What Kipster does

Kipster, founded in 2013 and headquartered in Venlo, Netherlands, operates a circular poultry farming business that produces CO2-neutral eggs and high-welfare meat in the Netherlands and the United States. Its core technology is a complete laying-hen feed formulated entirely from food industry waste streams (broken biscuits, breadcrumbs, misfit wafers, oat hulls, sunflower meal), produced in partnership with Nijsen Company and verified for CO2 neutrality by Wageningen University & Research. The farm design incorporates a light-filled indoor garden, separate outdoor runs, multi-tier housing, an air washer capturing 75% of fine dust, rooftop solar panels, on-farm manure drying, and on-farm egg sorting and packing. Kipster raises male chicks from the laying-hen industry for meat rather than culling them, producing 3-star Beter Leven meatballs and burgers, and uses dried chicken manure as fertilizer for wheat that becomes Kipster Kringloop Brood baked by Bakkerij Fuite.

Kipster makes money through five revenue streams: (1) retail egg sales exclusively through Lidl in the Netherlands (440 stores) and Kroger in the United States under multi-year contracts with guaranteed off-take, (2) meat sales (male chick meatballs and end-of-life hen products) through the same retail and food-service partners, (3) food-service supply coordinated by Victoria Trading to Albron, De Efteling, Kwalitaria, and HMS Host at Schiphol, (4) concept licensing and feed supply to partner farms under the 'Kip zoekt boer' program and via MPS Egg Farms in the US, and (5) equity crowdfunding (€3.7M from 1,373 investors via Invesdor in 2024) and growth capital from Brightlands Agrifood Fund.

The company operates 7 farms (4 in the Netherlands: Venray, Beuningen, Barneveld, Ysselsteyn; 4 in Indiana, US) with a goal of 10 farms by 2030, current valuation of €10M, and a stated target of €50M within 5 years. Kipster holds 3-star Beter Leven (Dierenbescherming), B Corp, Milieukeur, On the Way to PlanetProof, and Gold Standard Fairtrade carbon credit certifications. The company is developing VEGGS, a chickpea-protein plant-based liquid egg, and participates in the EU-funded CRAFT Consortium exploring cultivated meat integration with conventional farms. Kipster operates under parent holding company OTA Food BV and completed a CEO succession from founder Ruud Zanders to Justin Buitenhuis effective July 1, 2026.

Name

Kipster

Legal name

Kipster

Website

https://kipster.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kipster operates circular poultry farms in the Netherlands and the United States, producing CO2-neutral eggs and high-welfare meat from chickens fed food industry waste streams, sold exclusively through Lidl (NL) and Kroger (US) plus food-service partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Poultry Farming and Sustainable Egg Production

NAICS

Chicken Egg Production (112310), Broilers and Other Meat Type Chicken Production (11232)

SIC

Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)

akta.pro primary industry

Organic & Pasture-Raised Poultry & Egg Production (AFAEADAJ)

Keywords

• Carbon-neutral eggs
• Circular poultry farming
• Animal welfare certification
• Sustainable egg production
• Food waste upcycling

