About the awards
HRtech Unfolded believes technology is a driving force in a rapidly changing world of work. It will be instrumental in designing more efficient processes, creating engaging employees, enhancing the learning experience, and enable better decision making. Did your team conclude a strong HRtech Project, are you an AI-proof company or an HRtech startup? Then one of these 3 awards could soon be shining bright on your desk. The winners will also get an article in HRmagazine and lots of visibility through video content on the gala evening and on social media.
HRtech
Startup of the year
This award recognizes young, innovative companies that challenge and reshape the HR landscape.
Criteria
AI-Proof
company of the year
This award recognizes organizations that already adopt AI in HR in a conscious, strategic, and human-centric way.
Criteria
HRtech
Project of the year
This award recognizes an outstanding HRtech project, regardless of team structure or size.
Criteria
The selection process
1. Pre-selection phase
Apply spontaneously by sending an email to margot.vannamen@nieuwemediagroep.be and submit the following information:
- Who are you? (including full contact details)
- What do you do?
- For which award are you applying?
- What is your motivation?
Deadline pre-selection phase: May 17, 2026
2. The candidates that match the criteria will be selected by the jury and will be contacted by us.
Candidates confirm whether they wish to participate in the selection process and prepare a one-pager.
Deadline application phase: June 7, 2026
3. The jury meets up to discuss all confirmed candidates
Based on the evaluations, the official nominees for each category will be selected. These candidates will be published on the website.
4. Public voting will be possible from June 29 till August 31, 2026.
5. Public voting ends August 31, 2026, 23h59.
6. Two laureates in each category will be selected through public voting & jury expert opinions (40%-60%).
7. Final jury meeting September 11, 2026.
The two laureates get the chance to convince the jury for one last time.
8. The winners will be announced during the HRtech Unfolded Gala on October 7, 2026.
The jury
Nicholas De Poorter
Nicholas De Poorter is an investor at Strada Partners, a Belgian private equity firm focused on Software, Business Services, and Healthcare. Within the firm, he is responsible for Invincible Software Holdings (ISH), a platform of founder-led B2B SaaS companies built in partnership with two experienced software entrepreneurs who lead day-to-day operations across the group.
Nicholas also serves as Head of M&A at ISH, where he is responsible for sourcing, evaluating, and executing acquisitions from end to end. His focus lies in building a strong and coherent portfolio of independent software businesses with long-term growth potential.
To date, he has led five acquisitions in the HRtech space, specifically in recruitment and people management software. This experience has provided him with deep insight into the technologies and business models that are redefining the future of work.
Before joining Strada in 2023, Nicholas held M&A roles at PwC, Cargill (Food & AgTech), and Kraken (Crypto). He holds a Master’s degree in Business Engineering from KU Leuven.
Nicholas De Poorter
Investment Manager Strada Partners + Jury President
Ann Guinée
Ann Guinée
Ann has a strong connection with the world of digitisation, in all layers of the organisation. At Beltug, Ann is responsible for the communication with the members and facilitates many of the member-events on various topics.
This allows her to be in direct conversation with the Belgian ICT business users and gain insights on their drive and on the challenges they face.
Her energy boosts when she can talk to Belgian companies, listen to their stories and hear about their priorities.
Ann Guinée
Communication Manager Beltug
Kristof Van der Stadt
Kristof Van der Stadt
Kristof Van der Stadt is an experienced journalist with a strong technical background in computers and consumer electronics. His passion for information and communication technology has driven him to become a respected figure in the industry. With a focus on telecoms, enterprise computing, and the impact of social media on business, Kristof’s expertise allows him to analyze and report on complex subjects with clarity and depth. He has contributed to both business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) magazines, sharpening his skills in print and online journalism. Known for his comprehensive understanding of the tech landscape, Kristof combines his technical knowledge with a talent for explaining intricate concepts to a wide audience.
Kristof Van der Stadt
Editor in Chief DataNews
Emma Braeye
Emma Braeye
Emma Braeye is an HR Executive with over 15 years of experience in fast-paced tech and scale-up environments. She specializes in building high-performing teams, leading people strategy during periods of growth and transformation, and shaping cultures that enable sustainable success across European organizations.
Known as a trusted partner to leadership, Emma blends empathy with execution, bringing structure to rapid growth and clarity to organizational complexity while keeping people at the heart of business strategy. She has held senior people leadership roles in technology-driven companies including In The Pocket, EPI Company, and Corilus, where she works closely with executive teams to align people strategy with business growth and innovation.
Emma is also co-founder of HR Challengers, a curated community of forward-thinking HR leaders who challenge traditional approaches and share practical insights on the future of work. She is passionate about inclusive leadership, organizational design, and building people-first cultures that scale.
Emma Braeye
Chief People Officer
Corilus
Kathleen Vangronsvelt
Kathleen Vangronsvelt
Kathleen combines a broad business experience as HR Professional (DHL Aviation, AB Inbev, H.Essers, Belfius) with academic skills (PhD in Business Economics “Values at work” – KU Leuven). Her work was published in both top-ranked academic and practitioners’ journals and presented at national and international conferences. She taught at Rotterdam School of Management, IESEG Paris and – up until today – Antwerp Management School.
The combination of business and academia enables her to translate a wealth of scientific knowledge into hands-on insights and workable solutions. Her domain of expertise focuses on realizing individuals’ potential in a work context and spans topics such as values and authenticity at work, leadership, resilience and well-being, enabling diversity in teams and strategic HRM.
Her background in psychology (Master – KU Leuven) and mediation (Post Graduate – KU Leuven) empowers her to optimize the learning experience for a group, and to understand the deeper motivations and processes behind some questions and events.
Kathleen Vangronsvelt
Professor Organizational Behavior & HRM Antwerp Management School
Congratulations to our winners of 2025
Team of the year
Pfizer
Startup of the year
Maurice & Nora
L&D Project of the year
Sweco