Wageningen Entrepreneurship Grant 2026 Final

Demeter42 is a Wageningen University & Research (WUR) spin‑off founded by Xinyuan Min (PhD) and Didi Qian, created to transform decades of WUR crop‑physiology research into a scalable, AI‑powered solution for modern greenhouse horticulture.

At its core, Demeter42 develops an AI‑assisted decision intelligence system that integrates WUR’s process‑based crop models with advanced machine learning. This hybrid approach enables growers to optimize climate control and cultivation strategies using scientifically grounded, data‑driven insights—moving far beyond traditional experience‑based greenhouse management.

The Nettle Project is a startup, founded by Iepe Bouw and Yiran Wei, that is reshaping how materials are grown, processed, and valued by replacing extractive global supply chains with regenerative, bioregional production systems. Rather than treating symptoms like nitrogen surplus, microplastics, or textile opacity, the initiative tackles the structural disconnect between land, material use, and community.

Rooted in a bioregional design approach, the Nettle Project aims to meet material needs within local ecosystems. By shortening supply chains and restoring accountability between producers and consumers, the project lays the groundwork for regenerative business models that can operate at scale. This vision forms the basis of the Nettle Farm Model.

OmnoMyco is a young Wageningen‑rooted startup founded by Alejandro Campillo (chef and former restaurant manager in Madrid), Milo Kleijnjan (business developer with WUR and Radboud background), and Mayke Schelhaas (Plant Biotechnology & Sciences). Together, they combine culinary expertise, scientific insight, and entrepreneurial drive to bring new, wild mushroom species from the forest into controlled cultivation.

Their mission is simple but ambitious: expand the world of cultivated mushrooms far beyond the three species currently grown at scale, and introduce new, extraordinary fungi to the culinary world. Their first target is the Chicken‑of‑the‑Woods (Laetiporus sulphureus), a striking, bright‑yellow mushroom with a naturally meaty texture and mild flavor reminiscent of chicken—already beloved in the wild‑foraged market but nearly impossible to source consistently.

Beyond Bioplastic is a Wageningen‑rooted pre‑startup founded by Merel Witteman (Environmental Sciences & Technology), building on WUR‑developed biotechnology to create the first recycling route for complex biobased plastics. While most biodegradable and biobased plastics still end up in the incinerator—especially multilayers, composites, and food‑contaminated packaging—Beyond Bioplastic focuses on keeping this renewable carbon in circulation instead of losing it as CO₂.

Their mission is to turn mixed bioplastic waste into volatile fatty acids (VFAs), a renewable chemical feedstock that can replace fossil inputs in plastics, coatings, lubricants, and fuels. With regulatory pressure rising under the EU’s new packaging rules and industry partners like BASF, De Koffiejongens, BioTEC, and TommyTomato already running pilots, Beyond Bioplastic aims to become the first circular solution for bioplastics that today have no recycling route at all.

This initiative is a Wageningen rooted venture developing the first high moisture feeding system designed specifically for large scale poultry production. It emerged from years of engineering and research, driven by the conviction that poultry feeding must fundamentally change. While wet feeding has been known for decades to improve efficiency and reduce reliance on energy intensive dry feed, it was never implemented at scale due to missing infrastructure. This new system fills that gap, enabling high moisture diets that integrate circular ingredients, reduce environmental impact, and improve biological performance at bird level.

The mission is to redesign feeding infrastructure in a way that delivers both economic and environmental gains, starting with a patented system that has already gained strong interest from equipment manufacturers, feed companies, and farmers. After extensive technical validation and growing industry traction, the next step is to consolidate partnerships, secure early adopters, and prepare for investment readiness. The goal is clear: move from promising innovation to real world implementation, and build a company that reflects a more efficient, resilient, and future oriented vision for poultry production.

Kairos Green Tech is a Wageningen rooted startup founded by Ralph van Zwieten, built on years of PhD research into renewable crop protection. Instead of relying on fossil based synthetic pesticides—which still make up 99% of the market—the company converts vegetable oils into sprayable adhesive particles that physically immobilize insect pests. Growers consistently express strong interest in fossil free, practical alternatives, especially as regulations tighten and chemical resistance rises.

Their mission is to offer a renewable, non toxic, and resistance robust alternative to conventional pesticides by mimicking the physical defense mechanisms of plant trichomes. The technology has reached prototype stage (TRL 4–5) and is now preparing for field validation with growers and partners. The next step is a full commercial field season to demonstrate efficacy, crop compatibility, and market readiness—showing that a physically acting, fossil independent solution can perform under real farming conditions.