Leuven · Seed–Late Stage · 30 people tracked
Find your way into Capricorn Venture Partners
1,945 people in our graph share verified history with the Capricorn Venture Partners team — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.
Investment thesis
Capricorn Partners seeks both financial return and strategic value by investing in innovative companies that positively impact people and the planet. It combines technology and investment expertise, offering venture and growth capital focused on three core areas: digital technologies, health, and clean technologies. The firm monitors emerging trends to shape future investment themes while maintaining an ESG commitment. Its Quest for Growth vehicle invests in both quoted and unquoted growth companies, primarily European, building unquoted exposure through direct investments or via venture/growth capital funds, concentrating on industries and themes expected to deliver higher than average growth.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 7, 2026.
Team · 30 people
from the firm's website & public directoriesWhat they invest in
from 25 of 70 portfolio companiesAI & Machine Learning ×11Deep Tech ×7Advanced Manufacturing ×6Biotech ×6SaaS ×6Cleantech ×5Medical Devices ×5New Materials ×5
HQs:Belgium×9United States×3Germany×2Netherlands×2Australia×1Norway×1
Who they back
founder profiles across 10 portfolio companiesFounding team size:solo founder×72 founders×23 founders×1
What their founders studiedfrom 11 founders with field-of-study data
Engineering ×6
Where their founders worked beforefrom 10 founders with career history
Vrije Universiteit Brussel ×2
Investments · 70 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2026 · 12025 · 12 dated
DMC Biotechnologies is a U.S.-based biomanufacturer that uses precision fermentation and its Dynamic Metabolic Control platform to produce bio-based specialty chemicals and ingredients, such as L-alanine and fermented inositols.
BiotechClimate TechNew MaterialsBoulder, US
Matthew Lipscomb(Director)Josh Yelen(Executive Officer)Jim Flatt(Executive Officer, Director)in
BoardJosko Bobanovic(Director)Alastair Cooper(Director)
Board seatRob van der Meij· per SEC Form D · $2.5M raise · filed Dec 2025
Co-investorsBreakthrough Energy VenturesSofinnova PartnersBoulder Ventures
Trillium Chemicals produces acrylonitrile from renewable feedstocks like glycerol as a sustainable alternative to fossil-based production.
CleantechClimate TechNew MaterialsKnoxville, US
Corey Tyree(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)in
BoardCorinne Augelli-Szafran(Director)Ian MacDougall(Director)Erik Scher(Director)Young Joon Lee(Director)
Board seatWouter Van de PutteRob van der Meij· per SEC Form D
Aspect Analytics develops computational infrastructure for spatial biology analysis, enabling scientists to extract actionable insight from multimodal biological data to accelerate drug development.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechData & InfrastructureDeep TechSaaS
Co-investorsHeran PartnersPMV
Avantium develops bio-based materials and polymer technologies, including PEF and other renewable alternatives to conventional plastics, serving the packaging and materials industry.
BiotechCircular EconomyCleantechNew MaterialsNetherlands, NL
Co-investorsNavitas CapitalAster CapitalNV NOMPMVSignet Healthcare PartnersSofinnova Partners+2 more
Azumuta offers a cloud-based Manufacturing Execution System (MES) that manages shop floor operations including digital work instructions, quality checks, production orders, traceability, and machine and ERP integrations.
Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareFuture of WorkIoTSaaSGhent, BE
Batist Leman(CEO)in
Co-investorsKeen Venture PartnersAngelwisePMV
Capricorn Healthtech Fund is a venture capital fund managed by Capricorn Partners that invests in European digital health and medtech startups, not a startup itself.
Cartagenia was a Leuven, Belgium-based bioinformatics company, spun out of KU Leuven, that developed the Bench Lab software platform for clinical genetics and molecular pathology labs to analyze and report genomic variant data from next-generation sequencing and microarrays.
VIB is a non-profit research institute focused on strategic basic research in life sciences, operating in partnership with five Flemish universities.
BiotechDeep TechMedical DevicesGhent, BE
Jan Steyaert(Founder (Scientific))inCedric Ververken(CEO)in
Co-investorsFund+PMVQuest for GrowthV-Bio VenturesBioGeneration Ventures
EclecticIQ builds a threat intelligence platform powered by AI to help organizations address cybersecurity challenges.
