Launch of Impact Shakers Ventures I: A New Belgian Fund for Impact Investing

• Impact Shakers Ventures I, a new Belgian fund focusing on impact investing, launched with €20 million.
• Founders Yonca Braeckman and Alina Klarner aim to expand capital.
• Main investor Victrix, led by Basile Aloy, and Myleen Verstraete also contributed.
• The fund targets investments in 24 companies over the next few years, offering €150,000 each with potential follow-on investments up to €1.5 million.
• Startups will participate in a six-month online acceleration program with a kickoff in Belgium.
• The first investment of €150,000 went to Faircado, a Berlin-based startup co-founded by Belgian CEO Evoléna de Wilde d’Estmael, which uses AI to find second-hand product options online.
• Faircado previously raised €1 million after winning a pitch competition at the Slush tech festival.
• The fund focuses on startups that promote diversity in their founding teams, with a vision of addressing gender and background disparities in the venture capital industry.
• The Impact Shakers network has grown globally since its founding in 2018, with over 2,000 companies seeking guidance annually.

Source: Roularta/Trends