Software company Alfa-Zet can count on a Breakthrough loan

LRM, VLAIO, and UHasselt support companies that want to digitize, internationalize or become more sustainable

HEUSDEN-ZOLDER - Alfa-Zet, the company behind smart software solutions for all kinds of payment and reservation systems, can count on a Breakthrough loan from the Limburg Investment Company LRM, VLAIO Team Business Trajectories, and UHasselt. The Breakthrough loan is a unique combination of venture capital and subsidies for ambitious SMEs that want to become more sustainable, digitize, and/or internationalize. With clients such as Ahold Delhaize, Bpost, Monizze, and various government agencies in Belgium, the Netherlands, and France, Alfa-Zet can present an impressive portfolio and wants to use the fresh money to explore other foreign markets as well.

Marc Strackx, founder, CEO, and CTO of Alfa-Zet, took over the company in 2007 and since then realized the takeovers of PingPing and Insal. The employees have more than thirty years of experience in hardware, software, and payment systems and with that, they make Alfa-Zet the expert in the field of vending machines, kiosks, and connections with, among others, payment systems and access control. The company offers smart cash register and payment solutions to entrepreneurs in various sectors, develops applications for online ordering and reservations of food, meeting rooms, and ticketing, biometric applications through the spin-off Palmki (www.palmki.be), and automation for vending machines, copiers, and coffee machines.

"Two years ago, in the midst of the corona period, we could count on a Vlaio subsidy for two of our previous innovative developments for catering entrepreneurs," says Marc Strackx. "The fresh money we are raising through the Breakthrough loan will be used to deepen collaborations with existing partners such as Samsung, Fujitsu, and Syntegro, enter into new partnerships and further internationalize." In addition to several large international clients, Alfa-Zet's portfolio also includes UHasselt, PXL, KU Leuven, UGent, Noshaq, and various cities, municipalities, and government agencies in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Mixed financing

With its hybrid solutions, Alfa-Zet offers entrepreneurs a solution with one central underlying platform that can be integrated into multiple systems and on different devices such as smartphones, tablets, and kiosks. Since the end of March 2022, the software developer has also been Samsung's partner for the distribution and software integration of Samsung kiosks in Belgium.

This makes the company a perfect fit for the target group of the Breakthrough Loan. Companies can be eligible for a Breakthrough Loan if they create a positive impact on at least two of the following elements: employment, productivity, innovation, ecological footprint, diversification, and internationalization. The Breakthrough Loan is a unique cocktail of guidance, research, and financing. LRM, VLAIO Team Business Trajectories, and UHasselt want to support strong, healthy, and mature companies in Limburg with defining, substantiating, and implementing ambitious breakthrough investments.

The Breakthrough Loan is a subordinated loan of 50,000 to 250,000 euros with a term of 2 to 8 years and a fixed interest rate of four percent. LRM provides a budget of five million euros to finance breakthrough investments.

Doorbreaker company

"As a growing SME in the smart manufacturing industry, Alfa-Zet is a valuable addition to our portfolio," says Gunter Plevoets, Head of Corporate Lending at LRM. "The combination of innovation, smart manufacturing, and internationalization is very interesting for LRM. Furthermore, Alfa-Zet is a perfect 'Doorbreaker company', and we are proud to support them with a unique mix of subsidies and venture capital."

"As a VLAIO business advisor, I have supported and guided Alfa-Zet over the years to shape their innovative ideas," says Anke Albregts, Business Advisor at VLAIO. "Together we facilitated collaborations with knowledge institutions and identified subsidy opportunities. Alfa-Zet has already been able to develop and successfully market several innovations. We are proud that they are continuing on that path. In combination with a Breakthrough loan, Alfa-Zet can continue to contribute to the digital Flanders of tomorrow."