Cantilis
The content of this factsheet is in Dutch.
Cantilis is een pr- & communicatiebureau uit Gent, actief sinds 2004. De bezetting ligt rond 3 VTE. Ze werken rond pr & communicatie, content & copy, strategie en branding & identiteit. Het zwaartepunt ligt bij opdrachtgevers uit life sciences, biotech, agtech en healthcare & wellbeing.
How this agency makes money
Revenue, margin and what an hour of work brings in. Everything on the earning side sits together here.
Can the agency take a hit
Buffer, cash position and payment behaviour side by side, so you can see where they disagree.
Signals and strengths
Events from the CBE and the Official Gazette over the past 24 months, plus positive markers derived from the figures.
Continuity
2 red flag(s) (24m)- Zichtbaarheid verschoven · 1 Nov 2026 · Google Autocomplete
- Zichtbaarheid verschoven · 1 Sep 2026 · Google Autocomplete
- Zichtbaarheid verschoven · 1 Aug 2026 · Google Autocomplete
- Sharp drop in equity · 30 Sep 2025 · NBBThe financial reserve shrank by more than 30% over two financial years. A dividend, buying out a partner and a loss-making year all look the same here. Ask which of the three it was.
- Low value-added coverage · 30 Sep 2025 · NBBEvery euro of payroll generates less than 95 cents of added value. That happens in a build-up year, with a lot of subcontracting, or under pressure on rates. Ask what explains it here.
- Critical buffer · 30 Sep 2025 · NBBEquity covers less than one month of payroll. At an agency that pays out its profit every year this means something different than at one that is losing money. Ask where the reserve sits.
- + 1 older signals within 24m
What this agency does well
- Team grew (+3,1% FTE in the latest year)
- Equity was earned, not injected (reserves 2,8× the capital contributed)
- Turnover below the median (24,2%)
All the figures
Reference material, not a starting point. Expand it if you want to read the series yourself.
5 financial years, 2021 to 2025Result, staff and balance sheet
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | |||||
| Gross margin | € 77.439 | € 176.075+127,4% | € 311.007+76,6% | € 141.520-54,5% | € 214.132+51,3% |
| EBITDA | € -81.502 | € -66.390 | € 69.721 | € -51.811 | € -11.237 |
| EBITDA margin | - | -37,7% | 22,4% | -36,6% | -5,2% |
| Staff | |||||
| FTE | 4,1 | 4,7+14,6% | 4,1-12,8% | 3,2-22% | 3,3+3,1% |
| Gross margin per FTE | € 18.888 | € 37.463 | € 75.855 | € 44.225 | € 64.888 |
| Payroll cost per FTE | € 38.715 | € 50.986 | € 57.905 | € 60.290 | € 68.048 |
| Balance sheet | |||||
| Equity | € 273.958 | € 196.986 | € 254.318 | € 14.641 | € 370 |
| Cash | € 96.100 | € 70.184 | € 166.141 | € 21.831 | € 7.812 |
| Liquidity ratio | 4,98 | 3,39 | 3,81 | 1,08 | 0,97 |
Payroll cost per FTE comes from the social report where available, otherwise from the Remuneration line. Both are gross costs including employer contributions.
What this factsheet does not know
- How good the work is. Figures do not measure creativity, strategy or chemistry.
- How the client portfolio is spread. Concentration is not in the accounts.
- Freelancers and subcontractors are not in the FTE figures. An agency with 40 staff may in practice run with 70 people.
- The figures cover financial year 2025, filed on 15/04/2026. At a fast-moving agency reality today may differ.
Based on publicly filed annual accounts (NBB) and official records (CBE, Belgian Official Gazette). An indication, not financial advice. Sector medians calculated on 2 Nov 2026. Sector medians based on financial year 2025: the last year for which nearly all accounts have been filed.
What the agency actually does 7 services
Sector focus
Publicly known clients
North Sea Port, Biotalys, All.Can Belgium, Protealis, Sequana Medical, Amundi, MDK, Fluvius, Jan De Nul, Wilink, VLIZ, TINC, RAFF Plastics, Farow, BrixAdvice
Based on IKAg research and public sources. Incomplete or outdated? Let us know.
People 9 people mapped
This team is built around client service: 3 of 9 are account & project. Within that core, Contentstrategie, Copywriting and Projectleiding stand out. The titles skew top-heavy: lots of seniority, few juniors — you're mostly buying experience. A specialist, not a generalist: the expertise is narrow but deep.
Based on public profiles. Something wrong? Let us know.
Seniors or juniors?
Payroll cost per FTE is the best public proxy for a team's experience level. Higher is not automatically better, but it says something about who sits at the table.
Will your team stay?
Inflow and outflow from the social report. This series only counts people on the payroll: freelancers who invoice do not appear in it. A low figure therefore means two very different things, a stable permanent team or a small core with heavy outsourcing. A high figure usually points to short contracts. Compare only within the same type of agency.
Source: annual accounts and social reports (NBB), collected by IKAg. Financial year 2025. Calculations by IKAg; an indication, not financial advice. Sector medians based on financial year 2025: the last year for which nearly all accounts have been filed.
Frequently asked questions about Cantilis
- When was Cantilis founded?
- In 2004.
- Where is Cantilis located?
- In Gent, Belgium.
- What is Cantilis specialised in?
- Brand strategy & positioning, Marketing strategy, Brand identity & design, Content strategy & editorial, Copywriting & long-form content, Corporate communication.
- How big is Cantilis?
- Around 3 full-time equivalents (financial year 2025).
- Which sectors does Cantilis work for?
- Energy & environment, Agriculture & agri-food, Logistics & transport, Public sector & non-profit.
- Who are the clients of Cantilis?
- Among others North Sea Port, Biotalys, All.Can Belgium, Protealis, Sequana Medical, Amundi, MDK, Fluvius, Jan De Nul, Wilink, VLIZ, TINC, RAFF Plastics, Farow, BrixAdvice.
Figures from the annual accounts up to financial year 2025. Company details checked against the CBE register on 2026-10-13.