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Entrepreneurship in Antwerp

Entrepreneurship in Antwerp
Entrepreneurship in Antwerp
Serving as Europe's second-largest port and Belgium's business capital, Antwerp blends centuries of trading heritage with emerging strengths in digital logistics and creative industries. This northern Belgian city specializes in maritime technology, chemical innovation, and increasingly circular economy solutions, building on its position as both major port and center of the European chemical industry. Startup founders selecting Antwerp gain access to specialized maritime and logistics expertise, direct connections to global shipping networks, and Belgium's business-friendly environment with multilingual talent comfortable operating across European markets. The ecosystem features organizations including StartupVillage and The Beacon innovation hub focused on smart city and port technologies. Antwerp's combination of maritime infrastructure, chemical industry depth, and position as a historic trading crossroads creates distinctive opportunities for entrepreneurs developing logistics technologies, sustainable chemistry applications, or circular economy innovations – all within a city that has reinvented itself multiple times throughout its trading history while maintaining commercial DNA and global connections.
Serving as Europe's second-largest port and Belgium's business capital, Antwerp blends centuries of trading heritage with emerging strengths in digital logistics and creative industries. This northern Belgian city specializes in maritime technology, chemical innovation, and increasingly circular economy solutions, building on its position as both major port and center of the European chemical industry. Startup founders selecting Antwerp gain access to specialized maritime and logistics expertise, direct connections to global shipping networks, and Belgium's business-friendly environment with multilingual talent comfortable operating across European markets. The ecosystem features organizations including StartupVillage and The Beacon innovation hub focused on smart city and port technologies. Antwerp's combination of maritime infrastructure, chemical industry depth, and position as a historic trading crossroads creates distinctive opportunities for entrepreneurs developing logistics technologies, sustainable chemistry applications, or circular economy innovations – all within a city that has reinvented itself multiple times throughout its trading history while maintaining commercial DNA and global connections.
Antwerp founders in numbers
The startup community in Antwerp shows a healthy mix of people still exploring ideas (57%) and those already building something (43%). This balance between early-stage thinking and committed founders shapes the local scene. Looking at the numbers, the median age of founders in Antwerp is 28.5, with an average age of 33.2. Most are in the 25-32 age range, which makes up 38.9% of the community. When it comes to background, 56% of founders in Antwerp have technical skills in areas like engineering or software development, while 44% come from business roles such as operations, product, or marketing. This mix creates plenty of opportunity for strong co-founder matches. Popular areas of interest include Tourism, Finance, Community Development, and Social Impact. Many founders in Antwerp also speak more than one language, adding fresh perspectives to the city’s startup ecosystem Impacts are {13},{14},{15},{16}.
Commitment Type
More than (57%) of Foundersbase founders in Antwerp, are exploring startup ideas, while (43%) are committed to an idea.
Age
The median age of Foundersbase founders in Antwerp is 28.5, while the average is age 33.2 with a maximum in the group of founders aging 25-32.
Type of Founder
About (56%) of Foundersbase founders in Antwerp are technical (Engineering, AI/ML), while (44%) are non-technical (Product, Marketing, Operations).
Top industry interests
Discover the industries that Foundersbase founders in Antwerp are most passionate about.
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