Investor Profile: Fortino Capital — Thesis, Cheque Size & How to Apply

Fortino Capital is the Belgian investment firm that exists to build European B2B SaaS and AI champions. Founded in 2013 by former Telenet CEO Duco Sickinghe and his CFO Renaat Berckmoes, it runs venture capital and private equity side by side under one roof, a dual strategy that lets it back a company from first cheque to buy-and-build platform. If you are researching Fortino Capital funding and wondering how to get funding from Fortino Capital, this profile covers its thesis, cheque sizes, portfolio and pitch route.

Thesis

Fortino's pitch is simple: mission-critical B2B software, data-rich and increasingly AI-powered, is the engine of Europe's digital economy, yet underfunded in the Benelux and DACH regions, where mid-sized companies still run core processes manually. Its approach is founder-centric and operator-heavy: hands-on help across go-to-market, product, technology and AI. The venture arm backs emerging winners; the private-equity arm runs buy-and-build on profitable platforms.

Sectors & stage

Sectors are narrow: B2B SaaS, PaaS and digital technology, with a growing emphasis on AI. Stage depends on the strategy: Fortino Ventures invests from late seed to Series A in emerging winners, while the private-equity funds take equity positions in profitable, mission-critical platforms across the Benelux, DACH and France. The firm operates from Antwerp, Amsterdam (opened in 2022) and Munich.

Fund size & cheque size

In December 2025 Fortino closed Fortino PE III at 700 million euros, above its 600 million target and around 85 percent larger than its predecessor. Total capital raised across its six funds now exceeds 1.5 billion euros, with 76 investments and 28 exits to date. On the venture side, Fortino Venture II closed at 105 million euros in 2021 with initial tickets of 1 to 3 million euros; the third venture fund held its first closing in April 2025.

Notable portfolio

Venture names include Teamleader, Efficy CRM, MobileXpense, Salonkee, TechWolf, LegalFly, Sigma Conso and Bonitasoft. Notable exits: Trendminer (to Software AG), Zentrick (to DoubleVerify), PieSync (to HubSpot) and Bloomon (to Bloom&Wild). The PE III fund's first platforms were Modell Aachen, Seenons and MEHRWERK, and the firm joined the Cenosco growth round led by Summit Partners.

Partners

The firm was founded by Duco Sickinghe (managing partner) and Renaat Berckmoes. Partner Marcel van der Heijden leads activity in Amsterdam, where the local team counts more than 10 professionals. Fortino describes its bench as operator-heavy, with partners drawn from software companies rather than banking.

Programs & perks

Fortino runs no public accelerator or formal credit programme. Its pitch to founders is the operating-partner network: hands-on support across sales, product, technology and AI integration, plus structured ESG reporting across its funds.

How to apply for funding from Fortino Capital

Fortino does not publish a dedicated pitch inbox or application form on its public pages. Founder outreach goes through the firm's website, fortinocapital.com, and as with most European VCs of this size, a warm introduction through a portfolio founder or co-investor will carry more weight than a cold note.