CAP Innove

What CAP Innove does

CAP Innove is a Belgian non-profit (a.s.b.l.) business incubator and innovation center headquartered in Nivelles, Walloon Brabant, founded in 1983. It operates a generalist business center offering coworking, private offices, meeting and seminar rooms, a 200m² makerspace with 3D printing and CNC capabilities, a modular audiovisual studio, and the on-site 20 EAT restaurant. On top of this real-estate and infrastructure base, the organization runs three specialized thematic incubators: ID2Move (autonomous ground, aerial and aquatic systems with a particular focus on drones, created in 2019), ID2Food (agri-food technology and digital/AI supply-chain innovation), and ID2Green (circular economy and sustainable transition). The ID2Move facility is the technological differentiator, providing a 606-hectare outdoor Geo-Zone, a 600m² indoor test zone with 8m ceiling and millimeter-precision motion capture, plus partner test assets at RACB's racing track, the EBSH Saint-Hubert aerodrome, and Euro Space Center's maritime pool.

The company's revenue model is multi-stream and recurring: private offices from €528/month, coworking at €315/month or €25/day, meeting rooms at €25/hour (€18/hour for members), ID2Move membership fees with tiered access, paid coaching and acceleration services (Beerstorming, Mini Camp, Parcours de l'Entrepreneur), on-site restaurant and catering (20 EAT), and event ticketing/sponsorship (notably C-UAS Day at €175/ticket and ~€600+ booth sponsorships). Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, anchored by Beerstorming sessions as the top-of-funnel entry point, recurring FAILSAFE Café and workshop programming for mid-funnel conversion, and consultative sales for private offices and large conference bookings at the bottom of the funnel. Customers span early-stage startup founders, regional SMEs, autonomous-systems and drone companies (national and international), agri-food firms, and event-attending enterprises such as Thales, Proximus, Fortem, Cerbair, John Cockerill, and government/academic partners including the Royal Military Academy, ULB, UCLouvain, and the Belgian Civil Drone Council.

CAP Innove is institutionally embedded in the Walloon innovation ecosystem, supported by FEDER (European Regional Development Fund), Wallonie Entreprendre, InBW, Digital Wallonia, BW2030, and ULB, which provides partial funding, legitimacy, and referral flow but also constrains commercial ambition under its a.s.b.l. legal form. The entity competes on its physical infrastructure (unique European-scale drone test footprint), community convening power (C-UAS Day, FAILSAFE Café, Beerstorming), and integrated entrepreneur journey from ideation through scaling, rather than on proprietary software or capital scale.

Name

CAP Innove

Legal name

CAP INNOVE – Centre d'Accompagnement de Projets Innovants a.s.b.l.

Website

https://capinnove.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CAP Innove is a Belgian non-profit business incubator in Nivelles operating a generalist business center plus three thematic incubators (ID2Move for drones/autonomous systems, ID2Food for agro-food, ID2Green for circular economy), serving startups, SMEs, and corporate members with workspace, coaching, and certified test infrastructure.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Incubation Services

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Equipment Rental & Leasing (7350)

akta.pro primary industry

UAS Launch/Recovery & Support Equipment (Catapults, Nets, Docking) (IMABAIAN)

Keywords

• Business incubation services
• Coworking workspace rental
• Drone testing facilities
• Startup acceleration programs
• Business coaching consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Nivelles

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Office and Coworking Rental: CAP Innove generates revenue primarily through renting private offices (from 12m² at €528/month), coworking spaces (€315/month or €25/day), and meeting room hire (€25/hour for small rooms). This forms the core revenue stream for the generalist incubator.
2. ID2Move Membership Fees: Specialized drone/autonomous systems incubator generates revenue through membership fees providing access to testing zones, coaching services, and member-only events with discounted rates. Non-members pay higher fees (€15+ for workshops).
3. Business Coaching and Acceleration Services: The company offers coaching services (10 hours free included with private offices), acceleration programs like Mini Camp, and workshops on topics including sales, social media, websites, and email campaigns.
4. Restaurant and Catering (20 EAT): On-site restaurant '20 EAT' provides food and beverage services, event catering, and private venue rental, contributing to the diversified revenue stream.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CAP Innove is a business incubator and innovation center in Nivelles, Belgium that rents private offices, coworking space, meeting rooms, prototyping facilities (makerspace), an audiovisual studio and an on-site restaurant, while delivering startup acceleration programs (Beerstorming, Mini Camp, Parcours de l'Entrepreneur) and three thematic ecosystems — ID2Move (autonomous systems/drones, founded 2019), ID2Food (agri-food) and ID2Green (circular economy). ID2Move further offers certified indoor and outdoor UAV/UGV test zones, business and technical coaching, regulation guidance and a dedicated membership program for the drone and autonomous systems industry.

