Benelux startups that raised money in September 2026
Five young companies from Belgium and the Netherlands with fresh funding: recruitment software, financial APIs, metal recycling, food ingredients and brain-computer interfaces.
In September 2026, young Benelux startups raised money for everything from AI recruitment software to recycling metals from industrial waste. This roundup covers five of them: Spott (Leuven), Chift (Brussels), Phoenix Metals (Rotterdam), Greencovery (Wageningen) and UCANACT (Utrecht), with what they do and what they raised, based on public announcements.
Spott: an AI-native system for recruitment agencies
Spott, from Leuven, combines an applicant tracking system and a CRM into one AI-native platform for recruitment agencies, and automates much of the admin around them. It raised 18.3 million euro in a Series A round led by Balderton Capital, announced on 22 September 2026. The company was founded in 2024 by Lander Degreve, Manu Vanderveeren and Samuel Smeys, and says its revenue has grown more than tenfold since the start of 2026. Website: spott.io. Source: EU-Startups.
Chift: one API for 120+ financial systems
Chift, based in Brussels, lets software companies connect their product to more than 120 accounting, invoicing, point-of-sale, e-commerce and payment systems through a single API. It raised 10.5 million euro in a Series A led by BlackFin Capital Partners, announced on 14 September 2026. According to the announcement, Chift has 35 employees and serves more than 150 software companies. Website: chift.eu. Source: EU-Startups.
Phoenix Metals: critical materials from industrial waste
Phoenix Metals, from Rotterdam, recovers critical materials from industrial waste streams. It raised 4 million euro, according to an overview of Dutch September funding rounds published on 1 October 2026. Source: IO+.
Greencovery: ingredients from food industry side streams
Greencovery, based in Wageningen, extracts valuable, low-carbon-footprint ingredients from the side streams of the food industry. It raised 1 million euro, according to the same IO+ overview. Source: IO+.
UCANACT: turning brain signals into computer actions
UCANACT, from Utrecht, develops brain-computer interfaces that translate brain signals into actions on a computer. It raised a pre-seed round of 800,000 euro, also listed in the IO+ overview of September rounds. Source: IO+.
Quick facts
- Spott: Leuven, recruitment software, 18.3 million euro Series A
- Chift: Brussels, financial connectivity API, 10.5 million euro Series A
- Phoenix Metals: Rotterdam, materials recovery, 4 million euro
- Greencovery: Wageningen, food side-stream ingredients, 1 million euro
- UCANACT: Utrecht, brain-computer interfaces, 800,000 euro pre-seed
See also Five new European AI startups worth knowing and our running list of new AI startups in the Netherlands.
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