AI & Machine LearningCybersecurityEnterprise SoftwareAmsterdam, NL
Cody Barrow(Chief Executive Officer)in
Co-investorsCuriosity VCKeen Venture PartnersKPN VenturesTIIN CapitalInkef
Endo Tools Therapeutics develops endoscopic devices to enable minimally invasive therapeutic surgical procedures in gastroenterology.
HealthtechMedical DevicesGosselies, BE
Co-investorsWhite Fund
ExCulture is a Dutch biotech startup founded in 2022 in Leiden developing a fermentation-based, animal-free substitute for heparin, the widely used blood thinner traditionally derived from pig intestines.
FEops develops a cloud-based procedure planning platform for interventional cardiologists that uses predictive simulation and AI-based anatomical analysis to optimize device selection and placement for structural heart interventions like LAAO and TAVI procedures.
AI & Machine LearningCloud ComputingDigital HealthMedical Devices
Matthieu De Beule(Co-founder and CEO)inPeter Mortier(Co-founder and CTO)inNico
Co-investorsPMV
fruitcore robotics builds industrial robots and humanoid automation systems, including its Industrial Humanoid Platform for demanding manufacturing tasks such as assembly, handling, and quality inspection.
Advanced ManufacturingAI & Machine LearningHardwareRobotics
Jens Riegger(Founder)in
Co-investorsBLN CapitalKOMPAS VCMatterwave VenturesUVC PartnersCNB Capital
Gradyent offers digital tools for optimizing and decarbonizing industrial steam grids, aimed at industrial operators seeking to reduce emissions.
AI & Machine LearningCleantechClimate TechEnergySaaS
Hervé Huisman(Founder)in
Icometrix develops AI-powered medical imaging software for analyzing brain MRI scans to help clinicians diagnose and monitor neurological conditions like Alzheimer's disease, stroke, and traumatic brain injury.
AI & Machine LearningDigital HealthMedical DevicesLeuven, BE
Wim Van Hecke(Founder)in
Co-investorsForestay CapitalHeran PartnersOptum Ventures
Co-investorsPMV
Minze Health develops solutions for diagnosing and managing lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), such as those caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) or overactive bladder (OAB).
Digital HealthHealthtechMedical Devices
Co-investorsPMVWhite Fund
NGDATA is a customer engagement platform company that uses artificial intelligence and data analytics to help businesses create personalized customer experiences.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureFintechMarketing TechSaaSNew York, US
Geert Crombez(Chief Technology Officer)in
Co-investorsHPE GrowthPamica NVSmartFin
NORBIT is a technology company with business units in oceans, connectivity, and product innovation, developing sonar/underwater sensing systems and electronic tolling and connectivity technologies.
Deep TechHardwareIoT
Per Jørgen Weisethaunet(CEO)inPer Kristian Reppe(CFO)inJulie Dahl Benum(Chief Strategy Officer and Acting Chief Commercial Officer PIR)inAstrid Stevik(Chief Operating Officer)inPeter K. Eriksen(Business Unit Director Oceans)inLino Morgione(Chief Commercial Officer Connectivity)in
Ogeda was a Belgian clinical-stage biotech, spun off from Euroscreen, that developed small-molecule drugs targeting GPCRs, including the NK3 antagonist fezolinetant for menopausal hot flashes.
Co-investorsVesalius Biocapital Partners
Wide Open Agriculture transforms lupins, a crop primarily grown in Western Australia, into functional protein ingredients for global food and beverage manufacturers.
AgTechFoodTechNew MaterialsPerth, AU
Co-investorsMunich Venture Partners
Punch Powertrain develops powertrain solutions for combustion, hybrid, and electric vehicles, serving the automotive industry globally.
Advanced ManufacturingCleantechMobility & Transportation
Spectricity develops spectral sensing solutions using CMOS technology for consumer and mobile devices.
AI & Machine LearningDeep TechHardwareSemiconductorsBelgium, BE
Glenn Vandevoorde(CEO)
BoardPieter Vorenkamp(Chairman of the Board)
Co-investorsAtlantic Bridge Venturesimec.xpand
StoryChief is a content operations platform that combines strategy, creation, feedback, publishing, and performance analytics in one place for marketing teams, multi-brand organizations, and agencies.
