At the heart of agrifood innovation lies collaboration. The strategic partnership between Concert Bio and Harvest House showcases how the Dutch innovation ecosystem effectively connects startups with industry leaders. Enabled by both StartLife and HortiHeroes, this collaboration tackles root disease in peppers using microbiome technology—demonstrating the power of bridging agrifoodtech innovation with real-world horticultural challenges.
The story between Concert Bio and Harvest House began at a dinner organized by HortiHeroes, where StartLife was invited to bring along a few of its startups. It was there that Concert Bio’s CEO, Paul Rutten—a StartLife alumnus—met Lienemijn Verploeg, Innovation Project Manager at Harvest House and a HortiHeroes community member. Intrigued by Concert Bio’s microbiome insights, Lienemijn arranged a follow-up meeting—an encounter that sparked a collaboration now driving real agricultural innovation.
Tackling Root Disease Together
The partnership centers on monitoring the microbiome in Harvest House’s greenhouses, targeting the persistent challenge of root disease in peppers. Paul explains, “We sample every two weeks, process the data in our lab, and discuss results with the growers to tackle root disease, a major issue that can impact entire greenhouses. We’re using microbiome data to help understand what’s happening in the root zone.”
Lienemijn emphasizes the global stakes: “Root disease impacts peppers worldwide, from the Netherlands to Canada, and despite ongoing research, the cause remains unclear. Paul helps us understand what’s going on in the root area of the plants, which is a big part of solving this issue.” Their shared mission leverages microbiome data to protect and enhance crop resilience.
A Partnership Rooted in Mutual Value
This partnership provides significant value to both Concert Bio and Harvest House. Paul notes, “Integrating microbiome data with environmental and yield metrics allows us to develop predictive models and cultivate beneficial microbes, with data from Harvest House’s multiple greenhouses improving our future models.”
Lienemijn adds, “We are gaining deeper understanding of the root zone and microbiome dynamics, observing initial progress toward enhanced plant health. Though still in development, this collaboration offers potential insights into how microbiomes influence resilience, pending further analysis of their full impact.”
Lessons from a Grower-Driven Partnership
This partnership has yielded valuable lessons and reinforced Harvest House’s commitment to innovation. Paul reflects on key insights: “We’ve learned how substrate variations affect microbiomes and how growers’ expectations shape our approach. We’ve also gained critical insights into how substrate variations influence microbiomes and how aligning with growers’ expectations refines our approach. Understanding that mindset has been key.”
Lienemijn elaborates, “To win over growers, you must align your technology with their needs and mindset, a lesson we’re applying here. Our growers invest in startups offering long-term benefits, and by presenting potential solutions for their consideration, we ensure this collaboration remains a grower driven effort.” These shared learnings and strategic focus drive the partnership’s success.
Looking Ahead: Next Steps for Concert Bio & Harvest House
The future relies on results. Lienemijn says, “The continuation into next year relies on growers recognizing sufficient value in our efforts, though we remain in the early stages and cannot yet commit definitively.”
Paul says, “Our goal is to demonstrate to growers the potential of proactive microbiome monitoring, even absent disease outbreaks, as we accumulate essential data to support future disease management and monitoring strategies.” This collaborative journey holds promise for transformative agricultural advancements.
A Testament to the Dutch Innovation Ecosystem
The partnership between Harvest House and Concert Bio underscores the strength of the Dutch innovation ecosystem, where organizations like StartLife and HortiHeroes play complementary roles. In this case, StartLife introduced Concert Bio to a leading greenhouse company within the HortiHeroes network. It’s a clear example of how cross-network collaboration drives meaningful innovation.
Paul reflects on the impact: “StartLife opened the door to valuable opportunities, helping us grow and scale our business in the Dutch horticulture sector. Thanks to the HortiHeroes Startup Dinner and its community, our strategic partnership with Harvest House came to life—allowing us to work closely with growers and gather the data we need.”
He adds, “It’s inspiring to see how StartLife and HortiHeroes complement each other—StartLife focusing on agrifoodtech, HortiHeroes on horticulture—creating a powerful synergy that drives innovation and strengthens the agrifood ecosystem.”
About the organizations
Concert Bio is a biotech pioneer dedicated to help growers harness their microbiome. Based on its mission to empower growers with data-driven insights, they develop advanced tools to monitor and optimize root health. Its work extends beyond peppers, aiming to transform global agriculture with predictive models and beneficial microbes, a vision honed through collaborations like this one with Harvest House.
Harvest House a leading Dutch grower, brings over 10 years of horticultural excellence to the field. Specializing in premium peppers, tomatoes, and cucumbers, they serve markets across Europe and beyond with a commitment to quality and sustainability. Their partnerships in startups like Concert Bio reflects a forward-thinking approach, empowering growers with innovative technologies to meet future demands.
HortiHeroes is an innovation platform that connects startups, corporates, and talent in the horticulture sector. Through programs like the Startup Entry Program and events like the Startup Dinner, HortiHeroes accelerates innovation by fostering meaningful collaborations between tech startups and leading greenhouse companies in the Netherlands and beyond.
StartLife is Europe’s leading agrifoodtech accelerator. Based in Wageningen, it cultivates a global innovation ecosystem that empowers startups, investors, and industry leaders to build and scale next-generation technologies into impactful ventures. By transforming today’s biggest food and agriculture challenges into opportunities, StartLife helps shape the future of resilient, sustainable food systems worldwide.
