Speakers

Valérie Itey is the founder and CEO of Clic Recycle, a Barcelona-based climate-tech company pioneering circular-economy solutions for the beauty industry. Valérie’s expertise lies in forging strategic sustainability partnerships and advancing technology to facilitate closed-loop recycling systems. Through Clic Recycle, she leads the development of innovative technologies that transform human hair waste into innovative solutions […]

Raymond Beimers has a passion for agriculture and food. As Sector Head of AgriFood at Invest International, Raymond focuses on delivering tailored financing solutions that enable businesses to grow internationally. These solutions contribute to regenerative farming practices, address climate challenges, and drive food system transformation. Raymond has extensive experience and leadership roles in international markets, […]

Dick Boer is a seasoned global food retail and consumer goods executive, currently serving as Non-executive Director at Nestlé and holding non-executive roles including at Shell. He previously led Ahold Delhaize as Group CEO, overseeing one of the world’s largest food retail groups. With decades of leadership across retail, e-commerce, and sustainability, he brings deep […]

Dr Luis Sánchez Álvarez has over 25 years of professional experience in R&D, the life sciences, and higher education in the public sector. He is a specialist in soil, water, and nutrients in agriculture, with extensive experience in innovation in Spain and at the EU level (European Innovation Council, EIC). Luis is currently working on […]

Anna Krotova embeds sustainability and ESG into strategy, operations, and culture across complex organizations. Anna currently leads Sustainability at Picnic Technologies, a €2B, digital-first food retailer operating across the Netherlands, Germany, and France. She is responsible for shaping and executing sustainability strategy across a fast-scaling, multi-market retail business—integrating climate action, responsible sourcing, and circularity into […]

Andrew is a strategic business development leader with over 15 years of experience driving growth, collaboration, and innovation across the global agri-food sector. With a background spanning B2B market research and consulting, applied R&D, and government-funded innovation programmes, Andrew has built a reputation for connecting industry, research, and policy to accelerate the adoption of new […]

As CEO and Co-founder af Agxeed, Joris Hiddema is on a mission to provide autonomy to farmers in its broadest sense; not only automating certain operations, but really enable farmers to make founded decisions based on the information that our AgBots collect, to treasure their soils with machines that stay below irreversible compaction limits leading to healthier crops and higher yields. With AgXeed he is shaping the […]

Todd Staley is a biotechnology executive with over 25 years of experience leading pharmaceutical and agricultural product development across the US, Asia, and Europe. He has a proven track record in developing organisations and leaders to address complex technical and business challenges, with a strong focus on growth and value creation. As a PhD scientist with an MBA, […]

Patricia de Esteban is an Associate on the Investment Team at Cardumen Capital’s Madrid office. Before joining Cardumen, she worked at Amazon Web Services (AWS) in London, managing strategic partnerships with high-potential Climate Tech and Healthcare startups while spearheading the launch of AWS’s first Business Development Startup European team. Further, she also brings entrepreneurial experience as the founder […]

Herco van Liere is a growth-focused business leader with a passion for innovation, cross-sector tech expertise, and a strong track record in scaling companies through strategy and collaboration. He is experienced in driving strategic growth across international markets, he thrive at the intersection of innovation, business development, and collaborative leadership. With a proven track record of implementing impactful initiatives, he helps organizations, […]

Victor is an Investment Principal at Invest-NL and is head of the Agrifood Team. He started at Invest-NL 3 years ago. His key focus is on alternative proteins and agtech. His background is in banking and finance. He spent most of his 35 years+ career advising companies on financing and M&A, ranging from large-cap to […]

Stéphane Roussel is a Partner at ECBF. He brings more than 15 years of experience in venture capital, corporate venturing, and business incubation, alongside 15 years of prior industry experience in the advanced materials and chemicals sector. At ECBF, he played a key role in the fundraising of ECBF Fund I and led the build-up of […]

María Jesús Abellán is an economist holding a Master’s degree in Industrial Economics from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. She began her professional journey at the Research Department of the National Telecommunications Commission, where she developed a strong foundation in economic policy and sectoral analysis. She later joined ICEX Spain Trade and Investment, where she has spent more than 15 years […]

Farayde Matta Fakhouri is a Food Engineer and Professor at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), Spain, and co-founder of Bio2Coat, a deep-tech startup focused on sustainable food packaging solutions to reduce food waste and environmental impact while enabling scalable industrial applications. With a strong academic background in materials science and food engineering, her work bridges research and innovation, […]

Omer Faruk is Founder & CEO of MOVE ON. He pursued studies in computer engineering and earned his master’s degree. For his undergraduate and master’s theses, he focused on Agricultural Artificial Intelligence Software, specializing in the application of artificial intelligence and computer vision technologies in agriculture. During his academic journey and beyond, he worked in […]

