The HortiScience Innovation Center (HIC) has officially launched the HIC Venture Studio in Bleiswijk, the Netherlands – marking the world’s first venture studio fully dedicated to greenhouse horticulture. This milestone introduces a new model for systematically building start-ups in a sector facing urgent challenges around sustainability, labour, and productivity.
“We aim to create three new start-ups per year,” Loet Rummenie, director of HIC, told AgTechNavigator. “We’ll track the journey from entrepreneur to idea, proposition, and venture – and measure survival rates, funding raised, and speed to commercialisation.”
€1.15M investment and a shared greenhouse for innovation
Over the next three years, HIC will invest €1.15 million into the venture studio, including the newly opened demonstration greenhouse. This facility serves as a launchpad where researchers and entrepreneurs can test, showcase, and scale ideas into viable businesses.
“What makes this studio unique,” Rummenie added, “is that entrepreneurs retain ownership of their companies and collectively participate in each new business. This gives them a direct incentive to share knowledge, networks, and expertise, while benefiting from shared infrastructure and guidance. In this way, we ensure that innovations reach practice faster and truly create value for the sector.”
Six themes driving start-up creation
The HIC Venture Studio will focus on six strategic innovation themes:
- Energy transition
- Resilient cultivation systems
- Circular horticulture
- Autonomous growing
- Automation
- Future-proof work
These themes reflect the sector’s most pressing needs and will guide the development of new ventures emerging from the studio.
Collaboration at the core
The studio has already secured two strategic partners:
- Catalyze Group, which helps attract non-dilutive funding
- EP&C, which supports IP strategy development
“We can only build these startups successfully if we combine knowledge and networks,” said Rummenie. “That’s why these partnerships are so important.”
Proven model, new sector
Venture studios have accelerated innovation in sectors like AI, healthcare, climate tech, and financial services. Famous examples include Idealabs, Rocket Internet, Entrepreneur First, BioInnovation Institute, and Antler. In agrifood, notable studios include FoodLabs in Berlin and Fresh Ventures in the Netherlands.
“There are over 1,000 venture studios globally,” Rummenie noted. “Most focus on IT, pharma, or high-tech. There are very few yet dedicated to food and ag.”
A fertile ecosystem for growth
The HortiScience Innovation Center is backed by Wageningen University & Research, Delphy Improvement Center, YES!Delft, StartLife, and the Municipality of Lansingerland. Together, they form a robust ecosystem for greenhouse horticulture innovation.
Support from regional partners like the Metropolitan Region Rotterdam The Hague (MRDH) has been crucial. “The HIC Venture Studio strengthens our region’s innovative capacity,” said Lennart Onvlee of MRDH. “It connects entrepreneurs, knowledge institutions, governments, and companies to accelerate sustainable solutions and boost international visibility.”
