Testimonials

Role

Pieter has worked as a business developer and start-up consultant for iMinds, a hub of Belgian start-ups, in Atelier, a co-working space in New York hosted by the Belgian Chamber of Commerce (Belcham).

Responsibilities

Peter’s mission was part of a new programme initiated in 2014, called the Columbus project. Its purpose was to help iMinds portfolio companies gain a first foothold in the American market by providing operational support and hands-on services in market research, business development and sales. In September 2014, he monitored the launch of a pilot project with the company Zeticon NV, which developed a product for storing and managing digital media files in a secure and accessible manner.

He was tasked with the development of market intelligence, business development (setting up prospecting strategies, identifying sales leads and partnership opportunities, etc.), account management and customer support.

How he benefited

For Pieter, one of the major challenges on the professional level was the shift from a large corporate environment – he was working as an IT consultant in Brussels – to the vibrant start-up scene in New York. This new environment stimulated him to become more pro-active. “During my project, I was able to come up with new and innovative approaches to set up our prospecting and direct marketing”, explains Pieter.

Thanks to the grant from the Prince Albert Fund, he was able to perform a commercial job within a fast-paced environment and to develop a network within the international start-up scene. “iMinds has a large network of researchers, companies, entrepreneurs, financers, incubators and accelerators, and so on”. After his project, Peter was hired as a full-time start-up consultant for iMinds.