Headquarters

HQ city

Venray

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Egg Sales (Retail): Kipster produces and sells CO2-neutral, 3-star Beter Leven eggs primarily through Lidl in the Netherlands (sold in boxes of 6 or 10). Eggs are sorted and packed on-farm. The retail partnership provides volume and brand visibility. US eggs are sold exclusively through Kroger.
2. Meat Sales (Male Chicks and End-of-Life Hens): Male chicks are raised for meat and processed into products such as 3-star Beter Leven meatballs (€2.69/240g at Lidl) and burgers. End-of-life laying hens are also sold as meat. This stream turns a waste product (male chicks) into revenue and addresses the industry-wide problem of day-old chick culling.
3. Food Service / B2B Supply: Eggs and meat are supplied to food service companies (Victoria Trading, Albron, De Efteling, Kwalitaria, HMS Host at Schiphol) for use in their commercial kitchens. This B2B channel diversifies revenue and provides stable off-take volume.
4. Concept Licensing to Partner Farms: Kipster licenses its farm concept to partner farmers (in the Netherlands via the 'Kip zoekt boer' program and internationally via MPS Egg Farms in the US). Partners build Kipster-standard farms and operate under the Kipster brand with guaranteed feed supply, technical support, and off-take contracts. Kipster earns a margin on the feed and branding/operational support.
5. Crowdfunding / Equity Investment: Kipster has raised equity from retail investors via the Invesdor crowdfunding platform (€3,700,275 from 1,373 participants) and institutional capital from Brightlands Agrifood Fund. The company is valued at €10 million with a target of €50 million in 5 years.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Kipster produces and sells CO2-neutral eggs, meat products (meatballs and burgers) from roosters and spent laying hens, and circular whole-grain bread through an integrated closed-loop farming system. Chickens are fed circular feed made entirely from food industry waste streams, male chicks are raised for meat rather than culled at birth, and chicken manure is dried on-farm and applied to Dutch farmland as fertilizer for wheat used in Kipster bread. The company also licenses its farm concept to partner farmers under a franchise-like model in the Netherlands and United States.

Product overview

Kipster operates as a circular farming business producing eggs, meat, and bread through an integrated closed-loop system. Core products include CO2-neutral eggs (Kipster Eggs) from chickens fed circular feed, meat products from roosters and spent hens (Kipster Meat), and whole grain bread made from Dutch wheat fertilized with Kipster manure (Kipster Kringloop Brood). The company also produces dried manure as a fertilizer by-product. In development is VEGGS, a plant-based egg alternative. A transparency service features live webcams of all farms. The business model emphasizes circularity: food industry waste streams become chicken feed, chicken manure fertilizes grain fields, unsold bread returns to chicken feed, and spent chickens become meat products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• VEGGS: Plant-based egg alternative being developed by Kipster, based on chickpea protein for making scrambled eggs.
• Kipster Kringloop Brood

Products and services

• Kipster Eggs CO2-neutral eggs produced by laying hens fed with circular feed made entirely from food industry waste streams. The first commercial climate-neutral eggs in the world, certified 3-star Beter Leven (highest Dutch animal welfare tier). Sold in boxes of 6 or 10 eggs primarily through Lidl in the Netherlands and exclusively through Kroger in the United States.
• Kipster Meat Products Meat products including 3-star Beter Leven meatballs (€2.69 per 240g at Lidl) and burgers made from roosters (male chicks from laying hen industry typically culled at birth) and spent laying hens. Addresses the industry-wide culling problem by turning a waste stream into premium welfare meat products fed the same circular reststream feed.
• Kipster Kringloop Brood (Circular Bread) Whole grain bread made from Dutch wheat grown on Groningen fields fertilized with Kipster chicken manure. Unsold bread is returned to chicken feed, closing the circular loop. Baked by Bakkerij Fuite, milled by Meelfabriek De Jongh, and sold exclusively at Lidl in 440 stores across the Netherlands.
• Kipster Manure (Fertilizer By-Product) Dried chicken manure processed on-farm, reducing ammonia, CO2, and particulate matter emissions. Applied as fertilizer on Groningen agricultural fields to grow wheat for Kipster bread, completing the circular farm-to-food system.
• VEGGS Plant-Based Egg Plant-based liquid egg alternative based on chickpea protein designed to replicate the texture and mouthfeel of scrambled eggs without animal involvement. Developed in collaboration with TOP BV food technologists, Wageningen University students, and LIOF-subsidized research. Currently in laboratory stage with Vegan Farm production facility as next step.
• Kipster Farm Concept Licensing Franchise-like licensing of the Kipster circular farming model to partner farmers via the 'Kip zoekt boer' program in the Netherlands and MPS Egg Farms in the United States. Partners build Kipster-standard farms and operate under the Kipster brand with guaranteed circular feed supply, technical support, branding, marketing, and guaranteed off-take contracts from Kipster's retail partners.

