Annick Verween

Head of Biotope Biotope by VIB

Annick Verween is the Head of Biotope, where she drives the success of Europe’s most promising biotech startups through strategic support and industry expertise. With a PhD in Biology and ample business development expertise in the agrifood space, Annick’s career is rooted in a deep understanding of the intersection between science and business.

Her journey began at Ghent University, where she was instrumental in the economic and social valorization of research results, followed by a role as innovation advisor at the government, enhancing cross-border innovative collaborations for sustainable regional solutions. From 2017 onwards, she built and grew the RisingFoodStars network at the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT Food), supporting European agrifood startups and scaleups, and solidifying her expertise in nurturing early-stage companies.

Annick joined VIB, the leading life sciences research institute in Belgium, in 2021 to develop biotope where she has been pivotal in establishing it as a leading preseed investor and accelerator, securing significant funding for startups and connecting them with top-tier investors and partners. Driven by personal interactions and a belief that the fusion of biotech and business can solve the world’s most pressing challenges, she is committed to establishing biotope as a premier go-to support for the next generation of biotech solutions impacting planetary health.