NewSchool VC closes €10M Fund I to back early-stage B2B tech

Belgian venture capital firm NewSchool VC has successfully closed its inaugural fund, NewSchool Fund I, amassing a total of €10 million for early-stage B2B technology investments. The fund reached its target after securing €6.1 million during its maiden fundraising round in September last year. Investors in NewSchool Fund I comprise approximately 50 backers, including six prominent family offices like The Millers Office and several entrepreneurs hailing from Belgium's business circle such as Willem Delbaere and Roeland Delrue of Aikido Security, Jean-Louis Van Houwe of Monizze, and Luc Coopman of Cobofisk.

Founder and managing partner Christophe Morbee has personally invested 25 per cent of the fund's capital. NewSchool VC concentrates on supporting pre-seed and seed-stage B2B technology firms. To date, the fund has facilitated 32 investments, with an additional three on the horizon. Around 75 per cent of NewSchool's investments are directed towards Belgian companies, while the remaining allocations are spread across Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, France, and the United Kingdom.

Christophe Morbee, who started his venture capitalist journey post-angel investing, also serves as the CEO of Belgian payroll and HR provider besox, a company employing 110 individuals and serving approximately 4,000 SME clients. NewSchool VC's unique value proposition lies in its ability to combine financial backing with strategic support in areas such as go-to-market strategies, sales, and storytelling.

The firm aims to bolster technology companies striving to automate traditional sectors. Morbee emphasizes that Europe, being an engineering-centric continent, often lacks effective go-to-market, sales, and storytelling capabilities, which his firm aims to bridge. With Europe identified as a hub for technically proficient teams, the firm perceives vast potential in automating established industries, projecting a promising future for their portfolio companies.

Current NewSchool VC portfolio includes companies like Warren, Spotable, Cashfeed, Ravical, Donna, Dalton, Feedelity, Alice Law, and Exhibitly, with recent investments made in Swiss company Talentir and Paris-based Outline.