• Gemma Frisius Fund: University-affiliated seed and early-stage fund associated with KU Leuven that invests in academic spin-offs. Directly comparable as a Belgian knowledge-partner-linked VC participating alongside Qbic in portfolio rounds (e.g., Aphea.bio Series B).
• V-Bio Ventures: Belgian life sciences-focused venture capital fund investing in biotech spin-offs and early-stage therapeutics. Directly comparable due to Belgian geography, biotech specialism, and repeated co-investment with Qbic in companies like Aphea.bio and Animab.
• Volta Ventures: Belgian seed and early-stage venture capital fund focused on software and tech-enabled businesses. Comparable as a Belgium-based early-stage VC that has co-invested with Qbic in portfolio companies such as the moveUP/Cascador Health combined entity.
• Capricorn Partners: Belgian independent venture capital and growth equity firm with dedicated technology and life sciences funds. Comparable as a Belgium-based early-to-growth VC active in deeptech and biotech, overlapping with Qbic's sectoral focus.
• Innovation Industries: Dutch deeptech venture capital firm leading Series A rounds in photonics and semiconductor-adjacent startups. Comparable due to deeptech specialism and shared syndication in Qbic portfolio companies such as eyeo.
• Novalis II (Flanders Innovation Fund): Flemish innovation fund specializing in early biotech and life sciences investments. Comparable as a Belgian early-stage VC targeting academic and research-driven spin-offs, having co-invested with Qbic in Trince.

Regional players

• Fund+: Belgian investment fund focused on innovative life sciences companies in later-stage clinical development. Comparable in Belgian life sciences investing, though focused on later stages than Qbic's seed/Series A model; serves as adjacent rather than direct competitive overlap.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/qbic

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments9 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about QBIC II