Support for six innovative Antwerp startups

The city of Antwerp wanted more innovations in digital technology, the circular industry, and the health economy. Businessinantwerp.eu/meet the innovators sparked over six hundred initiatives in twelve rounds. In the most recent round, thirteen projects emerged. They could pitch to a jury that ultimately selected six projects with a strong business case. With the city's financial support, they can continue to develop their ideas. There are three sustainable projects and three innovations in the health sector.

The projects must be up and running within nine months – in November, 2025. A total budget of half a million euros has been set aside for the operating costs of these projects.

“The City of Antwerp has the ambition to further anchor companies with rock-solid ideas,” said Johan Klaps, alderman for the economy. “We are therefore happy to support initiatives that have the potential to reduce the ecological footprint of our industry and improve the health of our citizens. As alderman for the economy, I am often amazed by the ingenuity of Antwerp entrepreneurs. I look forward to the results they will achieve with these funds for innovative development projects.”

Selected projects

Bloom Biotech | Sustainable yarns made from microalgae

Bloom Biotech is a start-up based in BlueChem, the Antwerp incubator for chemical start-ups, and uses biotechnology to develop sustainable and carbon-negative textile materials. Bloom Biotech wants to create sustainable, high-quality materials made from microalgae. With the financial support of the city, they want to improve and scale up their process of developing hybrid yarns - a mix of microalgae and natural fibers (such as cotton or wool). They will also focus on commercializing these yarns within the textile and fashion industry.

Creaflow | Further development of reactor for gases as raw material

Creaflow, a startup also based in BlueChem, develops innovative and scalable flow reactors. These reactors are designed to produce molecules more efficiently and sustainably, including by using alternative energy sources such as light and electricity. With the financial support, Creaflow will further develop the reactor so that gases can be used as raw materials.

Mindoo AI | Automating patient analysis with AI 

Mindoo is a start-up that develops AI assistants for healthcare. Mindoo uses artificial intelligence to automate a range of tasks, from collecting and analyzing medical history before a doctor's visit to taking notes during consultations, managing administration and bridging language barriers. This saves healthcare providers valuable time and allows them to focus on what matters: the patient. Thanks to the financial support of the city of Antwerp, Mindoo can continue to roll out and refine its platform, allowing healthcare institutions to work more efficiently and provide better patient care.

Sightera Biosciences | Faster drug development with AI

Sightera Biosciences is a healthtech spin-off of the University of Antwerp and Antwerp University Hospital. This start-up accelerates and improves the traditional development of medicines by combining complex preclinical data from patient models with artificial intelligence to develop new medicines. With the city's financial support, Sightera is further developing and commercializing its AI-driven drug discovery platform and the start-up can market its innovative products in oncology and regenerative medicine.

Voxdale | Development of a blood collection device for home and remote testing

Voxdale, a company specializing in developing innovative products, will work with the Institute of Tropical Medicine to develop an innovative blood collection device. This device makes it possible to collect blood samples in a standardized and safe manner, which contributes to home and remote testing. The financial support will contribute to Voxdale's growth by focusing on the international marketing of the device. Voxdale also has a branch on the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven.

WeWantMore | Making sustainable choices with the help of an intuitive material selector

WeWantMore is an Antwerp-based design studio committed to realizing sustainable spatial designs with the Monark project. With financial support, Monark will be further developed as an intuitive materials selector that helps users make sustainable choices for their design without extensive knowledge of sustainability. WeWantMore is currently working with several large international hotel groups on the Monark project.