Quantifiable outcome

• CO2 footprint of 1.3 kg CO2 per kg eggs (vs. 4 kg for average eggs)
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, strategic, foundational and minor.

• KrogercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 11 October 2021Kroger, America's largest supermarket chain, holds exclusive rights to sell Kipster eggs and meat in the United States. The multi-year contract includes guaranteed off-take, positioning Kipster as a differentiated private-label sustainable egg brand in the US market.
• MPS Egg FarmscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 October 2021MPS Egg Farms is a family-owned US egg producer (established 1875) ranked among the top-ten egg producers in the United States. They acquired the rights to build and operate Kipster-standard farms in the US in close cooperation with Kipster. MPS handles farm construction, operations, and local compliance while licensing the Kipster brand and operational model. Four farms were built in Indiana starting in 2021.
• Wageningen University & ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 October 2021Wageningen University & Research was involved in developing the Kipster concept from its inception (2013–2017) and contributed scientific research on the role of animals in a sustainable food system. The university verified Kipster's CO2 footprint calculation and carbon neutrality claims. Prof. Imke de Boer of WUR called Kipster 'a breakthrough for the leading role the Netherlands can play in agriculture.' WUR is also a member of the CRAFT Consortium.
• Lidl NederlandcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 11 October 2017Lidl is Kipster's primary and exclusive retail partner in the Netherlands, selling Kipster eggs, meat products (male chick meatballs), and circular bread in all 440 Dutch stores. Lidl was involved from the outset as both a retail customer and a driver of the Kipster concept, providing a guaranteed off-take contract that enabled farm financing. Lidl also acted as a front-runner in supporting Kipster's development.
• Victoria TradingmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVictoria Trading is a Dutch cooperative that coordinates supply of Kipster eggs and meat to food service operators including De Efteling, Albron, Kwalitaria, HMS Host, FFC Franchise, and others. This channel diversifies Kipster's revenue beyond retail.
• CRAFT Consortium (RespectFarms, WUR, Mosa Meat, Aleph Farms, Multus, Kipster, Royal Kuijpers)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe CRAFT Consortium (Circular Recovery of Agricultural Foods Through Cellular Agriculture) was awarded a €2M grant co-funded by EU-backed accelerator EIT Food. Members include Kipster, RespectFarms (cultivated meat farm at van Leeuwen's dairy in Schipluiden), Wageningen University & Research, Mosa Meat, Aleph Farms, Multus, and Royal Kuijpers. The project explores how cultivated meat production can serve as an additional business model for conventional farms, with Kipster contributing its circular farming model to the consortium.
• Nederlandse Dierenbescherming, Milieudefensie, UrgendafoundationalStrategic or Co-development PartnerThese Dutch organizations (Dutch Animal Protection Society, Milieudefensie / Friends of the Earth Netherlands, and Urgenda) were involved in the design process of Kipster from the outset (2013–2017). Their expertise in animal welfare, environmental protection, and climate action shaped the Kipster farm concept. The Nederlandse Dierenbescherming awards and monitors the 3-star Beter Leven certification.
• Nijsen CompanymajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNijsen Company (Limburg, Netherlands) is the feed manufacturer that produces Kipster's circular feed from food industry waste streams (broken biscuits, breadcrumbs, misfit wafers, old bread, etc.). This partnership is operationally critical to Kipster's circular model.
• Bakkerij FuitemajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBakkerij Fuite (Dutch bakery) bakes the Kipster circular bread from Dutch wheat grown on Groningse akkers fertilized with Kipster chicken manure. The bread is sold exclusively at Lidl in 440 stores.
• Meelfabriek De JonghmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMeelfabriek De Jongh mills the wheat grown by Groningse akkerbouwers into whole wheat flour for Kipster bread, keeping the flour separate from other production lines.
• OTA Food BVfoundationalOthersOTA Food BV is the parent holding company under which Kipster operates. Ruud Zanders serves as strategic advisor and ambassador from OTA Food BV, focusing on new food transition initiatives beyond Kipster.
• Albron, De Efteling, Kwalitaria, HMS HostmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThese food service operators source Kipster eggs and meat for use in their kitchens. Albron serves company restaurants and hospitals; De Efteling is a major theme park; Kwalitaria operates cafeterias; HMS Host provides catering at Schiphol Airport and internationally.
• Eyes on AnimalsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKipster learned low-stress chicken handling techniques from Eyes on Animals, an animal welfare organization. The company applies these methods when catching chickens, ensuring they are gently lifted by the breast and wings (never by the legs or upside-down) to minimize stress and pain.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Happy Egg Co: Happy Egg Co is a US free-range egg brand (acquired by Vital Farms but operated as a distinct brand) selling pasture-raised eggs into grocery retail. Directly comparable to Kipster on welfare-led positioning and retail distribution; comparable in size and product mix, though focused exclusively on the US market.
• Rondeel: Rondeel is a Dutch poultry concept featuring innovative round barns with outdoor runs, designed for animal welfare and sold through Albert Heijn. Closest European architectural and welfare-positioning peer to Kipster, sharing the same NL market, Beter Leven certifications, and design-forward barn concept, though without Kipster's circular feed or carbon-neutral positioning.
• Pete & Gerry's: Pete & Gerry's is a US family-farm organic and pasture-raised egg company supplying major grocers. Comparable to Kipster on Certified Humane organic/free-range positioning and retail-led sales, though it sources from a network of independent family farms rather than operating a single standardized farm concept.
• Vital Farms: Vital Farms is the largest US pasture-raised egg company (NASDAQ: VITL), selling Certified Humane pasture-raised eggs and butter through premium retail. Highly comparable to Kipster: direct-to-retail premium positioning, animal-welfare-led branding, and conscious-consumer target segment, though it operates at materially larger US scale and lacks Kipster's circular feed / CO2-neutral model.

