Co.station, a Brussels-based post-accelerator, will launch on 1 April aiming to offer European growth companies access to corporate customers, expertise as well as a direct connection to Silicon Valley.
Apart from offering a physical hub, Co.station also helps growing companies close funding rounds to fuel their growth.
The post-accelerator will start operating at full capacity, having signed agreements with companies like Six Dots, Social Com and Diagnoplex.
On 1 April 2014, Brussels innovation hub Co.station will officially open for business in the Marquis building, right next to Brussels Central Station. It will be fully operational by May.
Co.station is a so called post-accelerator which focuses on fast-growing, innovative European companies which have already found their market and who need to scale internationally. In order to grow fast enough to become leaders in their industries, these companies require access to customers, funding and a dependable and knowledgeable network of experts and investors.
Paul Stasse, CEO and co-founder of Co.station, says: “Europe is known for its ‘Hidden Champions’, highly innovative companies that dominate their industry. Our goal is to help create the hidden champions of tomorrow, by building a launch pad for the ‘hidden challengers’ of today.”
Companies who apply for a spot at Co.station need to demonstrate annual revenue amounting to at least several hundred thousand euro.
“Much of the debate in Europe today revolves around the question of which European city will become the next ‘Silicon Valley’. However, we think the European innovation hubs should focus on developing closer ties between them, in order to build a huge and sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystem,” says Co.station co-founder and chief community officer Edouard Cambier.
A crucial part of the Co.station model is access to post-seed growth funding.
Thierry de Molinari, CFO and funding lead for Co.station, says: “Our experience is that the funding gap for European companies is not so much the lack of funding available. There are huge amounts of capital searching for interesting returns. The difficulty for European entrepreneurs is often a lack of introductions to this money, and maybe a lack of ambition in their strategy.”
Co.station will partner with venture capital funds in order to help growing European companies scale up.
In addition to a physical location, Co.station aims to become a global network of entrepreneurs, advisers and capital. Tanguy Peers, co-founder of Co.station, is based in Silicon Valley, from where he will lead Co.station’s business development.
