Qbic III
Hekers 3, Zwijnaarde, 9052, Belgium
Overview
The Qbic Fund is a multi-sector fund supporting spin-off companies of the Ghent, Brussels and Antwerp university associations and of VITO. Through its strategic partnership with the universities of Ghent, Brussels and Antwerp, and VITO, the Qbic Fund has early and privileged access to promising research projects at these partner universities. Our investment approach is based on early in-depth and independent review and analysis followed by hands on involvement and support. In May 2012 the Qbic Fund held its first close and currently it has over € 30 million under management. The Qbic Fund is backed by several public and private investors and managed by Qbic Venture Partners.
- Total investments
- 2
- Lead investments
- 0
- Investments · 12mo
- 0
- Active investors
- 4
Sector focus
- Venture Capital
Investment portfolio
- Pleevi
Participated · Equity · Jan 2025
Pleevi develops AI-driven software that optimises electric vehicle charging by forecasting energy flows up to 24 hours ahead and integrating multiple energy sources such as solar power and stationary batteries. The system balances driver convenience, grid stability and long-term sustainability by accounting for weather, building energy consumption, departure times, connection constraints and dynamic energy prices. Pleevi’s platform is operational in Belgium, Germany and France through partnerships with Phoenix Contact and VMA (part of the CFE Group). The company was founded in 2024 as a spin-off of VITO (partner in Energyville) by Wout Lagae and Robin Vanderschueren. Pleevi aims to manage 25,000 charging points by 2027 and offers APIs for charging point operators to deploy customised, greener charging solutions. The company says its optimisation lowers charging costs and reduces reliance on fossil-fuel-based electricity.
- AmphiStar
Participated · Equity · Apr 2024
AmphiStar develops 100% upcycled microbial biosurfactants that serve as sustainable alternatives to conventional, fossil- and palm-based surfactants used in personal care, home care, and agrifood products. Built on a synthetic biology platform, the company employs microbial fermentation and mild downstream processing to transform bio-based waste and industrial side streams into market-ready ingredients, eliminating the need for direct land use. Its growing library of biosurfactant molecules is positioned as the first commercially available range produced entirely from waste feedstocks. Recent distribution and manufacturing partnerships with Kensing in North America and Caldic in Europe highlight rising global demand for circular surfactants. The firm is now focusing on scaling continuous fermentation technology to accelerate commercialization of new molecules. Financially, AmphiStar has secured €6 million across three consecutive funding awards from Germany’s Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovation (SPRIND), including the latest €2.5 million tranche.