“The great isn’t something accidental; it must be willed.”
Vincent van Gogh – 1882
We often think progress comes from breakthroughs. But more often, it feels like this: an invisible wall between what we see is possible… and what we can actually do. Not a wall you break through — a wall you work through. Slowly. Patiently. Quietly.
Van Gogh wrote about this in 1882 to his brother Theo. Different time, different struggles — same underlying truth.
The Same Idea, Applied to Capital
At the Funders Forum, the idea showed up again — not in art, but in capital. There was a willingness in the room to:
- Sit with uncertainty
- Think across boundaries
- Stop optimizing economic, ecological, and social outcomes in isolation
Because the real challenge isn’t a lack of capital. It’s the friction around it.
Six Structural Gaps
Six structural gaps still prevent capital from flowing where it matters most, from missing intermediaries to the lack of mechanisms that let different types of capital absorb risk at the right moment.
From Pipeline to Portfolio
Oceans don’t need projects. They need orchestration:
- Philanthropy → early research and mapping
- Venture capital → emerging companies
- Public funding → shared infrastructure
This isn’t a pipeline. It’s a portfolio.
The Everyday Friction
And then there are the everyday frictions we all feel:
- Duplicated exploration
- Unclear opportunities
- Weak handovers
- Constant rebuilding of relationships
- Low visibility on who should engage when
Centralizing efforts doesn’t solve everything, but it removes noise so momentum can build.
So What Now?
If you’re a corporate, let’s distinguish what is truly venture-ready and what is still blocked by market or infrastructure gaps. If you’re a family office, let’s explore where flexible, bridge capital can be most catalytic.
Grateful to have had the chance to share the discussion alongside the Port of Antwerp-Bruges and to contribute to the broader conversation and to the report.
“The great doesn’t happen in a single moment. It’s built — piece by piece — over time.”
— Vincent van Gogh