By Karen Boers. Presented at Crowdsourcing Week Europe 2016. For more information and details on our next event, visit www.crowdsourcingweek.com.

1. Startup Manifesto Movement:
Crowdsoucrcing Policy Input

2. Why I care deeply
about tomorrow’s
economy…

3. Startups.be – the one stop shop on #betech
We help tech entrepreneurs to be successful by providing
quality access to service providers, business partners,
customers, and investors.
Through our joint network, we connect startups and
technology, create critical mass and international
exposure and help develop the entrepreneurial climate.
1.500+ #BeTech startups
180+ #BeTech enablers (incubation, acceleration, networking, research)
400+ international investors

4. What we do: matchmaking
Connecting the dots:
Access to customers, investors & talent
Access to startups & innovation

5. What we do: centre of excellence
Unifying all available
insights:
Data
Knowledge base
Public voice

6. www.startupmanifesto.be
Launched: 12 March 2015

7. 1. Startup Inc.
We need a new type of limited liability company that provides
startups with protection in the early stage. This would involve:
Easy creation and shutdown of businesses online
A tax shelter that encourages risk investments in startups
Easier hiring and firing
Elimination or reduction of social charges when there is no revenue yet
Simplified taxation under a certain threshold (sharing economy)
Tax on capital gains (we win, you win)
+ adapted legislation on e-commerce (night labor) & crowdfunding

8. 2. Buy (from) Startups
Customers are startups’ best investors. Customers provide an ongoing
source of revenue; they reduce the need for external investment while
simultaneously proving the business model and market traction.
We invite government, corporations & organizations (and individuals!) to
buy products & services from startups. And there's no need to spend an
R&D budget internally, you can acquire startups to drive innovation, too.
Digipolis-Antwerp: Antwerp City-Platform-As-A-Service (ACPAAS)
Fedict: startup matchmaking & innovation workshops
• Buy from Startups => Innovate with Startups (BNPPB, ING, KBC, Microsoft, SAP,
Telenet, Proximus, EY, …)
work in progress: procurement framework

9. 3. Educate & Cultivate
There's a shortage of designers and developers with coding abilities. Low-
barrier entry for learning computer programming and digital skills will lead
to new job options. For marginalized or hard-to-employ groups it can lead
to new opportunities altogether. Changing the entrepreneurial landscape
starts with shifts in mindset.
Instead of teaching students how to find jobs, how about teaching
students how to find customers?
Or wide-scale coaching on subjects like financial literacy or social
networking?
National coalition on e-skills
Digital Belgium Skills Fund – under construction

10. 4. Pay It Forward
We invite everyone to open their doors to entrepreneurs. Wherever
you work, you have a special expertise that can help startups improve
their products and services. Share your successes (and failures). BE a
mentor!

11. 5. #BEProud
Entrepreneurs need role models. Instead of waiting for people
outside Belgium to discover our talent, our products, our ideas, we
want to embolden Belgians to stand tall and inspire others.

12. Belgium Pioneering
in European Manifesto Movement

14. The Startup Voice now at all Policy Levels

15. A Movement grew into an organised Network

16. Launched in Sept. 2016
21 national startup associations
25.000+ startups
Thanks to the
support of

17. Karen Boers
Co-Founder & Managing Director, Startups.be
Co-Founder & CEO, European Startup Network
https://twitter.com/karenboers
https://be.linkedin.com/in/karenboers
karen.boers@startups.be