Startup mode

Initially motivated by a local busy intersection in desperate need of improvements, CitizenLab’s young co-founders realised the complexity of traditional local government participation. On a digital nomad trip in South East Asia, a solution was born: CitizenLab!

A year of firsts

Founded in Belgium, CitizenLab’s first client was the the Belgian city of Hasselt, which used the platform to co-create Kapermolen park. This was also the year CitizenLab was awarded its first round of funding and awards.

Cross-border growth

After a successful year of launching across Belgian cities and towns, CitizenLab hired its first teams  in the Netherlands (2017) and in France (2018).

Leveling up

After receiving a $3 million second round of funding,  CitizenLab further grew its international presence by creating teams in the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Chile.

International expansion

CitizenLab decided to scale its mission to one of the world’s largest democracies: the United States. In the same year, it adjusted  its internal and external operations to the realities of a global pandemic, introducing features such as virtual workshops for continued community dialogue,

Scaling up

Today, CitizenLab’s global team of 50+ local experts is working with more than 300 local governments and organisations across 18 countries.

We further grew our international presence by partnering with teams in Norway, Sweden, and Türkiye.