Building common ground for innovation
iBUiLT is a growing community of international leaders and entrepreneurs powering innovation in Brainport Eindhoven.
1,095
community members
60%
founders & leaders
6
events a year
CGIA 2026
Common Ground for Innovation Awards
Why we exist
Our mission and vision
Mission
We bring local and international professionals together to create value through innovation & entrepreneurship.
We build an inclusive community where people truly belong, turn hard-won lessons from ecosystems worldwide into guidance they can use today, and unite the players who can turn good ideas into real progress.
Vision
To make Brainport Eindhoven's tech ecosystem as diverse as it is innovative, by turning its international community into one of the region's greatest strengths.
We believe that global talent is what makes the ecosystem smarter and more resilient.
Our purpose
Why this is important
Brainport's tech ecosystem is growing fast. And the more diverse and connected it becomes, the smarter and more resilient it gets. That means we need more:
- Organic connections that stimulate sustainable innovation and cross-cultural learning.
- Diverse leadership pool of talent for startups, scaleups & large companies alike.
- Authentic and inclusive international leadership.
What we do
Our three pillars
How we turn our mission into everyday action. Each one is our values in action: empathy, ambition and collaboration.
1
Ecosystem Coordination
We bring all relevant ecosystem players together and guide the whole system towards open and collaborative innovation. This is the framework where our international community can reach its maximum potential.
2
Practical Guidance
We translate the lessons learned from global ecosystems into practical guidance for our community. We also highlight examples of international success from within our Brainport ecosystem and beyond.
3
Community Building
We bring people of different cultural, gender, and educational backgrounds together. We build a bottom-up community where long-term collaboration triumphs over short-term and transactional thinking.
Our initiatives
How we bring it to life
Practical Guidance
Common Ground for Innovation Awards
With the Common Ground for Innovation Awards, we celebrate the successes of international innovators in Brainport, aiming to inspire the international community to contribute to our region's growth.
Community Building
Workshops
We organise focused networking events on topics that connect professionals in the Brainport tech ecosystem, and help them grow together (like leadership or sustainability).
Community Building
Out in the ecosystem
We show up at external events to raise awareness about cultural diversity and global perspectives.
Practical Guidance
International perspectives
We develop content and invite guests that bring international perspectives, lessons learned, and success stories to Brainport Eindhoven.
Ecosystem Coordination
Constructive dialogue
We bring industry, government, academia, investors, and community together to tackle pressing innovation challenges through constructive dialogue.
What guides us
Our core values
These five values were shaped collectively by our team. They are not aspirational words on a wall. They are the lived principles that guide every decision we make, every partnership we form, and every founder we serve.
1
Curiosity
We don't just do the work. We seek to understand, improve, and innovate. We are motivated by fresh ideas, new methodologies, and the intersection of technology and human potential.
2
Connection
Success is never solitary. We actively break down silos between people and opportunities, build inclusive communities, and ensure everyone truly belongs.
3
Ambition
We move with intention and urgency. We don't wait for opportunities. We build them. Our team brings energy, ambition, and a mindset for action to everything we do.
4
Authenticity
We are trustworthy and honest. We say what we mean and mean what we say. We choose transparency over politics and high moral standards over convenience.
5
Empathy
We create a psychologically safe, warm, and supportive environment for our team and for every community member / entrepreneur we work with. How people feel matters as much as what they achieve.
Our team holds a rare and healthy tension between high empathy and high execution. We achieve great things (Ambition/Curiosity) but do so ethically and kindly (Authenticity/Empathy).
The people behind iBUiLT
Meet our team
“
The strongest regions aren't just built by the people who were already there. They are built together with the people who arrived with something different. We connect international entrepreneurs to the networks and knowledge that is not evidently accessible. Because this region is stronger when more people can genuinely build here.”
Let's build together
Join a community of international leaders and entrepreneurs in Brainport Eindhoven.