The Faktory Fund
The Faktory Fund is a private Belgian seed investor and accelerator founded in 2013 that deploys EUR 250K–1M equity tickets into IoT and SaaS startups across BeNeLux and France, operating a EUR 20M Fund II from Liège.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersLiège, Belgium
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The Faktory Fund does
The Faktory Fund is a private early-stage investment fund, accelerator, and incubator headquartered in Liège, Belgium, founded in 2013 by Pierre L'Hoest (former CEO and founder of EVS Broadcast Equipment, listed on Euronext Brussels) and Simon Alexandre. The firm invests equity in startups developing disruptive technologies with potential for worldwide leadership in B2B markets, with current scope concentrated on Internet of Things (IoT) and Software as a Service (SaaS) startups located in the BeNeLux region and France. Operations run from a five-level, zero-energy building in central Liège, supplemented by a secondary incubator in Verviers (province of Liège) and presence at the Liège Science Park; the team comprises six members including two General Partners and two technology advisors.
The Faktory Fund firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Faktory Fund
- Legal name
- The Faktory Fund
- Website
- https://thefaktory.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Faktory Fund is a private Belgian seed investor and accelerator founded in 2013 that deploys EUR 250K–1M equity tickets into IoT and SaaS startups across BeNeLux and France, operating a EUR 20M Fund II from Liège.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Faktory Fund industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital Seed Investment
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Venture Capital Fund-of-Funds / Multi-Manager Platforms (FSANAAAJ)
Keywords
Where The Faktory Fund is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Liège
- HQ country
- Belgium
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
The Faktory Fund business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Equity Investment Returns: The fund makes equity investments in early-stage startups ranging from EUR 250,000 to EUR 1,000,000 per company. Returns are generated through successful exits when portfolio companies are acquired or go public. Notable exit include Riiot Labs acquired by Fluidra in 2017.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Seed to Series A investment tickets |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
The Faktory Fund product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Faktory Fund is a private seed-stage investment fund and accelerator that provides equity financing of EUR 250,000 to EUR 1,000,000 per startup, alongside hands-on operational support covering strategy, sales, marketing, and product development. The fund focuses exclusively on early-stage startups developing disruptive IoT and SaaS technologies in BeNeLux and France, targeting worldwide B2B leadership in Information Communication Technologies. It applies a proprietary 360° analysis methodology and offers founder-protection mechanisms during investment rounds.
Product overview
The Faktory Fund operates as a seed investment fund and technology accelerator with two funding cohorts: Fund I (established 2013) and Fund II. The accelerator provides EUR 250,000 to EUR 1,000,000 investment capability per startup, focusing on disruptive technologies in IoT and SaaS. The portfolio comprises approximately 20 companies across Fund I and Fund II, including: AI/analytics companies (AiVidens for payment risk prediction, dgenious for POS reporting, XYZT.ai for location analytics, Zozio for logistics AI, Kensu for data governance); vertical SaaS solutions (MyCellHub for biotech, F4A for food waste management, Fotostudio for photographers, Letsmeet for meeting scheduling); deep tech (e-peas for energy harvesting semiconductors, Nestwave for geolocation, iVEX for autonomous vehicle validation); consumer/hardware (Foobot for air quality, Abrakam for gaming, Beatsurfing for music production, Wishbone for medical biomaterials); and special initiatives (SafeLink COVID-19 monitoring, Riiot Labs pool analytics). The Fund has achieved notable exits including Riiot Labs to Fluidra (2017) and Nestwave to NextNav (2022).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Seed Investment and Acceleration Program (Fund I) Equity investment and three-step acceleration partnership (First Check, Analysis, Invest & Support) targeting early-stage startups developing disruptive technologies in IoT and SaaS, primarily in B2B markets. Fund I financed 11 companies including Abrakam, Airboxlab/Foobot, e-peas, Riiot Labs, KENSU, BDM Reco, Wishbone, and HLO/Beatsurfing.
- Seed Investment and Acceleration Program (Fund II) Second seed investment cohort with EUR 20 million committed capital, financing 10+ early-stage startups including AiVidens, dgenious, F4A Food for All, Fotostudio, iVEX, Letsmeet, MyCellHub, Nestwave, Penbox, XYZT.ai, and Zozio.
- Startup Incubation Services Physical incubation facilities at the Liège headquarters (Rue Léon Frédéricq, 48, 4020 Liège) and a second incubator in Verviers, providing workspace and infrastructure support to portfolio startups. Includes access to an internal engineering team dedicated to IoT support.
Companies that use The Faktory Fund
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Faktory Fund technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
AI capability10 records
Feature2 records
The Faktory Fund partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.
- HubSpot StartupssupportingThe Faktory announced a partnership with HubSpot Startups to provide marketing and growth support to its portfolio companies, helping startups leverage HubSpot's platform for customer acquisition and business growth.
