From research to real-world encrypted computing
Belfort unites experts committed to a future where knowledge is free to flow, and trust is never compromised.
In an AI-first world, trust is all you need. The future of computing is encrypted
Belfort enables that vision by accelerating encrypted compute to make it practical at scale, ensuring that sensitive data can be processed without ever being decrypted.
A spin-off from KU Leuven’s world-renowned COSIC lab, Belfort combines breakthroughs in hardware and algorithms to build the next layer of secure computing.
Performance without compromise
What once took hours now takes minutes.
Belfort brings encrypted compute within reach.
Seamless adoption
Purpose-built hardware integrates effortlessly, turning encrypted computing from concept into reality.
Security as a foundation
Data remains protected throughout every operation; confidentiality is inherent, not optional.
“For decades, we’ve explored how to make computation secure by design. With Belfort, we’re finally bringing those ideas into practice.“
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Prof. Ingrid Verbauwhede
Belfort Co-Founder and Professor at KU Leuven
The Visionaries Driving Secure Computing Forward
Belfort’s team of leading cryptographers, mathematicians and entrepreneurs makes encrypted computation practical and performant at scale.
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Michiel
Van Beirendonck
Michiel is the principal architect of Belfort’s hardware platform for encrypted computation. His PhD at KU Leuven focused on accelerating Fully Homomorphic Encryption, with contributions to DARPA’s DPRIVE program. He invented Belfort’s patented streaming architecture, won the inaugural ZPrize, and previously worked at Microsoft Research and Rambus.
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Laurens
De Poorter
Laurens is a serial entrepreneur and investor focused on cryptography and AI infrastructure. He helped commercialize breakthrough technologies at Google[x], invested in crypto startups at Kraken Ventures, and founded Syndicate One in Belgium. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and studied electrical engineering at KU Leuven and Imperial College London.
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Ingrid
Verbauwhede
Ingrid is a Full Professor at KU Leuven and one of the world’s foremost experts in cryptographic hardware. She has led two ERC Advanced Grants and contributed to major projects with DARPA and Intel. Earlier, she held fellowships at UC Berkeley and UCLA. More recently, she consulted for Google’s FHE team and was a Visiting Professor at Stanford.
Furkan
Turan
Furkan is a hardware engineer specialized in cryptographic applications with a PhD from KU Leuven. He co-developed Belfort's core architecture and advanced its design toward real-world integration. Previously, he worked on Intel's FPGA cloud initiatives and served on the board of Elmaksan Electronic.
We’re building at the edge of what’s possible
Working on encrypted compute means tackling hard problems every day — in math, hardware, and systems. We don’t shy away from complexity, we lean into it together
We’re a team sport
We believe the best breakthroughs happen when cryptographers, hardware engineers, and builders work side by side. No silos, no egos, but a shared mission and a bias for collaboration.
We value speed and rigor
Our work touches national security, healthcare, and financial systems. That requires uncompromising standards, but also the agility to ship and learn fast. We balance both.
We’re in it for the long run
We know encrypted compute won’t be solved overnight. We’re building patiently, with resilience, and with a deep respect for both science and society.
We keep it real
We’re ambitious, but we don’t take ourselves too seriously. A good laugh and celebrating small wins help us keep going through the big challenges.
At Belfort, you work at the technological frontier where theory meets operation
TRUST IS ALL YOU NEED
Process data securely.