Jon Goriup is a product-focused startup founder, dedicated to the development of industrial sustainability enabling solutions. Jon began his startup career with cross-selling solutions for the event industry. After completing his studies at ESADE Business School and the University of North Carolina, Jon worked on developing transparency & traceability solutions for agribusiness value chains that connect producers […]

Joost Thijssen is an experienced initiator of new business, with a demonstrated success in market development and sales in the molecular diagnostic industry, building business with truely innovative products. Being the first, solving a real issue and collaboration with industry leaders is essential in the business strategy. He is skilled in Innovation Management, Biotechnology, Start-ups, Product Development and B2B […]

At Qarbotech, Gijs Herpers is committed to advancing sustainable agriculture and driving innovation across diverse industries, from paddy and palm oil to microalgae and beyond. Qarbotech’s mission is to empower communities, improve food security, and create meaningful impact globally. With 15 years of experience Gijs Herbers creates purpose-driven teams and organisations, and manages value-driven change to capitalise on new opportunities and adapt to fast-changing environments. […]

Prof. Ir. Ts. Dr. Suraya Abdul Rashid is a professor at the Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia. She received her bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Nottingham University, United Kingdom in 2000. She then pursued her PhD in Chemical Engineering focusing on Nanotechnology from Imperial College London, United Kingdom in […]

Paloma Montull Hormigo is the Chief Operating Officer (COO) at INES OPTICS S.L. With a background in Industrial Design Engineering and Product Development, complemented by a Master’s degree in Smart Cities and an MBA, she brings a strong combination of technical and business expertise. In her role, she oversees the full opportunity lifecycle, from business development and project management to execution […]

Dr. Bruno Steinkraus is an expert in cross-sector biomarker development and previously served as Chief Scientific Officer of Hummingbird Diagnostics GmbH where he led the company’s interdisciplinary research team, managing the scientific discovery and technology development portfolio. Dr. Steinkraus is the inventor of over 10 patent families. He holds a Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology from the […]

With a background in startups ranging from fashion to AI-driven sales software, Julien shifted his focus six years ago toward regenerative agriculture. He has since led the commercial strategy for various sustainability-focused agri companies, from project developers to a seaweed-based biostimulant firm. At Soilytix, he brings his passion for soil, people, and impact into one clear mission. Soilytix makes soil biology […]

Iván García Besada is the CEO and co-founder of Néboda Farms, an agri-tech company focused on industrial-scale vertical farming. With over a decade of experience in industrial automation, including robotics coordination in a multinational automotive environment, he brings a strong industrial engineering mindset to agriculture. Iván applies Lean Manufacturing and process engineering principles to controlled-environment farming with the objective of […]

Jeroen joined Rabo Ventures in January of 2025 driven by his deeply felt desire to make an impact and help nourish a world with 10 billion people. He joins after a distinguished career in Management Consultancy (OC&C Strategy Consultants), Private Equity (VE Partners) and the Food & Agri sector (Cargill). Prior to joining Rabo Ventures […]

After completing his studies in Frankfurt am Main, Christian began his career with the US chemical company Celanese. Following various roles in Germany, the USA, and Spain, he moved to the Döhler Group, where he was a member of the EU Management Team until 2019 and was also responsible for parts of the digitalization strategy. In 2020, […]

With over four years of experience as Managing Director at TUM Venture Labs and more than seven years as a research associate at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), Roman Bosl Werner brings a strong foundation in AgriFood innovation, spanning process engineering, biotechnology, digitalization, artificial intelligence, and innovation management. Werner’s expertise lies in the development of advanced food and beverage processing technologies, the […]

Emanuele Pizzigalli is Chief Research & Innovation Officer at Nexture Group, where he leads the innovation agenda within the rapidly evolving food ecosystem. Through a distinctive open innovation approach, he brings together internal expertise and global collaborations to identify emerging trends and translate them into forward-thinking solutions. His work focuses on developing ingredients and concepts that not only meet current market demands but […]

Nicoline van Gerrevink is the Lead Global Food System Transition team at Rabobank. Nicoline started at Rabobank in 2012 and has an extensive background in structuring “out of the box” financial solutions. Her current focus is on advocating Regenerative Agriculture both inside Rabobank as well as by building partnerships with wholesale clients that are committing to Regenerative […]

Kim de Boer is passionate and driven to enable, accelerate and support purpose driven businesses with visionary and entrepreneurial teams that contribute to a resilient and net positive agrifood system for next generations. She is Founding Partner of Rooted, pioneering a better way of investing for healthy soil and regenerative food ecosystems. Rooted exists to […]

