Flemish alternatives for Silicon Valley

Flemish ICT entrepreneurs

Last week, a high delegation of officials from the European Commission paid us a working visit to exchange ideas about what should and should not be done in order to stimulate the software and internet sector in Europe. Google, Facebook and Twitter are all Silicon Valley names and you would be justified in wondering if we have got what it takes to respond to that American world.

I am rather sceptical in this respect and feel that the European Commission, in spite of ambitious targets and several billion in subsidies, is not really playing a major role in the internet economy. The discussion that Friday morning was therefore not the easiest one.

I walked out of the meeting feeling more optimistic than when I went into it, though, mostly because we had chosen a format which enabled a number of entrepreneurs to talk to us about their experiences as European (Flemish) start-ups in the internet or software sector. Each of the four testimonies illustrated a phase in the development of a software company.

Against Facebook

A university spin-off set the ball rolling and showed you can acquire international clients in spite of being a tiny company if you hold a unique type of knowledge. Then it was Netlog’s turn, an internet company through and through that is standing its ground as a social network in the face of the Facebook phenomenon thanks to its focused niche strategy both in terms of geography and of content, with a strong focus on casual gaming.

Clear2Pay was the third company to speak, explaining its story of growth with international ambitions rarely seen in Belgium. Jurgen Ingels, the company’s founder and CFO, showed an attitude that was visionary yet modest when telling the audience about the vision Clear2Pay is pursuing. After all, when you can count the Federal Reserve and the Bank of China among your clients, you do not need to boast to put your point across.

Passion and expertise

Finally, it was TomTom’s turn. This company has taken over Tele Atlas, based in Ghent, and by so doing has created a player on the Benelux market which must and can take on the greats of the world such as Google and Nokia. Once again you might wonder how this company is going to succeed against such giants, but the passion and expertise of its top management, including the Fleming Alain De Taeye (who founded Tele Atlas), are so great that I think they might have some surprises in store for us.

All these success stories show that you do not have to start up in Mountain View to make it as an international player. These companies all considered that their market was the whole world and looked for financing beyond our borders. What they had to say about governmental policy was critical but constructive.

Let us hope that the European Commission delegates listened carefully and will create an environment in which this type of talent can find its way to the market.

Wim De Waele on itProfessional