As StartLife’s new Managing Director, I’m inspired by the vibrant week of 20-22 May, 2025. It kicked off with our 13th Demo Day, followed by the 10th F&A Next summit, both on Wageningen campus. Over 1,100 attendees joined, 300 agrifood professionals at Demo Day, growing to over 800 industry leaders, startups, and innovators at F&A Next. The energy was contagious, and I’m proud to be a part of our passionate community shaping the future of food and agriculture.

Our Demo Day set the stage with a focused showcase of our latest portfolio startups. In an innovative and engaging setting, these entrepreneurs pitched bold, innovative solutions to global food challenges, connecting directly with investors, partners, and peers.

The enthusiasm and collaboration I witnessed were a testament to StartLife’s vibrant ecosystem, and it seamlessly transitioned into the broader vision of F&A Next. Watching our startups transition from the hands-on setting of Demo Day to the global stage of F&A Next filled me with optimism about their potential impact.

Exploring Technology’s Role in Food Resilience

The F&A Next summit opened with a spectacular laser show celebrating its 10th anniversary, igniting a spirit of innovation and forward momentum. Lieutenant General Richard Nugee delivered a compelling keynote, identifying climate change, biodiversity loss, and sustainability as the triple threats straining global food security. “Food security is about the security of a nation, of its livelihood, and the kind of life we want to live,” he emphasized, detailing how desertification, rising temperatures, and weather events are reducing arable land and fueling social instability.

Joined by WUR Professor Joost de Laat, he underscored technology’s role in overcoming these challenges, a theme that resonated throughout the summit. Panels explored scaling technology, enhancing food system resilience, and securing financing, offering practical strategies that align with our mission at StartLife.

Next Heroes Pitches and Award Winners

A highlight was the Next Heroes in Food and Agtech pitches. On the first day, five early-stage startups took the main stage, followed by five late-stage contenders on the second. Two stood out, earning the Feike Sijbesma Sustainable Innovation Award and its €12,500 prize: Agrobiomics and Vivici. Agrobiomics impressed with its nature-based solutions to boost crop resilience, grounded in robust science, while Vivici showcased precision fermentation technology to produce sustainable, nutrient-rich proteins.

Feike Sijbesma himself presented the awards, noting, “Their work tackles real-world issues—from soil health to sustainable proteins—with precision, creativity, and purpose. True impact is rarely straightforward, but with vision and perseverance, today’s pioneers can lead the way.” His words echoed the innovative spirit we foster at StartLife.

Regenerative Farming and Culinary Craftsmanship

The summit’s agenda also featured award-winning filmmaker and environmental advocate Josh Tickell, who highlighted the tenfold growth of regenerative farming to over 50 million acres in five years. He emphasized how major food corporations are adopting this approach to meet consumer demand for sustainability and ensure long-term supply chains for products like coffee and chocolate.

Chef Emile van der Staak, head of the Michelin-starred De Nieuwe Winkel, closed the first day with a heartfelt reflection on craftsmanship in the protein transition. “As chefs, we know how to make delicious food,” he said. “If it doesn’t taste good, the transition won’t succeed.” His restaurant’s R&D facility, where new ingredients are tested, and his eagerness to collaborate with startups like ours, underscored the practical synergy we aim to build.

Networking and a Vision for Sustainability

Networking was the heartbeat of both events. At Demo Day, one-on-one meetings and pitch feedback sessions fostered deep connections, while F&A Next offered diverse opportunities. Attendees networked in dedicated areas, enjoyed tours of the WUR campus, and explored facilities like the Netherlands Plant Eco-phenotyping Centre (NPEC), KeyGene’s innovation labs, WUR’s robotics facility, Phenomena, and our startups Algreen and Grassa. A unique addition, the Food System Nexus VR game, engaged participants in shaping a sustainable food future, sparking meaningful discussions.

The closing keynote by Nikki Trott, CEO advisor and author of the forthcoming book Sacred Business, offered a profound perspective. She argued that business, while a cause of current challenges, can also be the solution by establishing a new paradigm. “Are we going to save humanity’s place on the planet? We must shift from busyness to presence, fear to love, and competition to symbiosis,” she urged, challenging us to realign with the Earth. This vision inspires me as we guide our startups toward sustainable impact.

As we look ahead to F&A Next 2026 on May 20-21, I’m impressed by our community’s dedication. This week reaffirmed that our work at StartLife is about more than innovation, it’s about reimagining a resilient agrifoodtech system together.

For those eager to learn more about me, I encourage you to explore our recent press release and feel free to reach out.