Speakers

David Ahmed is CEO of Hexafarms, a company developing data-driven solutions to optimise greenhouse operations and improve decision-making in controlled environment agriculture.

Arne Hautekiet holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Business Economics from KU Leuven, with a specialisation in Finance and Business Information Management. Following some first experience in consulting, he completed a second Master’s degree in Finance at the Rotterdam School of Management, where his academic work focused on the relationship between ESG & impact […]

Matteo Leonardi is Investment Manager at Grey Silo Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of Cereal Docks, focusing on AgriFood innovation and emerging technologies. He previously worked at Accenture’s Global Innovation Center and Italian Angels for Growth, supporting open innovation and early-stage venture investments across Europe.

Annemarie Elberse is an experienced R&D leader at Unilever, currently working as Foods R&D Director Ecosystems, Digital & Data. She has a strong background in food innovation, partnering and digital transformation within Foods R&D. With extensive experience across technical project leadership and innovation programmes, Annemarie focuses on building and scaling digital and ecosystems and driving collaboration across partners and […]

Mirjam Spreeuwenberg is an experienced R&D leader with 30+ years expertise in technology scouting & strategy, collaborative innovation, external partnerships. She holds a PhD in nutrition physiology and has worked in multinational companies, including Kraft Heinz and Unilever. Her expertise spans R&D, project management, open innovation, IP protection frameworks, grants. As a passionate team player, Mirjam drives business growth by translating […]

Ansa Wasim is a Senior Advisor Foreign Direct Investments Food & Health at Oost NL, where she supports international companies and innovation-driven collaborations in the Health & Food sectors. With over 15 years of experience across agrifood, life sciences, public-private partnerships, and innovation financing, she works at the intersection of science, business, and societal impact. Drawing on […]

Mark Williams is CFO of Tropic, a biotechnology company developing natural solutions to protect crops. He is responsible for the company’s financial strategy and plays a key role in securing funding to support Tropic’s international growth and scale-up trajectory.

Friso Abbing is CEO of Edafos, an agri-tech company focused on improving soil health through data-driven solutions. He leads the company’s international expansion efforts, balancing innovation, commercial validation and financing needs across different markets.

Yuichi Kobayashi is a member of the corporate venture capital team at The Norinchukin Bank. He is currently based in Silicon Valley. He is responsible for investments in Agtech and Foodtech startups across Europe, the United States, and Brazil. He focuses on sourcing technologies that strengthen the resilience of the agri-food supply chain, and supports the expansion of portfolio companies into Japan, as […]

Ryoko Machida‑Hirano is a Liaison Scientist of the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), Japan, based at Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands. She is engaged in establishing new international collaborative research projects between Japan and EU countries, aiming to address global challenges in agriculture, food, and the environment. Leveraging NARO’s strengths as Japan’s […]

Dr Alicia Showering has a BSc in Biosciences from the University of Liverpool, an MSc in Epidemiology and a PhD in Disease Control from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She is motivated by the damage insects cause in agriculture and human health, and founded BugBiome to bring microbial alternatives to market. BugBiome […]

Eduard Meijer is an experienced investor and board member with a strong focus on technology-driven companies. He is the CEO of Navus Holding, which invests in areas such as Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA), Open Field Agriculture and Alternative Proteins and Ingredients. Eduard and Navus aim for an analytical, results‑oriented approach, combining strategic insight with pragmatic […]

Nastaran is an entrepreneur and CEO of BlueRedGold, where she is revolutionizing sustainable saffron production through innovation and automation. She is also Co-Founder of RadCap, an investment firm by women, for women, and an international keynote speaker. With a career spanning startups, venture development, and global organizations, she is driven by innovation, diversity, and meaningful […]

Nick Boelen is Sales Director at Four Growers, an agtech company developing AI-powered robotic harvesting systems for commercial greenhouses. Based in the Netherlands, he brings more than two decades of international horticulture experience spanning greenhouse technology, crop production and grower support. At Four Growers, Nick works closely with growers to help address labour shortages and […]

Inez van Oord is the co-founder of FiberFoods, an impact-driven company established in 2019 in Kampala. Alongside co-founder Ineke Aquarius, Inez has been instrumental in developing PrimeJack®, a 100% natural, meat-like ingredient derived from dehydrated young jackfruit. This innovative product rehydrates to eight times its weight and serves as a sustainable, fiber-rich alternative in various […]

Adam Ziv is an ice cream entrepreneur with more than 15 years of experience in the industry. He is the co-founder of Buza, the well-known Jewish-Arab ice cream chain from Israel, built around shared community and handmade premium ice cream. Today, Adam is the founder and CEO of WHIP, a Netherlands-based food-tech company developing the […]

Kat Stennett is Co-Founder and CEO of myota, a UK-based company on a mission to improve healthy lifespan by getting fibre back into our food. myota develops clinically proven, patent-protected prebiotic fibre blends that optimise gut, metabolic and cognitive health by accounting for microbiome variability in people. Kat has spent the past decade working across startups […]

Empowering the Agri-Food Transition Through Innovation and Connection Rieks Smook is the CEO of Grassa, bringing over 30 years of global experience in food, agri, and sustainable business development. With a passion for building bridges between people, cultures, and industries, Rieks combines deep financial and F&A expertise to accelerate the transition to a more sustainable […]

Dominic Hall is the Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at Biographica – a London-based trait company. Biographica was founded in 2022 with a mission to improve decision-making at the top of the seed R&D funnel. They provide customers with genes and edit designs covering a diverse set of crops and traits, working via collaborative partnerships […]

