In 2011, Collibra stood at a precipice. The technology was promising. Clients were engaged. But in the heart of Europe, capital remained elusive. Even institutional investors like GIMV stayed on the sidelines. The data governance market was emerging, but Collibra was early—perhaps too early for the Belgian VC scene.
And yet, one phone call rewrote the narrative. Tony Mary, then Chairman of the Board, reached out to Chris Raman of Ventures4Growth. What followed wasn’t just a capital raise—it was a masterclass in how trust, strategy, and relentless belief can move the needle.
📅 Date: 2012
💸 Round: Series A – €1 million
🌍 Location: Brussels, Belgium
🧠 Key Roles: Ventures4Growth (deal redesign & investor matchmaking), Newion (lead investor)
With no capital found 'around the church tower'—as they say in Flanders—the Collibra team, guided by Tony Mary, turned to Ventures4Growth. Chris Raman stepped in to re-engineer the funding journey:
- a new narrative and investor pitch deck
- a shared Excel sheet to build valuation trust transparently
- a direct match with a Dutch VC willing to go deep: Patrick Polak of Newion
Alongside Felix Van de Maele and Dirk Boogmans, the team didn’t just pitch—they co-created the future with their investor.
Everything was ready: product, team, traction — but the traditional playbook didn’t work. We needed a different way in. That’s what Ventures4Growth gave usFelix Van de Maele , Co-founder & CEO of Collibra
Tony Mary – Chairman of the Board, Collibra
Felix Van de Maele – Co-founder & CEO, Collibra
Chris Raman – Managing Partner, Ventures4Growth
Dirk Boogmans – Former CEO GIMV, senior board advisor
Patrick Polak – Managing Partner, Newion Investments“
It wasn’t a flashy demo or aggressive projections that convinced Newion. It was a lesson from Steve Jobs and a common spreadsheet. A shared, open model where every input could be challenged. Assumptions were exposed. Doubts became dialogue. This radical transparency laid the foundation for trust—and conviction.
That simple act—co-creating a valuation—turned a skeptical investor into Collibra’s first major backer. Beyond Series A – A Journey to $5.25 Billion
After Newion’s lead in Series A, Collibra entered global investor radars. Index Ventures came in during Series B. Battery Ventures, ICONIQ, and later Sequoia Capital Global Equities followed.
By the time Collibra raised its Series G in 2021, the company was valued at $5.25 billion. But it all began with that fragile moment in Brussels—where the default was failure, and the outcome became iconic.