We become a proud member of the Start it @KBC network

More than 280 start-ups submitted their candidacy for the 20th pitchwave of Start it @KBC. That's a record number since the start of the accelerator in 2014. The pitch days of accelerator Start it @KBC took place on 14 and 15 October and were, just like in March, 100% digital for both the start-ups and the judges. 67 start-ups, including i.Revitalise, will be able to scale their business in the coming months, guided by the many mentors and experts that Belgium's largest accelerator has to offer.  

Lode Uytterschaut, founder & CEO of Start it @KBC links the enormous number of applications to the corona crisis: "It is remarkable that in a turbulent and economically unstable year like this we saw a record number of start-ups pass through our pitch days. Due to a lot of homework, a lot of people suddenly got more time to focus on their own business ideas. They are now taking the plunge into their own start-up. Amongst them also talented people who lost their job due to the corona crisis". 

"It's also striking how much founders are doing business today based on real social challenges. We strongly encourage that with Start it @KBC: start from real problems and needs, and make sure your innovation has a real impact on the world," says Lode Uytterschaut. 

Sustainability, health, smart living and digitization 

Start it @KBC will focus in the coming year on four social challenges that are becoming more and more common among the participating start-ups:

• Sustainability: 14% of the new start-ups focus on ecological and sustainable solutions. 
  
• Health: Technology and health go hand in hand. 20% of the new start-ups support the traditional healthcare sector or give us the tools to live healthier lives. 
• Smart living: Our homes are getting smarter thanks to The Internet of Things and artificial intelligence. 12% of new start-ups are committed to innovative technologies that help us save time, energy and money.
• Digitization: Since the start of the corona crisis, the world has been digitized further and faster. This has an impact on all areas, including our work. 18 new start-ups are developing digital methods, platforms and processes that help companies to digitize and automate.