08 July 2025
Thibaud Elzière, entrepreneur and founder of Fotolia (exit €800M / Adobe), Hexa (formerly eFounders), and Iconic.house, announces the launch of WAT, a 10,000 m² incubator located in the heart of Brussels, dedicated to driving European innovation in key strategic fields such as artificial intelligence, health, energy transition, mobility, and agriculture.
Located at the crossroad of Brussels' two major universities, ULB and VUB, at 6A rue Volta in Ixelles, in a former iconic power station, WAT aims to become a landmark for European entrepreneurs, akin to Station F in Paris or the Wintercircus in Ghent. The building, currently in pre-renovation phase, is set to open its doors in 2027.
“Brussels has long hosted a dynamic yet underestimated tech ecosystem. With WAT, our ambition is to bring this ecosystem together and provide a benchmark space at the European scale,” says Thibaud Elzière, founder of WAT.
WAT is more than just an incubator. It is a living space designed to meet new ways of working and living. Coworking spaces, creative studios, conference halls, dining areas, sports facilities, and wellness zones will coexist to foster synergy and attract top talent.
Envisioned as a truly European project, WAT aims to bridge linguistic and cultural divides, in a city that perfectly embodies this ambition: Brussels — multicultural, accessible, vibrant, and the institutional capital of Europe.
The project is led by Thibaud Elzière, with the support of Charlotte Keup and Louis Langendries.
“It took me nearly 15 years to find a place worthy of this ambition. We now have two years to turn this dream into reality and create the first truly European incubator,” concludes Thibaud Elzière.
