Paul Thiers has sold his entire shareholding to fellow ION co-founders Davy Demuynck and Kristof Vanfleteren.
Since founding the company together in 2011, Davy, Kristof and Paul have built a portfolio of 157 projects and delivered 455,500 m² of real estate. With offices in Brussels and Antwerp, a solid financial foundation and a strong team, ION is poised for continued growth.
“We thank Paul for his support since ION was founded. His experience helped us grow the company into the innovative player it is today,” Davy and Kristof comment in a statement. “Now that we are ready to expand our activities further, the time has come to continue fully independently, the two of us, as operational directors and partners.”
An internal reflection
To prepare for its next phase, ION began a rebranding process at the end of 2025 with a renowned agency, Base Design. The previous house style reflected the young developer ION was when it started, but according to the new owners, the company has since evolved into a versatile real estate player, with each project its own character and appeal. However, there was no clear visual, common thread that linked these projects back to ION as the central brand. Thus prompting the rebrand.
In the process, the company’s owners looked inward, reflecting on what worked and what didn’t. “A strong brand has to do more than look good. Above all, it has to work in the real world,” Davy and Kristof believe. “We held up a mirror to ourselves: what ION has always done, we now translate into a language that fits who we are today.”
Through in-depth interviews with internal and external stakeholders and workshops with a core group of employees, ION defined what it stands for today, providing a clear group story and a recognisable brand system that respects each project's individuality.
For every project, the starting reference remained the same: context first, then real estate. “Every location calls for its own answer: the right product, at the right time, in the right place. The aim was therefore not to reinvent ION, but to bring its identity closer to the way the company thinks and works today. With an entrepreneurial team that spots opportunities, takes initiative and turns ambitions into reality,” the new owners explain.
According to them, the combination of a powerful, almost brutalist logo against refined typography deliberately plays with contrast, reflecting the different sides of ION: “bold and considered, outspoken and understated”.
A graceful landing
To announce the new identity, Davy and Kristof chose to go skydiving – a common way to celebrate deals this season, it seems. Of course, they had help from professionals to teach them the tricks of the trade, including sticking the landing without breaking a foot.
Throughout their journey, Paul (Thinc Capital) had largely been the one in playing this guiding role. “Paul, thank you for believing in us from the very start, for fifteen years of support and advice, and for the respectful and smooth way you made this transition possible,” Davy and Kristof note.
During the deal, Kumulus Partners (Ruben Goegmann, Johan Verstraeten and Kaat Teunissen) served as financial adviser, Delboo as legal adviser, and PwC as independent valuation expert for the Thiers family to ensure a smooth transition.
The view from the top
After much preparation and a short training session, Davy and Kristof were ready for both big dive. On Monday, 26 October 2026, they jumped out of a plane at an altitude of 4,500 metres. During free fall, they reached a speed of 200 km/h.
The owners liken the feeling to ION’s culture: “drive high, tempo fast, focus sharp”.
While in the air, the owners got a glimpse of their business from the top for the first time.
It was a smooth glide down to Waterfront in Waregem from there.
