#StartitStories: Let’s hear it from our partners
Maxime Monard, Monard Law
Maxime Monard is partner at Monard Law, a full-service business law firm with a team of over 140 people and offices spread across Belgium. The firm offers Start it @KBC startups an hour of free legal advice (we all know how precious that is!). Whether you want a contract reviewed or advice regarding founder arrangements, “You can contact us and we will have a look at it with you at no cost,” says Maxime. What a deal!
So what else does Monard Law provide to our startups? “Coffee,” says Maxime. Not just any old java either: theirs comes with a side of steaming hot insights. “We know the struggles and challenges that startups are facing, so we’re really much more than lawyers and we try to ask the right questions to help you reach insights,” Maxime explains.
Finally, Monard Law offers their network. “We have a large network of clients and other large companies which may be interesting as a potential supplier, customer or maybe even investor,” says Maxime. “We really want to open up our network for startups in the Start it @KBC programme.” That sounds like an offer we can’t resist!
Jonas Pollet, Partena Professional
Jonas Pollet works as an innovation manager at Partena Professional. This power partner offers HR services to existing companies and helps starting businesses with the administrative hassle. “Starting a business in Belgium requires certain legal formalities,” explains Jonas. “To start a business, you need a VAT number, an enterprise number, you need to make declarations and contribute to social security. We help starting businesses and the self-employed with all of that.” In short: they save you time, money, and a lot of headaches so that you can get to work!
What would Partena Professional advise other startups? First of all, “That you learn to apply running a company to very good and concrete ideas,” says Jonas. “And that you learn to pursue certain numbers and to turn your idea and concept into a success story.” Luckily we have great partners to learn all these important lessons from. “You can learn from each other, but also from people who have been doing this for years. That’s a huge advantage,” Jonas concludes.
Wouter Foulon, Comate
Wouter Foulon is the founder of Comate Engineering & Design, an engineering agency specialised in hardware and IoT products. They can start working with startups at any point in the product development process. “During the idea phase we explore whether the product is worth developing, what the market is and where the fit between the two is,” explains Wouter. “Through prototyping, building, testing and verification we complete a cycle until the right MVP is built, then in the last phase we start production and scale further.”
So why did Comate partner up with Start it @KBC? “As a Start it @KBC partner and mentor, we’ve been working with startups for years,” says Wouter. “For us, Start it @KBC is the #1 network, the accelerator in Belgium with the best team and the biggest partner and mentor network to successfully turn startups into scale-ups.” We have our partners to thank for that!
Are you ready to work with our power partners to put your startup on the fast track to success? Start it @KBC’s new application round closes September 20th. Don’t miss this chance… Apply now!