Gianpiero Menza is an International Development Professional with expertise in scoping and building science-based innovations and strategic partnerships with both private and public sector to support the transition to sustainable development. He has extensive expertise in business strategy, and management, development finance/impact investing, venture capital, stakeholder engagement and resource mobilization strategies. Gianpiero is driven to leverage impactful solutions and innovative financing mechanisms to address complex […]

Maha Tahiri is an independent board advisor, successful entrepreneur and food industry thought leader best known for developing game-changing strategies that translate science and technology into business opportunities. With deep knowledge of the global regulatory landscape, she anticipates and mitigates risk and creates competitive advantage to accelerate growth. Maha is an internationally recognized expert in […]

Gali Artzi holds a PhD in cell immunology and biology and brings with her a rare combination of scientific knowledge, innovation leadership in both corporates and startups, and business experience in food ingredients and nutrition. From Enzymotec, to Frutarom and IFF, she’s held senior leadership roles and has a deep background scouting technologies, guiding product development, managing innovation and commercialization, and […]

Since the summer of 2023, Michiel Scheffer has served as President of the Board of the European Innovation Council, having been appointed by the European Commission. He is dedicated to technological progress and believes in its transformative power for a better society and for future generations. He is committed to scaling up innovation, while also […]

Dr Anna El Tahchy, Founding Director and CTO of Nourish Ingredients, is an innovator in agriculture and food. With deep expertise in lipid engineering and food chemistry, she has led complex R&D and commercial programs, including the creation of novel food ingredients. Anna applies her background in biochemistry to develop breakthrough fats that perform beyond […]

Stern explores how innovation and entrepreneurship differ from more traditional economic activities, and the consequences of these differences for strategy and policy. His research in the economics of innovation and entrepreneurship focuses on entrepreneurial strategy, innovation-driven entrepreneurial ecosystems, and innovation policy and management. Recent studies include the impact of university research on both the quantity and quality of entrepreneurship, the drivers […]

Eva de Mol is the co-founder of CapitalT, an early stage venture capital fund investing in software technology companies in Europe. CapitalT invests in EdTech, Digital Health, Climate Tech, Future of Work and Future of Social. Eva has a background as a scientist – a PhD in from VU University and Berkeley and she spent over a decade studying the effects of entrepreneurial team composition […]

As the Managing Director of StartLife, Dr Nicola Harrison leads the charge in advancing AgriFoodTech innovation with a global vision for sustainability. Originally from the United Kingdom, Nicola (Nikki) brings over two decades of expertise in cluster development, multi stakeholder program management and business development within the agrifood and horticulture sectors. She most recently served as Director […]

Francisco Jardim is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of SP Ventures (SPV), Latin America’s leading venture capital firm dedicated to agri-food, climate, and life-science technologies. He leads the firm’s investment strategy and currently works alongside some of the most dynamic founders shaping the digital and biological transformation of global agribusiness. SP Ventures is now investing from […]

Ryan Rapp is a plant enthusiast operating at the intersection of biotechnology and people. His career has been centered around two core passions: advancing plant biotech and working closely with people to drive innovation and impact. In his role as CEO of Terrana Biosciences, RNA Technology for plant health, he combines scientific vision with leadership, focusing on translating breakthroughs in plant science into […]

Vijay Chauhan has over 19 years of experience as a CEO, with a strong focus on entrepreneurship and business development within the Life Sciences sector, including Ag Biotech, Medical Devices, and Functional Foods/Consumer Nutrition. In addition, he brings 12 years of experience in management consulting, contributing to a broad strategic perspective on organizational development and […]

Passionate about biology in the broadest sence. After starting her career as an academic scientist, she became an innovator with lots of energy to turn science into impact. Over the past 30 years, she has focused on the interphase between research and business in the food sector; developing and introducing radically new products to the market, building high performance teams, and nowadays building an […]

In the Netherlands Richard Harrison is a member of the Top Team Tuinbouw en Uitgangsmaterialen, as well as providing strategic oversight of several programme boards for large regional and national initiatives on behalf of Wageningen U&R. Dr Harrison has a PhD in evolutionary systems biology. His research has always focussed at the intersection of molecular biology, statistical genetics and modelling. Outputs have included scientific knowledge, tools, techniques and products […]

Dr. Martijn Bekker is currently an Expertise Leader at Wageningen Food & Biobased Research, overseeing projects to optimize microbial protein production processes. Throughout his career, he has held various roles as a Scientist and Team Lead at organizations such as The Coca-Cola Company, the contract research organization NIZO, and the biotechnology start-up Photanol, where he […]

