Comate opens a new office in Ghent: aiming for growth and contribution to the Ghent ecosystem

A year and a half ago, Comate made its initial entry into Ghent with just two employees. Now, that number has grown to twelve. The opening of the new space signifies a milestone in its ambition to innovate and create high-tech products in collaboration with Ghent's dynamic ecosystem.

Since its inception over a decade ago, Comate has witnessed robust growth, with the team now comprising more than 80 engineers and designers. During this period, the originally Leuven-based company has over 800 successful hardware projects under its belt. Comate, which was named SME of the year in 2019, received an investment from Alychlo, the investment fund of Marc Coucke, in 2021. This led to the establishment of Comate Ventures, an investment fund which has already invested in startups like Zeal Robotics and NineID, a Ghent-based company.

"The new office and workshop in Ghent are the manifestation of our ambition to grow and contribute to the deep tech innovations in Ghent," says Sander Van den dries, co-owner of Comate. "We are excited about collaborating with Ghent tech companies to develop new and impactful products, from conception to production and beyond."

The new office in Ghent is more than just a simple office space. With the new hardware workshop, Comate aims to actively contribute to Ghent's innovative industry. This is where new hardware ideas, either from scratch or from a technological proof of concept, are transformed into successful products.

Comate's collaboration with various Ghent companies in the past, such as the autonomous rail solutions of Otiv, the metal technology of Valcun, the hightech photoporation platform Trince or the plug-and-play battery units of Bright Energy, are a testament to its commitment in the region.

The latter - a thoroughly Ghent-based company – had this to say about the collaboration: “Working with Comate marked a real turning point for Bright Energy. When we approached them, we had a makeshift Proof of Concept and were lacking mechanical engineering knowledge. Comate stepped in with an iterative process and clear, direct communication lines. This allowed us to accelerate the entire development process from prototype to mass production,” according to Sam Van Acker.

Comate is an engineering and design company that has been active for over 10 years. With a team of more than 80 engineers and designers and over 800 successful projects to their name, Comate is a leader in the industry. Comate specializes in developing innovative hardware products with a strong emphasis on giving ideas the best chance to succeed in the market. In 2019, Comate was named SME of the year, and in 2021, the company received an investment from Alychlo, the investment fund of Marc Coucke.