PRESS RELEASE: Dropsolid AI raises €2.5 million in funding for European expansion with ‘sovereign AI’ on company websites

Ghent, 27 May 2026 – Dropsolid AI, a spin-off of Ghent-based IT innovator Dropsolid, has raised €2.5 million in a funding round. With this financial injection, the company plans to accelerate its international growth and provide an open European alternative to “closed software solutions with no exit scenario”. Several well-known Belgian entrepreneurs, including Peter Callant and the founders of Aikido Security, are among the investors. “The fact that we have got these players on board confirms that there is a need for a transparent, European AI approach,” enthuses Dominique De Cooman, CEO of Dropsolid AI. The funding round came after a year in which the start-up generated €1 million in turnover.

Many organisations face a similar problem: their know-how is dispersed across websites, FAQs, documents and internal systems. The result is inefficiency, error-prone communication, poor customer experiences and high workloads.

Operational since July 2025, Dropsolid AI solves these problems for both customers and employees by integrating AI into the digital channels (website, content platform, marketing automation, etc.) they already use. Specific applications? AI assistants that provide customers with reliable, tailored answers when they search company websites; a personalised service co-pilot that quickly provides internal staff with the right information instead of making them search for it across various company platforms; an ‘update factory’ that automatically adapts new rules or product changes to existing web pages or communication processes, etc.

Among other things, Dropsolid’s technology builds on the open-source platform Drupal.

“Our clients’ existing software is the track; our AI solution is the train we put on it and keep running,” explains De Cooman. “This is the fastest way for companies to actually get a return on AI.”

Actors including Soudal and The European Union Aviation Safety Agency are already using the Dropsolid platform. Pidpa and The European Union Personnel Selection Office are already using the AI solution live in production. As a result, Dropsolid has reached the €1 million turnover milestone before the end of its first financial year.

‘Glass box’ offers the freedom to leave

The companies using Dropsolid AI’s technology retain control over their data, workflows, applications, and permissions, and operate in a more secure and independent environment than closed systems.

“For many companies, AI is currently a black box,” explains Dominique De Cooman. “They rely on technology from major international corporations, but rarely have any insight into where their data is or how it is being used. At Dropsolid, we believe that AI should be a glass box: transparent, verifiable and rooted in European values.”

This glass box ensures that organisations stay in control of their own IT infrastructure. For Luc Thys, Group Director of Marketing & R&D at Soudal, this is also one of the main reasons for choosing the Ghent-based scale-up:

“We have been working with Dropsolid for years on more than 30 websites on the platform, and are delighted. The freedom they offer is very reassuring.”

Dominique De Cooman explains why:

“Companies must be able to take their own applications, content, data, prompts and workflows with them if they change platforms or suppliers,” De Cooman stresses. “We offer them an exit scenario and the freedom to leave at any time without any hassle. That's the only way to build not only digital sovereignty for companies, but also a stronger economic fabric in Europe.”

Broadly supported funding round

The €2.5 million funding round was backed by a mix of private investors from the company’s own network and investment broker The Harbour, backed up by crowdfunding initiatives and credit lines from PMW, Belfius Aalst and KBC Gent. The founders, members of the management team and a number of employees have also actively invested in the company.

The investors include big names such as the founders of Aikido Security, Jannes Soutaer (ExtraPower) and Peter Callant of Callant Insurance & Financial Advice.

“The confidence demonstrated by these investors is a huge boost for us,” explains De Cooman. “It confirms that there is a need for a transparent, European approach to AI. We are grateful to them for wanting to get behind this project.”

One of the private investors is Peter Callant, founder and managing director of Callant Insurance & Financial Advice in Oostkamp. He emphasises the importance of local roots and data security:

“As an entrepreneur, I strongly believe in solutions that actually help companies move forward. What Dropsolid AI offers is perfectly aligned with that: making AI concrete, secure and applicable in day-to-day operations. We are also seeing how AI can improve processes in the insurance sector. At the same time, data security is becoming increasingly important, and I see every day that this is still a major challenge for many companies. I also believe in the power of a local entrepreneurial network that is mutually reinforcing. This investment falls within that vision of sustainable growth.”

European expansion

With the funds raised, Dropsolid AI is accelerating its product development and commercial roll-out. Last year, the company recruited 7 new profiles to tackle this challenge, bringing the total headcount to 17.

In any event, their ambitions go beyond Belgium. Dropsolid AI has plans for European growth, with an initial focus on neighbouring countries such as the Netherlands, Germany and France. ​

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About Dropsolid and Dropsolid AI

Dropsolid is a Ghent-based digital innovator, set up in 2013, that helps organisations grow through open-source digital platforms. The company specialises in digital experience, data and content management, based on Drupal. Under the leadership of CEO Carlo Schots, Dropsolid’s 75-strong team achieved a turnover of €9 million in 2025.

Dropsolid AI is a spin-off of Dropsolid, which was set up in July 2025. It develops AI solutions that are integrated into digital platforms such as websites. The company helps organisations to better unlock know-how, automate processes and improve customer interactions. Dropsolid AI focuses on secure, transparent and sovereign AI, ensuring that customers retain control over their data and systems. Dominique De Cooman is CEO. Dropsolid AI generated more than €1 million in turnover in less than a year. The AI division currently has 17 employees and has plans for further growth in Europe.