ServiFund, a Belgian venture capital outfit founded last year, is on the road, marketing and raising its first proper fund to target the strategic business services sector. The fund's target is a molehill rather than a mountain of cash. But the target of €45m ($39m) belies the ambition of Guy Remans and Antoine van den Abeele, the two founding partners, and the scale of the opportunity in outsourcing or service businesses, which they believe is there for the picking.

Antoine van den Abeele says: 'If you look at the ratio of value-added business services to value-added manufacturing industry, in the US it is 150% and in Europe it is 72%. Western Europe is lagging behind the US and there is huge potential for growth.'