Welcome to the seventh article of our X-Europe startup interview series. We have virtually sat down with a number of our founders from past cohorts to hear all about their solutions, vision for the future, and what made them tick during our X Europe programme. So whether you are a deep tech founder looking for startup support, an eagle-eyed investor, or simply interested in the possibilities that technology can bring to society, then we welcome you to take a read. In this article, we move from healthtech to agritech and take a better look at VanBoven, a startup providing the fresh vegetable value chain with harvest forecasts.
Hi, What's your name? Hi, I am Kaz Vermeer, Co-Founder of Van Boven.
Can you briefly explain what your solution is all about? What’s unique about it?
VanBoven provides the fresh vegetable value chain with harvest forecasts. Using our proprietary AI algorithms we are able to extract plant traits of many thousands of plants at a time. That's how we know exactly what's growing, and what is not.
How can your solution impact the AgriTech sector?
Using our forecasts, growers, distributors, and retailers can balance supply and demand to stabilize prices and give growers a fair return.
What’s the biggest milestone your startup has achieved so far, and what challenges are you still trying to overcome?
We have successfully demonstrated our technology in a paid pilot with The Netherlands' biggest retailer's sourcing team. Our next big challenge is to scale up our solution in The Netherlands and beyond.
How has X-Europe helped you during the past few months?
We've had several valuable mentoring sessions where we took a deep dive into our value proposition.
After joining and benefiting from the services X-Europe has provided/will provide to you, what next steps do you envision?
Our next big challenge is to scale up our solution in The Netherlands and beyond.
What advice would you give to an entrepreneur trying to pave his/her way in the AgriTech sector?
Make sure you stay in touch with end-users, and not get caught up in your technology.
What’s unique about the X-Europe programme?
Its cross-European scope.
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