HR Tech Valley

asselt (Belgium) – Joris Peumans and Ben Greeven, two Belgian entrepreneurs, are creating an HR Tech Valley on the Corda Tech Campus in Hasselt (Belgium). According to them ‘too much of HR ’s time and effort is focused on processes instead of on people. HR Tech is going to change this.’ In the HR Tech Valley they bring together HR Tech Companies, academics, HR Engagors and Career Owners. ‘We believe that’s the best way to co-create solutions for HR’s current and future challenges.’ In a first phase Peumans and Greeven want to raise €10 million for the investment fund that will fuel HR Tech Valley.

“It is time HR grows up and focuses more on people”

HR Tech has evolved to much more than payrolling and applicant tracking. ‘Increasingly HR Tech solutions aim to improve talent scouting and to increase engagement, interaction and peer-to-peer feedback. In short: HR Tech is enabling organisations to better attract retain and develop talent’, says Ben Greeven. Joris Peumans: ‘This evolution makes it possible for HR to focus on its core business: the people within the organisation. Nonetheless HR tends to react rather conservatively to this opportunity.’

An Investment Fund of €10.000.000,000

‘HR Tech Valley will build bridges between HR Tech companies and between these companies and the World of HR,’ explains Jochen Bessemans, coördinator of the Valley. ‘But we also want to take it a couple of steps further and co-create with academics, HR Engagors - visionary CEO’s and (HR) managers - and Career Owners (candidates, employees and freelancers - all people HR Tech is increasingly enabling to take control over their careers).’

As a jungle ecosystem HR Tech Valley wants to inspire innovation by cross-fertilization, sharing of know-how and co-creation. ‘To fuel these innovations, we will create an investment fund within HR Tech Valley. In a first phase we will raise €10.00.000,000 which we will gradually triple’, Bessemans explains.

Six members and growing

Entrepreneurs Peumans and Greeven will share their expertise with HR Tech Valley members. ‘We have been in HR Tech for quite a number of years and between the two of us we are involved in six HR Tech companies: Prato, Thalento, Actonomy, HR Technologies, Stearn en Clearwater. We know how to build a growing and profitable business and want to share that knowledge with student-entrepreneurs, startups, scaleups and established corporates  joining HR Tech Valley.’

The six HR Tech companies of Peumans and Greeven are the first six members of HR Tech Valley. ‘But HR Tech Valley is open to anyone who wants to explore the co-creation of HR Tech solutions aimed at helping organisations be more people-centered’, both emphasize. Candidates can apply via www.hrtechvalley.org.