Sven De Cleyn is a seasoned expert in technology transfer and startup acceleration, with over two decades of experience in the European tech ecosystem. Holding a PhD in Entrepreneurship & Innovation Management from the University of Antwerp, Sven combines academic rigor with hands-on leadership in scaling ventures.He is the co-founder and Program Director of imec.istart, one of Europe’s top-ranked startup accelerators, recognized for supporting over 380 tech startups and spin-offs across software and applied deeptech domains. Under his leadership, imec.istart has expanded its footprint from Belgium to the Netherlands, Italy, and Spain, with further European growth underway.As Managing Director of the imec.istart funds, Sven plays a pivotal role in early-stage investment, making him one of Europe’s most active pre-seed investors. His portfolio includes startups in AI, SaaS, IoT, healthtech, robotics, and many other domains, having raised well over 1.2 Billion euros in investments.Beyond investment, Sven is a frequent speaker at innovation forums, a coach to emerging entrepreneurs, and a vocal advocate for a uniquely European accelerator model—one that embraces the continent’s diversity to foster scalable innovation. His work continues to shape the future of tech entrepreneurship across Europe.