Product overview

CAP Innove is a generalist business incubator and innovation center in Nivelles, Walloon Brabant, that operates a multi-layered portfolio of services organized around its core business center (coworking, private offices, meeting rooms, makerspace, audiovisual studio, and restaurant), its startup acceleration programs (Beerstorming, Mini Camp, and the Parcours de l'Entrepreneur), and three specialized thematic incubators: ID2Move (autonomous systems/drones), ID2Food (agri-food technology), and ID2Green (sustainable/circular economy). The ID2Move sub-brand also offers dedicated services including certified indoor/outdoor test ranges for UAVs/UGVs/autonomous maritime systems, business and technical coaching, research coaching with university partnerships, regulation coaching, prototyping via its makerspace, remote testing support, and a membership program with member-exclusive pricing. All services share the common thread of supporting entrepreneurs and innovative companies through physical infrastructure, acceleration programs, and ecosystem networking.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CAP Innove Core Incubator & Business Center Generalist incubator and business center in Nivelles offering workspace rental (coworking, private offices), meeting rooms, makerspace and business support services for startups, SMEs and innovative project leaders in Walloon Brabant.
• ID2Move Autonomous Systems Incubator Specialized incubator for autonomous ground, aerial and aquatic systems (UAVs, UGVs, UUVs/USVs), with a particular focus on drones. Provides certified indoor/outdoor test zones, business and technical coaching, makerspace access and a membership program for the autonomous-systems ecosystem.
• ID2Food Agri-food Ecosystem Agri-food ecosystem and technology incubator focused on digital solutions, AI, ERP, traceability, robotics and e-commerce for the food and agro-industry supply chain in Walloon Brabant, in partnership with the Wagralim competitiveness cluster.
• ID2Green Circular Economy Ecosystem Sustainable-transition ecosystem fostering eco-responsible initiatives centered on the circular economy in Walloon Brabant, supporting entrepreneurs and SMEs with sustainability-focused business models.
• Coworking Space Shared workspace in Nivelles providing flexible daily (€25) and monthly (€315) access, with registration address, meeting rooms, makerspace, audiovisual studio and restaurant included. Targets freelancers, remote workers and early-stage startups.
• Business Center (Private Offices) Fully equipped private offices from 12m² to 42m² in Nivelles, rented from €528/month all-inclusive (electricity, parking, printers, coffee), with 24/7 access and 10 hours of free professional coaching included. Targets SMEs and growing businesses needing a registered address and move-in-ready workspace.
• Centre de Séminaires (Meeting and Conference Rooms) Meeting and seminar rooms for 3 to 500 people, available 24/7, equipped with LCD screens, video projectors, videoconferencing and VGA/HDMI connections, with free parking and optional catering. Small rooms from €25/hour (€18/hour for members).
• Makerspace (Prototyping Lab) 200m² prototyping facility in Nivelles equipped with FDM, SLA and SLS 3D printers, laser cutters, CNC machining, PCB milling and other tools, available to entrepreneurs and member companies for creating prototypes and technical projects.
• Studio Audiovisuel Fully equipped, modular audiovisual studio in Nivelles for corporate video, podcast, live streaming, web TV and interviews, offered under four rental tiers: space only, fully equipped, with an expert operator, or full turnkey production.
• 20 EAT (Restaurant and Catering) On-site restaurant and catering space in Nivelles offering coffee, lunch and aperitifs made with local seasonal products, plus private event hosting and shared kitchen facilities for startup product tastings. Open Monday to Friday, reservable for private events.
• ID2Move Test Range (UAV/UGV Test Zones) Certified indoor and outdoor test zones for UAVs, UGVs and autonomous maritime systems, including a 600m² indoor zone with 8m ceiling and motion-capture cameras tracking 100 objects at millimeter/millisecond precision, a 606-hectare outdoor Geo-Zone with diverse overflight scenarios (asphalt, agricultural, industrial, urban, speedway, railway), and access to RACB's 2-hectare racing track and the EBSH Saint-Hubert aerodrome. Supports BVLOS, spreading, transport, dropping and night flights after SORA validation.
• ID2Move Coaching Services Business, technical, research and regulation coaching services for drone and autonomous-system startups, delivered by in-house experts and an external coach network, with university partnerships via ULB and UCLouvain.
• ID2Move Membership Program Membership program for drone and autonomous-systems companies providing access to ID2Move services at discounted rates, including test zones, coaching services, and member-only events such as FAILSAFE Café. Non-members pay higher rates (e.g., €15+ for workshops).
• Mini Camp Acceleration Program Structured entrepreneurship acceleration program following Beerstorming, providing workshops, coaching and practical tools to help entrepreneurs build solid business plans and roadmaps for their startups.
• Parcours de l'Entrepreneur Four-step entrepreneurship journey comprising individual coaching, Beerstorming, Mini Camp and ongoing workshops, guiding aspiring entrepreneurs through startup creation and business development.

