As a civil engineer, Glenn Mathijsen (36) completed an additional Master in Management, also at VUB. Today he is the CEO and co-founder of Alberts, the start-up on a mission to make healthy food accessible and affordable for everyone. “A global impact is my biggest dream.”
What exactly does your current job involve, and what fascinates you most about it?
Glenn Mathijsen: “With our company, we develop food robotics – smart vending machines with an accompanying app, if you like – that make fresh, personalised smoothies, soups and frappés using pure ingredients. I co-founded Alberts in 2015 and, in the early days, I was involved in almost everything. Today we work with a small team and I mainly focus on the business side: sales and investor relations. But at heart I’m still an engineer, so I love staying close to the technical developments.
Why did we start Alberts back then? Eating healthily should be easier. That simple question sits at the core of our start-up. You can grab a cola or a Mars bar in seconds, but finding healthy, affordable and tasty options isn’t that straightforward. So we thought: maybe we should invent something that solves that. Step by step, we created food tech that allows us to produce healthy blends – made only with water and pure fruit. Today we’re even expanding into pastas and noodles. Our aim is simple: place a one-square-metre machine where people can mix their own healthy drinks. We’re now active in five countries and have great partnerships with several large companies and hospitals.”
What memories do you have of studying at VUB?
“I honestly loved that time. I lived in student housing on the Etterbeek campus for five years. Back then, the VUB felt like a small version of Center Parcs. Everything was there: lecture halls, a restaurant, a swimming pool, endless options to go out… You could call fellow students through the intercom system and meet up instantly. Wonderful times.”
From your student days, are there connections that have stayed with you?
“Definitely. At the moment, there’s an initiative at VUB to set up a robotics start-up, and I’m helping motivate investors and entrepreneurs to support it. My closest connection is Bram Vanderborght, with whom I did my PhD. If I remember correctly, I was one of his first doctoral students, and we still have a strong bond.”
Did you have a clear idea of what you wanted to do after secondary school?
“Not at all. I did know I wanted to create new things. I’m from the north of the country (Essen) and watched peers take the train to Leuven every Sunday. I didn’t want to follow that path blindly. So I chose VUB.”
Did VUB strongly influence your way of thinking?
“The VUB’s motto used to be ‘Reasonably headstrong’. I thought it was super cool and a perfect fit for the university and for how I wanted to live as a student. We had small-group lab sessions with professors; everything felt accessible and possible. That was hugely motivating. And the VUB as a city university opened doors for me. Brussels, as an international and multicultural city, helped shape my worldview in a big way.”
How do you interpret the V in VUB, and how does it shape your work today?
“For me, it stands for ‘freedom of thought’, ‘freedom of speech’ and also ‘freedom to position yourself’. I think VUB embodies that freedom in many ways. At least, that’s how I’ve always felt it.”
“I even see it as everyone’s moral duty: to live in the best possible version of yourself”
Do you think student life today is different from your time?
“My sense – and it’s just a feeling – is that social media brings global issues closer to students, making them feel everything more intensely. Before, you watched the news, and if you didn’t, that was fine too. That seems less obvious now. I’m an absolute optimist, by the way. There are many problems, I won’t deny that, but the world isn’t collapsing. In Belgium we’re actually doing incredibly well. Everything doesn’t have to be polarised. I don’t have social media myself, never have, so I’m spared the endless feeds.”
How do you try to make a positive mark on society today?
“I try to approach life with optimism, and I hope it rubs off on others. I got that from my father, who always came home from work whistling. I even see it as everyone’s moral duty: live in your best possible form. And I hope that with the company we can reach even more people. Alberts, for instance, is present in Bobbejaanland, and they recently told us there really is an audience for our healthy snacks. That’s encouraging.”
What do you still dream of in your career?
“A global impact is my biggest dream. That the company grows to a point where I’m no longer relevant myself.”
Do you have golden advice for today’s graduates?
“Focus on creating. What can you make? You don’t need to be an entrepreneur for that. It can be something you do as a hobby. Creating ‘something’ is, in my view, the best protection against any AI threat.”
And specifically for students from your own programme?
“As a civil engineer, you’re in a privileged position. You’ve developed strong technical skills and learnt to think critically. You’ve got so many ways to use that expertise. So go for it. People sometimes say: ‘If only we won the lottery one day…’. Well, maybe you already have. You’re graduating in Belgium, at VUB: you’ve already won.” (laughs)