Broad incumbents

• Cal-Maine Foods: Cal-Maine Foods (NASDAQ: CALM) is the largest US shell egg producer, operating conventional, cage-free, organic, and specialty brands across the country. Serves as the dominant US incumbent whose category leadership Kipster's premium niche competes against, though Cal-Maine's scale, conventional-egg core, and cage-free private-label business are structurally different from Kipster's circular, CO2-neutral model.
• Tyson Foods: Tyson Foods is one of the world's largest poultry producers, with growing prepared foods and emerging sustainable-protein lines including Tyson® brand chicken. Relevant broad incumbent in poultry production and retail supply; serves as a competitive ceiling on retail buyer relationships that any small sustainable egg entrant must navigate.
• Cargill: Cargill is a global food and agriculture giant with substantial animal-nutrition and poultry supply-chain operations, including feed ingredients relevant to Kipster's circular feed innovation. Relevant as both a potential feed-input competitor/partner and a broad incumbent in protein supply chains across Europe and the Americas.

Emerging players

• Chino Valley Ranchers: Chino Valley Ranchers is a US organic and pasture-raised egg producer supplying West Coast retailers and foodservice. Smaller-scale, comparable on organic/free-range animal-welfare positioning, though limited to organic-shell-egg retail and without circular-feed or international expansion.
• Egg Innovations: Egg Innovations is a US specialty egg company producing organic, cage-free, and pasture-raised eggs under multiple brands (including Vital Farms' early sourcing) for retail and foodservice. Comparable to Kipster's higher-welfare positioning, though broader in portfolio and without circular-feed or carbon-neutral differentiation.
• Handsome Brook Farms: Handsome Brook Farms is a US pasture-raised and organic egg brand sold in retail. Comparable to Kipster on premium animal-welfare positioning and conscious-consumer targeting, though smaller in scale and without international expansion or plant-based product development.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@kipsterfarm/streams
• Xx.com/kipsterkip

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kipster