- SigfoxcoreThe Faktory became a Sigfox partner in Belgium, serving as a relay, point of contact, and source of information for local startups developing solutions based on Sigfox's Ultra Narrow Band (UNB) low-power wide-area network technology for M2M and IoT communications.
- LuxinnovationsupportingThe Faktory participates in Fit4Start program alongside Luxinnovation, attending startup pitches and evaluating opportunities for collaboration in the Luxembourg innovation ecosystem.
- Réseaux Santé Wallon et BruxelloissupportingHealthcare networks that collaborated with The Faktory on the SafeLink COVID-19 monitoring project, integrating with the Belgian health data infrastructure.
- FluidracoreSpanish multinational group devoted to the Pool & Wellness sector that acquired Riiot Labs (a The Faktory portfolio company) in 2017, demonstrating successful exit pathway for portfolio companies through industrial partnership.
- Regional Authorities and AgenciessupportingStrong support from regional authorities and agencies as well as local banks that supported The Faktory's ecosystem development and portfolio company growth.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Faktory Fund competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Capricorn Partners: Belgian VC and growth equity firm managing multiple technology-focused funds. Overlaps with The Faktory in BeNeLux technology investment but operates across multiple funds and stages.
- Speedinvest: Vienna-based European early-stage VC with multiple sector-focused funds including fintech, deep tech, and SaaS. Overlaps with The Faktory on SaaS and IoT seed investment but operates at substantially larger AUM across pan-European geography.
- Noshaq: Largest Belgian VC and PE fund manager based in Liège. Overlaps with The Faktory in regional BeNeLux focus and technology investment, but operates with substantially larger AUM and broader stage coverage.
- Point Nine Capital: Berlin-based European seed VC focused on B2B SaaS, fintech, and digital health. Comparable to The Faktory on the B2B SaaS early-stage thesis, but with a pan-European mandate and significantly larger fund sizes.
Direct peers
- imec.xpand: Belgian venture capital fund affiliated with imec, investing globally in semiconductor and deep-tech startups. Directly comparable to The Faktory on the deep-tech / IoT semiconductor angle (e.g. e-peas energy harvesting ICs).
- Qbic Fund: Belgian inter-university early-stage VC fund supporting academic spinouts from Belgian universities. Comparable to The Faktory in early-stage technology focus and Belgian regional scope, particularly for university-derived IoT and SaaS startups.
- Sambrinvest: Belgian regional investment fund based in Charleroi supporting startups and SMEs in Wallonia. Comparable to The Faktory in Belgian regional scope and early-stage technology focus, with similar public-sector backing.
- Kima Ventures: French seed-stage VC founded by Xavier Niel, actively investing in early-stage tech startups. Referenced on The Faktory's own website as a peer-style resource; comparable in seed ticket size and European technology focus.
- LeanSquare: Walloon-based seed and early-stage VC fund focused on deep tech and digital startups in BeNeLux. Closest comparable to The Faktory in fund size, regional scope (Wallonia), and stage focus on technology commercialization.
Emerging players
- Spreds: Belgian equity crowdfunding and investment platform supporting early-stage startups. Comparable to The Faktory in Belgian early-stage deal flow, but operates a retail-facing model rather than institutional VC.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Faktory Fund social profiles
Digital presenceThe Faktory Fund financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Faktory Fund leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
The Faktory Fund funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Faktory Fund M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments23 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Faktory Fund
What does The Faktory Fund do?
The Faktory Fund is a private seed-stage investment fund and accelerator that provides equity financing of EUR 250,000 to EUR 1,000,000 per startup, alongside hands-on operational support covering strategy, sales, marketing, and product development. The fund focuses exclusively on early-stage startups developing disruptive IoT and SaaS technologies in BeNeLux and France, targeting worldwide B2B leadership in Information Communication Technologies. It applies a proprietary 360° analysis methodology and offers founder-protection mechanisms during investment rounds.
Is The Faktory Fund a public or private company?
The Faktory Fund is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Faktory Fund founded?
The Faktory Fund was founded in 2013. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Faktory Fund based?
The Faktory Fund is headquartered in Liège, Belgium, in the Europe region.
How does The Faktory Fund make money?
One revenue line is on record: equity Investment Returns.
Who are The Faktory Fund's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Capricorn Partners, Speedinvest, Noshaq and Point Nine Capital. Direct peers are imec.xpand, Qbic Fund, Sambrinvest, Kima Ventures and LeanSquare. Spreds is listed as an emerging player.
Does The Faktory Fund have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Faktory Fund.
What industry is The Faktory Fund in?
The Faktory Fund's product category is Venture Capital Seed Investment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAJ, Venture Capital Fund-of-Funds / Multi-Manager Platforms. Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.