AI & Machine LearningMarketing TechMedia & EntertainmentSaaSGhent, BE
Gregory Claeyssens(Founder)inBrik De Maeyer(Founder)in
Develops innovative antiviral technologies to fight viral diseases in livestock.
Co-investorsAgri Investment FundPMVVIVES Partners
Ultra-low power, ultra-low latency 3D perception sensors for extended reality.
Co-investorsQbic Fund
XenomatiX provides 6D road scanning using lidar to inspect pavement condition, generating 3D surface geometry, crack and pothole detection, and road quality indices (IRI, PCI, rutting) that integrate into GIS systems.
AI & Machine LearningDeep TechHardwareIoTMobility & TransportationLeuven, BE
Filip(CEO)Alain(CFO)Kris(VP Sales & BD)Liesbet(Engineering Director)
Xi'an Thiebaut is a Sino-Belgian joint venture founded in 1999 that manufactures collapsible aluminum tubes for pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food, and chemical packaging in China.
Zeopore develops enhanced zeolite catalysts to improve efficiency and sustainability in chemical industry processes including refining, plastics recycling, and fuel production.
Advanced ManufacturingCircular EconomyCleantechDeep TechEnergyNew MaterialsLeuven, BE
Martin d'Halluin(Founder, HSE and R&D Manager)inDr. Danny Verboekend(Co-founder)Kurt Du Mong(CEO)inIr. Kurt Du Mong(CEO)
Co-investorsInnovation Fund sa/nv
Rows marked “SEC filing” are inferred from directors named on the company's SEC Form D — public regulatory data, not a portfolio list published by the firm.
Exits · 2
IPOs and acquisitions across the tracked portfolioCartageniaacq. by AgilentOgedaacq. by Astellas Pharma
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companies
Avantium · finance.yahoo.com · Aug 19, 2026
Norbit · investing.com · Aug 13, 2026
Fruitcore · trysignalbase.com · Mar 24, 2026
Azumuta · azumuta.com · Nov 13, 2025
Aspect Analytics · genomeweb.com · Sep 9, 2025
Zeopore Technologies · zeopore.com · Aug 27, 2025
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has Capricorn Venture Partners made?
- Capricorn Venture Partners has 69 tracked investments, 2 of which have exited via acquisition or IPO, including 1 dated in the last 24 months.
- What stage does Capricorn Venture Partners invest at?
- Capricorn Venture Partners invests at the Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C, Growth, Late Stage stages.
- What is Capricorn Venture Partners's typical check size?
- Capricorn Venture Partners typically writes checks of $270K – $10.8M.
- What sectors does Capricorn Venture Partners focus on?
- Capricorn Venture Partners focuses on AI & Machine Learning, Biotech, Circular Economy, Cleantech, Climate Tech, Cloud Computing, Data & Infrastructure, Deep Tech, Digital Health, Healthtech, Medical Devices, Robotics.
- Where is Capricorn Venture Partners located?
- Capricorn Venture Partners is headquartered in Leuven, BE.
- Does Capricorn Venture Partners lead rounds?
- Yes, Capricorn Venture Partners leads investment rounds.
- Who does Capricorn Venture Partners co-invest with?
- Capricorn Venture Partners most often shares deals with PMV, Heran Partners, Keen Venture Partners, among 31 tracked co-investors.
Images
Similar investors
DCVC (Data Collective) is a deep tech venture capital firm that backs entrepreneurs using computational approaches to solve large-scale real-world problems across many industries.
Khosla Ventures is a venture capital firm founded by Vinod Khosla.
AddVentures is the corporate venture capital arm of SCG, one of the largest industrial conglomerates in Southeast Asia. It engages with tech startups worldwide through partnerships and investments, leveraging SCG's network and resources across the region.
Everywhere Ventures is an early-stage venture firm, backed by a community of founders and operators as LPs, that writes early checks (including pre-seed) into startups across many sectors and geographies.
This page is the analysis and research library of the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), publishing studies, surveys and reports on issues affecting small and medium-sized businesses in Canada.





























































