Private Equity, Venture Capital at Work in Belgium (Invest Europe)

Summary

• Private equity and venture capital backed companies employed 236,960 people in Belgium in 2021, representing 5% of the country's total 4.8 million workforce.p.1
• A total of 1,165 companies in Belgium were backed by private equity and venture capital in 2021, of which 886 were SMEs employing 34,846 people.p.1
• Private equity and venture capital backed companies generated a net creation of +4,564 jobs in Belgium in 2021.p.2
• Employment growth in backed companies reached +6.1% in 2020-21, significantly outperforming the +1.6% growth rate seen in Belgian companies overall.p.2
• SMEs backed by private equity and venture capital saw strong employment expansion, creating +9.6% more new jobs in 2021.p.2
• Since 2007, private equity and venture capital firms have invested €25.7 billion in Belgian companies, contributing 0.5% to Belgium's GDP.p.2

Key insights

1. Private equity and venture capital supports 10.5 million jobs across European companies.p.1
2. In Belgium, private equity and venture capital backed companies account for 5% of the nation's 4.8 million workforce.p.1
3. The vast majority of PE/VC-backed companies in Belgium are small and medium-sized enterprises, totaling 886 SMEs and 34,846 employees.p.1
4. Belgian portfolio companies expanded their workforce by +6.1% in 2020-21, nearly four times the national average growth rate of +1.6%.p.2
5. Small and medium-sized enterprises backed by private equity and venture capital demonstrated high job growth of +9.6% in 2021.p.2
6. Private equity and venture capital investments in Belgium total €25.7 billion since 2007.p.2