STARTUP & SCALE-UP
HortiHeroes helps startups and scale-ups find their place and grow within the Food & Flower industry. Not as a traditional incubator or accelerator, but as an industry innovation community.
Whether you are still exploring where your innovation fits, looking to enter the Dutch market as a startup, or ready to scale nationally and internationally as a scale-up, there is a route that matches your stage.
A good idea alone won’t change the industry. You need to know where the opportunities are, connect with the right people and prove the value of your solution.
That’s why we connect startups and scale-ups with growers, companies, experts, knowledge institutions, investors and specialist partners. We help you build visibility and credibility and guide you towards opportunities for pilots, validation, funding, customers and international growth.
Explore, Market Entry or Growth & Globalisation? We’re happy to help you find the right route for your next step.
One Innovation Journey. Three ways to join.
HortiHeroes Explore
for early-stage innovations (TRL 1–4)
Do you have an idea, technology or solution and want to discover what the Food & Flower industry could offer you?
HortiHeroes Explore is our accessible, open entry point into the industry. Get to know the market and community, discover its key challenges and players, learn from peers, attend relevant events and identify opportunities and potential next steps.
Explore is primarily designed for early-stage innovations (TRL 1–4) and is free to join. Innovations from other industries with an interest in Food & Flower, as well as international innovators looking to explore the industry, are also welcome to join Explore.
Market Entry Program
for market-ready startups, from TRL 5 onwards
Do you have a working solution and want to gain a foothold in the Dutch Food & Flower industry?
The Market Entry Program helps selected startups build their position in the market. You gain exclusive access to industry knowledge, relevant experts and founders, increased visibility and targeted introductions within our network. This helps you find the right routes to pilots, validation, funding and customers faster.
The program is designed for market-ready startups, typically from TRL 5 onwards. Apply now, and you might soon be pitching to our selection committee!
Hortiheroes startup dinner 2026
We must continue to seek collaboration and connection to make this beautiful sector future-proof. Each year, we organize the Startup Dinner at World Horti Center. This exclusive event offers startups, scale-ups, investors, and entrepreneurs a unique opportunity to network and join forces to supercharge innovation. Through a matchmaking process, all guests are given the chance to get to know each other, share experiences, and spark new collaborations.
Get a taste of the vibe in the aftermovie and check out the photos from the latest edition!!
Growth & Globalisation Program
For scale-ups and proven innovators – in collaboration with World Horti Center
Has your innovation been proven and are you ready for the next stage of (international) growth?
The Growth & Globalisation Program is designed for scale-ups and proven innovators looking to strengthen their commercial position and grow nationally and internationally. You combine HortiHeroes’ network and targeted support with the visibility, international reach and partner benefits of World Horti Center.
From AI and robotics to resilient crops
We don’t start with a technology. We start with the challenges that matter to the industry, including:
- Resilient Crops: new genetics, ecological growing methods and resilient crops.
- Smart Production: AI, robotics, automation and autonomous growing.
- Sustainable Production: energy & CO₂, water management and circular, emission-free production.
- Health: improving health through food, plants and plant-based compounds.
- Future Food Systems: new value chains, Controlled Environment Agriculture and scalable food innovations.
Where do you fit in?
Not sure which programme best fits your stage, ambitions or technology? No problem. We’re happy to help you find the right fit.