Business Coach – Antwerp (Full-time/Freelance)

Are you passionate about coaching startups, helping entrepreneurs grow and building strong business communities? Do you have experience in entrepreneurship, lean innovation, and business coaching? Then this opportunity might be perfect for you!

Who we are

Start it @KBC is Belgium’s largest startup accelerator with a thriving community of founders, mentors, and partners. Our mission is to support and accelerate innovative entrepreneurship.

We are founder-centric and work closely with entrepreneurs to help them navigate their startup journey. With hubs across Belgium and international liaisons in Budapest, Gyor, Prague, New York, and San Francisco, we are committed to expanding our global impact.

To strengthen our Antwerp hub, we are looking for a Business Coach who can provide hands-on coaching and guide startups through their challenges.

Why join us?

  • Direct impact – Help entrepreneurs build, launch, and scale their businesses.
  • Engaging startup ecosystem – Be part of a vibrant community of founders, investors, and experts.
  • Growth opportunities – Learn from experienced mentors, work with cutting-edge startups, and build your own network.
  • A dynamic & international environment – Work in a startup-like culture with international reach.

Your role as a Business Coach

As a Business Coach at Start it @KBC, you will:

  • Coach startup founders on business challenges, growth strategies, and fundraising.
  • Guide startups through different lifecycle stages: ideation, validation, go-to-market, and scale-up.
  • Facilitate learning by connecting startups with the right mentors, experts, and investors.
  • Help startups find focus and develop a hands-on, problem-solving mindset.
  • Support funding readiness – While we don’t fund startups directly, we help them prepare for investment rounds and connect them with VCs.
  • Engage in our 12-month acceleration program, supporting bootcamps, academy sessions and networking events.
  • Build and strengthen the local startup ecosystem by engaging with mentors, partners, and investors.
  • Contribute to the continuous improvement of our accelerator program.

What we’re looking for

  • Emotional intelligence & coaching experience – You know how to ask the right questions, challenge founders, and unlock the founders’ potential.
  • Experience in startups or entrepreneurship – Ideally, you’ve founded a startup, worked in an accelerator or coached entrepreneurs.
  • Strong business acumen – You can discuss business models, financial planning, fundraising, customer validation, and go-to-market strategies.
  • A great networker – You can connect startups with the right people: investors, industry experts, and mentors.
  • Passion for innovation & lean startup methodologies – You understand growth models, agile development, and business validation.
  • Fluent in English & Dutch – English is our working language and knowledge of Dutch is a plus for engaging with local startups.
  • Willingness to travel – Your primary workplace is Antwerp, but flexibility to coach in other locations/hubs is essential.

Your engagement

Besides coaching, you will also be involved in:

  • Reviewing applications & selecting startups for our program.
  • Participating in Pitch Days & jury panels.
  • Supporting Start it Academy sessions and other events.
  • As community builder we expect you to be present in the hub for at least 60%.
  • Attending networking & community events (at least one evening in the month).
  • Helping improve our coaching model & startup accelerator program.

We expect our Business Coaches to be actively engaged in the startup ecosystem, staying up-to-date with the latest trends, technologies, and market shifts.

Interested? Let’s talk!

This is not a corporate job, we love creativity and initiative! Surprise us with your application in a format that showcases your strengths and personality: a short video, an audio message, or even a pitch deck!

Send your application to: Ann Martens - HR Officer - ann@startit.be

Join us and be part of Belgium’s most exciting startup accelerator!