Diederik is co-founder and CEO of Bionomic. With a background in Life Sciences and Business, he combines scientific knowledge with a strategic and commercial mindset. At Bionomic, Diederik leads the commercial and strategic direction of the company, focusing on building partnerships, expanding into international markets, and translating scientific innovation into practical agricultural solutions. Bionomic develops […]

Jürgen Keil is a former senior executive at Cargill with decades of experience running, developing and leading large‑scale global businesses across supply chain, commercial and sustainability. He now advises founders, scale‑ups and investors in the agrifood start up ecosystem, with a focus on Supply Chain scaling, value‑chain readiness and industrialization. Jürgen is an active mentor […]

Monique Meulemans has almost two decades of experience with business valuation and strategy design and has been active in building food&ag tech venture capital for the last nine years. She began her career in mergers and acquisitions at investment bank NIBC and subsequently worked as a financial advisor to corporates and private equity firms on […]

Yair is a chef with wide experience in industry and food service applications. His experience spans celebrated three Michelin starred establishments in Paris (such as “Le Grand Véfour”, “Laserre” and Pierre Garnier) to consulting for leading food producers, publishing award-winning cookbooks, and spearheading international gastronomic collaborations between Mediterranean countries, Japan and the USA.

Bram Kerssemakers is the Program Manager for Protein Port at Planet B.io, where he helps accelerate the protein transition by connecting companies, researchers and public partners across the agri-food and biotech ecosystem. With a background in Environmental and Biobased Technology from Wageningen University & Research, Bram brings experience in industrial fermentation, research funding and bioeconomy […]

Michiel Strijland is a Senior Business Development Manager at Invest-NL, focused on biotechnology, the protein transition and the circular economy. His work centres on scaling biotech-driven solutions by addressing system-level barriers such as capital-intensive growth, access to shared infrastructure, regulatory complexity around Novel Foods and misalignment across value chains. At Invest-NL, he develops new financial […]

Manuel Rubio del Pueyo, Business Development CEO at Ingredalia, a leading company in the development of innovative solutions for plant-based valorization and sustainability within the Food Tech sector. He has more than 20 years of experience in general management, internationalization, and strategic development, with a strong track record in transforming business models and opening international […]

Mark-André Goeddertz, Global Business Development Lead and Vice President at Bayer Crop Science based in Germany, has almost 30 years of experience in the agri sector. He specializes in building strategic partnerships that connect science, innovation, and business to advance agricultural development. For almost 15 years now, he has focused on building and fostering sustainable […]

As Lead of Insights, Innovation and Partnerships, Benoit leads the Bayer Crop Science effort to define and implement open innovation strategies powering all Bayer internal technological platforms and building an innovative Ag solutions pipeline. He serves as a Senior Vice President and is a member of the global R&D Leadership Team at Bayer Crop Science. […]

Florian Jupe is driven by a commitment to sustainable agriculture with a strong focus on nurturing external innovation. His academic career stretches from understanding molecular plant-microbe interactions to applied phytopathology in a horticultural setting. He holds an MSc from Wageningen University (NL) and PhD from the University of East Anglia (UK), where his team at […]

Tim Rajakumar is a physician-scientist and product builder working at the intersection of clinical medicine, diagnostics, and applied AI. He co-founded peau.ai, where they use computer vision, ingredient science, and skin microbiome data to match people with products that truly fit their skin. Previously, Tim served as Medical Director at Hummingbird Diagnostics, developing liquid biopsy […]

Anna Handschuh is the Founder and Managing Director of Future Affairs Consulting and Stichting Ministry of Future Affairs. She has almost 20 years’ experience supporting sustainability and technology-focussed front-runners in strategic communication, public affairs, and strategy innovation and design. Anna works across the EU and mentoring startups in the field of deep technology. She served on the advisory board at […]

Valérie Itey is the Founder & CEO of CLIC RECYCLE, a climate-tech company that transforms human hair waste into circular, bio-based solutions for agriculture, marine protection, and sustainable design. She leads the development of patented biodegradable mulch and decontamination systems that reduce water use, eliminate pesticides, and contribute to soil and ocean regeneration. With over […]

Raymond is the Sector Head of Agrifood at Invest International. He is responsible for the sector strategy, origination, development and stakeholder engagement with the Agrifood sector. Prior to Invest International he worked at ABN ARMO Bank and Fortis Bank in several management roles in both Syndicated Loans and Agrifood Trade & Commodity Finance. He studies […]

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, […]

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 brings more than 15 years of experience in venture capital, 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 the fund’s AgTech portfolio. Prior to joining ECBF, Stéphane founded […]

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 […]

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 […]

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, Dr Christian Klein 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 […]

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 serves as Chief R&I Officer at Nexture Group, a global platform specialized in the research and production of high-quality ingredients and value-added solutions. In his role, he leads the group’s research and innovation efforts and strategy, driving global R&I capabilities, scientific affairs, and technology development to boost growth and competitive advantage. He oversees the group’s Innovation Centers […]

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 […]

Dr. Gali Artzi is Partner and CTO of global venture capital firm PeakBridge. With a Ph.D. in cell immunology and biology, Artzi 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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

With a strong foundation in software development from Canada and a Master’s degree in Entrepreneurship and Innovation from HEC Paris, Hadi Alshakhori is dedicated to empowering founders and driving innovation across the region. As a seasoned startup and technology expert, he has played pivotal roles at renowned events such as LEAP, GITEX, Global Summit, and […]

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, […]

Angelique van Helvoort is Senior Advisor Foreign Direct Investment Food & Health at Oost NL, where she connects international agrifood and health innovators with the Dutch ecosystem for innovation, collaboration and growth. With a strong focus on sustainable food systems and health innovation, she works closely with startups, scale-ups, corporates and public partners to accelerate impactful partnerships and investment opportunities in the […]

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 […]