Quantifiable outcome

• C-UAS Day events attract 100+ attendees and 20+ exhibitors from around the world
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• ProximusflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Telecom operator partnered on 5G drone warehouse inventory management Proof of Concept with ID2Move, Deltrian International, and ADA. Proximus provided 5G connectivity and AI expertise through its ADA spin-out.
• ADA (Proximus AI/Cybersecurity)flagshipTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2022Proximus AI and cybersecurity spin-out providing artificial intelligence capabilities for the 5G drone warehouse management project in collaboration with ID2Move.
• GSA Services / ALX SystemsflagshipTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2022Drone design and manufacturing company contributing expertise from ALX Systems for the consortium developing 5G-enabled warehouse inventory drone solutions.
• LIEU NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003Liaison Entreprise Université network linking academic researchers with companies. Universities UCLouvain, ULB, ULiège, UMons, UNamur, and Saint-Louis participate. Has facilitated 681 research agreements and 168 invention disclosures.
• FEDER (Fonds Européen de Développement Régional)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean Regional Development Fund providing financial support to CAP Innove's incubator operations in Walloon Brabant, enabling infrastructure development and entrepreneurship support programs.
• Wallonie EntreprendrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional development agency supporting CAP Innove's mission to foster entrepreneurship and business growth in Walloon Brabant through funding and ecosystem development.
• InBW (Initiative Brabant Wallon)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal development agency promoting economic development in Walloon Brabant, collaborating with CAP Innove to support SMEs and startups in the region.
• ULB (Université Libre de Bruxelles)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor Belgian university co-supporting ID2Move incubator and hosting research activities at the Nivelles facility. Contributes academic expertise to autonomous systems development.
• BW2030 (Brabant Wallon 2030)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional strategic initiative for Brabant Wallon's future development, supporting CAP Innove's role in sustainable economic transformation.
• Digital WalloniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDigital transformation initiative of Wallonia supporting ID2Move's AI and 5G projects including the DigitalWallonia4.ai program and Giga Region project.
• WagralimcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood industry competitiveness cluster in Wallonia, co-organizing workshops with ID2Food on digital solutions for agro-food supply chains, including AI, ERP, traceability, and robotics.
• SkywincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAerospace competitiveness cluster of Wallonia supporting ID2Move through joint events and ecosystem connections for drone and autonomous systems companies.
• Logistics in WalloniaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLogistics competitiveness cluster collaborating on workshops about supply chain optimization and digital transformation for agro-food companies.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ATLAS Centro de Vuelos Experimentales: Spanish experimental flight center at Villanubla airfield hosting UAS testing, BVLOS operations, and drone trials. Directly comparable European test infrastructure serving similar autonomous systems customers and facing similar regulatory/certification dynamics.
• Drone Center Twente: Dutch UAS test center operated with University of Twente; provides indoor flight space and outdoor airspace for drone testing. Directly comparable to ID2Move's indoor + outdoor test zone model and serves a similar European drone R&D customer base, including BVLOS trials.
• LRM (Limburgse Reconversie Maatschappij): Belgian regional development agency supporting Limburg's economic transformation through incubator programs, SME support, and real estate development. Directly comparable as a Belgian regional business support entity with similar public-sector mandate and incubator structure, though operating in a different province.

Broad incumbents

• Regus / IWG: Global workspace provider with thousands of locations worldwide; competes with CAP Innove for SME office and coworking revenue streams but operates at vastly larger scale without thematic incubator programs or specialized technical test facilities.
• Silversquare: Belgian premium coworking operator with multiple Brussels locations offering offices, coworking, and event spaces. Competes with CAP Innove for the SME/enterprise workspace segment in Belgium but lacks the thematic incubator programming and specialized UAS testing infrastructure.
• Station F: World's largest startup campus in Paris hosting thousands of entrepreneurs and numerous thematic programs; comparable in incubator mandate, community programming, and event hosting but at vastly larger scale, fully commercial model, and without drone test infrastructure.
• Fosbury & Sons: Belgian creative coworking and event space operator with premium positioning; comparable in target audience (entrepreneurs, creative SMEs) and event-space offerings but without the structured incubator programming or UAS test infrastructure that distinguishes CAP Innove.

Regional players

• hub.brussels: Brussels business support agency supporting startups and SMEs through advisory services, ecosystem connections, and acceleration programs; comparable public-sector mission to CAP Innove but serving the Brussels region rather than Walloon Brabant.
• BeCentral: Brussels-based tech campus bringing together startups, corporate partners, and educational institutions; serves an adjacent Belgian region (Brussels vs. Walloon Brabant) and similar startup community audience but focuses on tech community building rather than specialized UAS testing.
• Betacowork: Brussels coworking community targeting impact-driven entrepreneurs with shared workspace and event programming; operates in an adjacent region (Brussels) with comparable workspace offerings and community ethos but without multi-thematic incubator structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CAPInnove
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cap-innove

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about CAP Innove