Infobel

Infobel began in 1995 when Marc Wahba and Alain Wahba, along with Michaël Wellner, launched a CD-ROM- telephone directory under their parent company Kapitol Trading, after a discontinued pitch to Belgacom.^[2] A legal challenge by Belgacom was dismissed the same year, paving the way for Kapitol to convert the directory into an online platform. By late July 1995, Infobel became one of the world's first international telephone directory websites, quickly expanding to cover over 50 countries within its first year.

In 2000, Infobel partnered with Maporama SA to integrate cartographic features into its platform. Following restructuring after the dot-com bust, Infobel pivoted toward serving as a database and search engine aimed at business verification and business-to-business use cases. In 2002, Kapitol acquired the Belgian and Dutch operations of Scoot Europe, a subsidiary of Vivendi Universal; by this time, Infobel’s directory listings spanned over 187 countries and were available in six languages.^[5]

The company continued to modernize through the 2000s; in 2008, it integrated its listing data into MMC's Poynt navigation application. A mobile app followed in 2012, underscoring Infobel's commitment to evolving digital channels.

By the early 2020s, Infobel had transformed into a global data intelligence provider. Its flagship platform, InfobelPRO, delivers enriched datasets across business entities, consumer identities, and point of interest data - supporting applications in marketing, compliance, and geospatial intelligence. Clients include Google, Apple, TomTom, Shopify, and Trulioo.

In 2025, Infobel was acquired by Datasharp^[6][7][8] a holding company led by entrepreneurs Antoine Bruyns (chief executive officer) and Didier Baclin (chief technology officer) - with strategic support from the investment firm Strada Partners]. The acquisition marked a new phase of growth and international scaling under the new leadership.

^[1]