Exhibitly Raises €1.4M for AI Event Personalization

Ghent-based startup Exhibitly has successfully closed a €1.4 million pre-seed funding round, signaling a significant push to modernize the business-to-business events sector through artificial intelligence. The investment was spearheaded by New School VC, with crucial participation from 100IN, Allusion Ventures, and a notable cohort of angel investors including Louis Jonckheere, Jeroen De Wit, Pieter Vanermen, and Tanguy Serraes. Additional backing came from Piet van Waes, Bernard Rossel, Stefaan Rossel, Matthias Stevens, Jürgen Degrande, and Wim Vernaeve, alongside Arthur Stockman, underscoring broad confidence in the company's vision.

Founded by Hendrik Franck and Brent Coppens, Exhibitly is tackling a persistent challenge within the global trade show industry: declining conversion rates despite substantial digital marketing investments. The company's core offering is an AI-powered technology designed to personalize B2B event websites. This innovation aims to combat the common issue of potential attendees abandoning event sites due to generic content that fails to resonate with their specific professional interests.

Exhibitly's platform integrates seamlessly with existing event websites, acting as an AI layer that analyzes and enhances content. This allows visitors to experience tailored recommendations for sessions, speakers, and exhibitors, significantly increasing the likelihood of registration. The company reports that users engaging with its personalized interface are substantially more inclined to complete the registration process compared to those navigating traditional, undifferentiated event portals. This approach addresses the critical need for relevance in a crowded digital space, where attendee attention is a premium commodity.

The B2B events market, a multi-billion dollar global industry, is ripe for technological disruption. While physical events are regaining momentum post-pandemic, the digital experience remains a key differentiator. Exhibitly's solution bypasses the need for complex technical integrations, leveraging AI to automatically enrich website content and deliver a bespoke user journey. This efficiency is particularly attractive to event organizers seeking to maximize ROI from their digital presence.

“The events industry has never been more relevant, yet it remains years behind on technology,” stated Hendrik Franck, co-founder and CEO of Exhibitly. “By the end of 2027, we aim to support more than 1,000 events worldwide and establish Exhibitly as the global reference in B2B event intelligence.” The company, operating from Ghent’s Wintercircus, already serves clients across the United Kingdom, the United States, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, demonstrating early international traction.

Beyond its current focus on event organizers, Exhibitly is actively developing a complementary product aimed at the millions of businesses that exhibit at trade shows annually. This expansion signals a comprehensive strategy to capture value across the entire B2B event ecosystem. The newly acquired capital will be instrumental in scaling the team, accelerating product development, and fueling the company's international expansion efforts, positioning Exhibitly to become a leader in event technology innovation.