Trade shows and business events continue attracting millions of professionals worldwide, but the digital experience surrounding these events has often failed to evolve at the same pace as modern online platforms. Many event websites still present identical content to every visitor regardless of their industry, company, or interests, leading to declining engagement and missed registration opportunities. Ghent based startup Exhibitly believes artificial intelligence can transform how business events engage audiences online, and investors are backing the company’s vision with fresh funding.
Exhibitly has raised €1.4 million in a pre seed funding round led by New School VC, with participation from 100IN, Allusion Ventures, and a group of angel investors including Louis Jonckheere, Jeroen De Wit, Pieter Vanermen, and Tanguy Serraes.
Additional investors include Piet van Waes, Bernard Rossel, Stefaan Rossel, Matthias Stevens, Jürgen Degrande, Wim Vernaeve, and Arthur Stockman.
Personalising the Event Experience
Founded by Hendrik Franck and Brent Coppens, Exhibitly develops AI powered personalisation technology designed specifically for B2B event websites.
The company says organisers across the global trade show industry continue investing heavily in digital marketing and visitor acquisition, yet many event websites still struggle to convert visitors into registered attendees. According to Exhibitly, one of the core problems is that most event websites remain too generic and fail to demonstrate immediate relevance to individual visitors.
Exhibitly’s platform adds an AI layer directly on top of existing event websites. Once visitors arrive, the system automatically personalises the experience based on factors such as company profile, role, and professional interests.
Within seconds, users receive tailored recommendations for exhibitors, conference sessions, speakers, and other event content most relevant to them.
AI Without Complex Integrations
Unlike many enterprise software solutions that require lengthy technical integrations, Exhibitly says its platform can operate without complex implementation processes.
The system automatically analyses and enriches website content using AI, allowing organisers to improve personalisation without rebuilding existing event infrastructure.
The company claims that visitors interacting with personalised event experiences through its platform are significantly more likely to complete registration compared to users navigating traditional static event websites.
As B2B events become increasingly competitive globally, organisers are searching for ways to improve conversion rates while delivering more relevant experiences to attendees.
Expanding Beyond Event Organisers
Hendrik Franck said the company sees its current product as only the first stage of a broader ambition to modernise the events industry through AI and data intelligence.
According to Franck, the global events sector remains technologically underdeveloped despite its growing economic importance. He said Exhibitly aims to support more than 1,000 events worldwide by the end of 2027 while positioning itself as a leading global platform for B2B event intelligence.
In addition to its current solution for event organisers, Exhibitly is also developing a second product targeting exhibiting companies themselves. While the existing platform focuses on helping organisers personalise attendee experiences, the upcoming offering is designed for the millions of businesses that participate in trade shows each year.
Growing Internationally
Operating from the Wintercircus innovation hub in Ghent, Exhibitly already serves customers across the United Kingdom, United States, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.
The newly secured funding will support further team expansion, product development, and international growth efforts as the company scales its AI driven platform globally.
As business events increasingly compete for audience attention in digital environments, platforms capable of personalising attendee journeys and improving engagement are becoming an increasingly important part of the event technology ecosystem.
