Companies with innovative challenges and strong growth ambitions are invariably looking for the right business financing. There are many different financing options, but how do you complete the financing puzzle?
FINMIX offers you the opportunity to present your plan to a panel of financing experts. They assess your business and financial plan and advise you on the most appropriate financing mix. Such a panel typically consists of representatives of banks, government and private venture capital providers, BAN Vlaanderen and crowdfunding platforms. They guarantee the confidentiality of your plans throughout the entire process.
Who is eligible for FINMIX?
FINMIX is open to small, medium and large companies, both (potential) starters and ambitious growers, who are looking for alternative financing for their plans. No sector is excluded.
The capital sought may not be used to finance debts or to finance investments for private use.
Why is FINMIX interesting?
- Drawing up a realistic and as complete as possible business and financial plan, which also identifies your financing needs
- Assessment of the feasibility of your plan by experts
- Financing advice from the expert panel to put together an optimal financing mix
- Testing potential government measures
- Follow-up on the implementation of the advice
In short, your participation in FINMIX will shorten your search for business financing.
Which business plans are eligible for FINMIX?
To participate in FINMIX, your business and financial plan meets the following 3 characteristics:
- Risky :
- those business plans where the equity and guarantees are insufficient to obtain financing;
- those business plans in which turnover is realized with a delay due to their technological and/or innovative character;
- those business plans with a high need for working capital that wish to finance their accelerated growth in the short term.
- Be open to risk capital : the entrepreneur is open to the input of risk capital providers. In exchange for the capital obtained (via share participation, subordinated loan or subscription to a bond loan), the risk capitalist takes a (minority) stake in the company. This participation is temporary. In addition to the capital contribution, the venture capitalist can also provide management support.
- Minimum capital requirement : the capital requirement must be substantial to allow a financing mix.
The different steps of FINMIX
In the FINMIX process you go through several steps before you receive advice about the optimal financing mix:
- Complete the registration form .
- Screening your business plan
- Preparing your pitch session
- Panel session
- Aftercare
Data FINMIX panels
The expert panels are usually organized digitally, with the occasional physical session in Ghent or Leuven. The sessions always start at 1 p.m.; the theme sessions start at 10:30 am.
The dates for the FINMIX panels in 2023/2024 are:
- December 7, 2023 – online – Nutrition in collaboration with Flanders’ FOOD
- December 7, 2023 – online – Sustainable business models in collaboration with Flanders Circulair
- January 25, 2024 – online – Digitization
- February 29, 2024 – Ghent – Health(tech) & Care in collaboration with Imec.Istart
- April 18, 2024 – online – Food and sustainable business models in collaboration with Flanders’ FOOD/Vlaanderen Circulair
- May 16, 2024 – Ghent – Digitalization in collaboration with Imec.Istart
- June 20, 2024 – Leuven – Health(tech) & Care in collaboration with In4Care
- September 19, 2024 – online – Food and sustainable business models in collaboration with Flanders’ FOOD/Vlaanderen Circulair
- October 17, 2024 – Ghent – Digitalization in collaboration with Imec.Istart
- November 21, 2024 – online – Health(tech) & Care in collaboration with Medvia
- December 12, 2024 – online – Food and sustainable business models in collaboration with Flanders’ FOOD/Vlaanderen Circulair
When participating, we must have the first version of your business and financial plan 3 weeks in advance. Select your preferred date in the registration form.
Inspiring cases
SpineWise
SpineWise develops intelligent sensors that measure and analyze the movement of the shoulders and back to prevent back problems in the workplace. In their search for capital, imec.istart recommended the startup to participate in FINMIX. Liesbeth Van Hauwermeire looks back positively on this experience:
“Through FINMIX we came into contact with the financing landscape for the first time. VLAIO business advisor Iris Detavernier supported us in the preparation for the pitch. She went through our business plan and financial plan and indicated what was missing and what we should definitely pay attention to. I have a medical background, not a financial one, so the information and advice from Iris was super useful to me.”
“The presence of many different financiers on the FINMIX panel and their valuable feedback gives you a better view of the financing options that are relevant in the phase you are currently in. For example, as a starter, it was useful for us to know that we could turn to PMV or business angels rather than VCs (venture capital).”
Liesbeth Van Hauwermeiren (SpineWise) – Photo: SpineWise
AmphiStar
At AmphiStar we are working hard on the development of a groundbreaking technology platform for cost-efficient and ecological production of biosurfactants. These are surfactants that we find in a wide range of products, from foods to cleaning products. Their ambitious plan is accompanied by a high need for capital. They received feedback on their financial plan and investor pitch via FINMIX.
Bernd Everaer (CTO AmphiStar): “As a startup you have a lot of doubts: is this the right approach? Have we looked at all options? Should we stick to financial VCs (venture capital) or should we also speak to corporate VCs? FINMIX was confirmation for us that we are doing well and had the right choices in mind for our financing mix. We only recommend it to other startups. It is best to plan this before you start a financing round. This way you know which investors are useful and how to enter into such a conversation. A FINMIX panel is a good dry run and it can already reveal the right pain points.”
Sophie Roelants(CEO AmphiStar): “You receive feedback from some heavyweights in a time-efficient manner. In addition to useful tips, new insights and contacts, we also gained a lot from the responses that the experts gave to each other. VLAIO business advisor Iris Detavernier helped us very well in preparing for our pitch so that we could present our plans in a clear manner. That certainly helped in our conversations with potential investors.”