Daan Wilms van Kersbergen is an investor at Yield Lab Europe, where he leads the Dutch office’s investment efforts. With a strong background in venture capital, having previously worked at Eneco Ventures, and experience in strategy consulting at McKinsey & Company, Daan brings deep expertise in scaling startups and driving innovation. Based in the Netherlands, […]

Sander Peltenburg is a passionate startup advocate specializing in agri-food and tech innovation. With over a decade in the Dutch startup ecosystem, he supports founders in fundraising and resilience while frequently speaking on entrepreneurship. He now works as a start-up and scale-up banker in the Food and Agri sector at Rabobank. As founder and former […]

Sebastiaan Berendse, Director of Value Creation & Impact at Wageningen University & Research, is a dynamic connector in knowledge-driven organizations. With experience in academia, consulting, and government, he specializes in knowledge transfer, startup coaching, and public-private partnerships that drive innovation. Passionate about leveraging research for real-world impact, he excels in business management, multi-stakeholder collaboration, and […]

Alex Datema serves as the Director of Food & Agri Netherlands at Rabobank, where he spearheads the bank’s agrifood vision. His role involves collaborating with Food & Agri sector networks to promote sustainability in the industry, partnering with agricultural organizations, provincial authorities, government entities, and value chain stakeholders. Alex is also a member of the […]

In the capacity of Corteva Catalyst™ Sr. Director, Mat has the privilege to lead technology acquisitions and investments in startup companies that align with Corteva’s strategic priorities. Mat has a passion for collaboration tactics which allow Corteva to deliver industry-leading traits in must-win battlegrounds. Prior to this role, Mat led Corteva’s Biotechnology Strategy function; established […]

Annick Verween is an ecosystem connector, bringing problems towards solutions, questions towards experts and she uses this ecosystem approach as a support towards entrepreneurs, saving them time, money and allowing them to grow better and faster. She a true extravert with a passion for people, biotechnology, entrepreneurship, innovation and impact. She manages biotope, the preseed fund and linked support program for […]

At Wageningen Economic Research, Willem manages the ‘Sustainability Management in Agri & Food’ program. He has 12 years of experience in running sustainability assessments in the private sector. In these years, he ran several complex, informal project structures and guided researchers and consultants in projects with among others within farm inputs, agri commodity trade, food […]

Derek is Vice President, Venture Investments, for Leaps by Bayer. The mission of Leaps is to invest in breakthrough technologies and business models that are solving fundamental challenges in health and agriculture. Derek has been investing in agricultural and food technologies since 2009, and has served on the boards of companies in multiple areas spanning […]

Chiara Molena is a seasoned marketing leader with more than 14 years of experience, having played a key role in the marketing teams that led to two successful business exits. She is the co-founder and Managing Director of EDERA Lab, an international marketing, PR, and communication agency focusing on generating traction for innovators in the […]

Dan Harburg is the Chief Product Officer at Mombak, a Brazil-based startup working to become the world’s largest carbon removal company through native, biodiverse reforestation of the Amazon. Founded in 2021, Mombak has raised more than $250 million in equity and debt to fund large-scale carbon removal projects. Dan leads carbon product development, offtake negotiations, […]

Alon is CEO and co-founder of Tastewise. Tastewise is a Generative AI-platform that feeds food brands with infinite personalized campaigns, content, and new product concepts. Driven by food-specific data and deep expertise with Gen-AI, Tastewise’s MarTech solutions bring six years of real-time food data collection and bespoke AI models to global food brands like PepsiCo, Kraft […]

Miriam specialises in turning complex food, tech, and applied-AI systems into practical innovation. Over the past 25 years, Miriam has developed from management trainee to Chief R&D Officer in global CPG, having led international teams and portfolios across Unilever, Kraft Heinz and Flora Food Group. Miriam currently advises Embark Project and Bain & Company and […]

Nicolas Weber is Co-founder and CEO of Voltiris, a Swiss cleantech scaleup pioneering spectral-filtering solar technology for greenhouse horticulture. Voltiris enables growers to produce renewable electricity inside their greenhouses without compromising, and in many cases improving, crop yields. The company operates an Energy-as-a-Service model with 20+ installations across Europe and Asia, and has raised over […]

Karin is a life sciences lawyer with a focus on functional foods & feed and pharmaceuticals. Her core expertise is to assist companies regarding the market introduction of innovations in this field. This includes the qualification of new ingredients and advising on the appropriate regulatory pathway belonging thereto, such as for Novel Foods, GMOs and […]

Feike Sijbesma, is a top business executive, one of the most influential Dutchmen and often described as a sustainability trailblazer. Under his leadership, Royal DSM transformed from a producer of bulk chemicals to a provider of healthy food ingredients for people and animals and specialist (green) materials, with sustainability and innovation as the main drivers.