Foodvalley

What Foodvalley does

Foodvalley is an independent not-for-profit foundation (ANBI status, RSIN 813807463) headquartered in Wageningen, the Netherlands, founded in 2004 and currently employing 11-50 staff. It operates as an innovation ecosystem orchestrator rather than a product company, convening startups, SMEs, large corporates, knowledge institutions, governments, and foundations around the transition to a sustainable, healthy, and fair food system. Its core 'product surface' is a portfolio of four thematic communities — the Protein Community, the Healthier Food Community, the Upcycling Community, and the Regenerative Agriculture Community — supported by digital platforms including Foodleap (a facility-matching platform), the Protein Transition Map NL (an interactive mapping of approximately 500 Dutch alternative-protein actors with a combined 881M EUR annual production value and 3,500 jobs), and the Global Food Upcycling Map (175 actors across 22 countries).

The foundation runs a suite of initiative programmes on top of these communities: the SME Innovation Voucher (EUR 10,000-50,000 per voucher, up to EUR 100,000 per SME), Plant Protein Forward, VIPS personalised nutrition pilot, LIKE-A-PRO (Horizon Europe No 101074323, 12M EUR EU contribution), CO-FRESH (Horizon 2020 No 101000852), Food-scalEUp (Horizon Europe No 101072248), Global FOODture (COSME No 101035890, 89 cooperation cases and 15 business agreements in Asia), Food Innovation Hub Europe (with WEF, EIT Food, WUR, LVVN, Unilever, DSM, Rabobank, Topsector Agri-Food), and the Regenerative Innovation Portfolio landscape projects Navarra 360° (Spain, 2024) and Lower Silesia 360° (Poland, 2025). Revenue is generated through partnership memberships, EU/national/regional project funding, and administration of the SME Innovation Voucher subsidy programme; specific fees and financials are not publicly disclosed. In 2025 the foundation announced a strategic refocus, stepping back from venture programme coordination and new shared-facility investment while continuing to operate Foodleap and the SME Innovation Voucher.

Name

Foodvalley

Legal name

Foodvalley

Website

https://foodvalley.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Foodvalley is a Netherlands-based not-for-profit foundation that convenes a 500+ company network across four food-system communities (Protein, Healthier Food, Upcycling, Regenerative Agriculture) and runs EU-funded programmes, innovation vouchers, and landscape projects for startups, corporates, governments, and donors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Innovation Ecosystem Services

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative) (BPAGALAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Resilient Livelihoods & Climate-Smart Food Security (BPADAJAH), Agriculture, Food Security & Nutrition Technical Assistance (BPADAEAG), Agriculture & Food Security Development (BPAGABAB)

Keywords

• Food innovation ecosystem
• Agrifood network facilitation
• Sustainable food systems
• Regenerative agriculture programs
• Food transition consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Wageningen

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Partnership Memberships: Foodvalley generates revenue through various partnership tiers where companies join as Network Partners or Community Partners to access the innovation ecosystem, knowledge sharing, and collaborative opportunities.
2. Project Funding and Subsidies: Foodvalley receives funding from European Union programs (Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe, COSME, EIT Food), national government ministries, and regional development agencies (Regiodeal Foodvalley) to execute specific initiatives and programs.
3. SME Innovation Voucher Administration: Foodvalley administers the SME Innovation Voucher program, providing subsidies of 10,000 to 50,000 euros (max 50% of costs) to help SMEs access shared pilot and demonstration facilities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Foodvalley is an independent not-for-profit foundation that convenes stakeholders across the food system through four thematic communities (Protein, Healthier Food, Upcycling, Regenerative Agriculture) and runs targeted programmes such as the SME Innovation Voucher, Global FOODture, Food Innovation Hub Europe, and Food-scalEUp. It also operates digital platforms including Foodleap, the Protein Transition Map NL, and the Global Food Upcycling Map to help ventures access innovation facilities, partners, and markets.

Product overview

Foodvalley is an independent not-for-profit foundation that serves as an innovation ecosystem organization rather than a single product. It operates through a platform-plus-network model consisting of Foodleap (a digital platform for accessing innovation facilities), four thematic communities (Protein, Healthier Food, Upcycling, and Regenerative Agriculture), and numerous initiative programmes including the SME Innovation Voucher, UPcycled4Food Initiative, Resilient Agriculture Portfolio, Global FOODture, Food-scalEUp, Food Innovation Hub Europe, and various pilot programmes like VIPS and Plant Protein Forward. The organization also provides interactive mapping platforms including the Protein Transition Map NL and Global Food Upcycling Map.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Foodleap: Digital platform that helps ventures identify and access suitable innovation facilities
• Fastlane
• The Protein Community
• The Healthier Food Community
• The Upcycling Community
• The Regenerative Agriculture Community

Products and services

• Foodleap A digital platform that helps ventures identify and access suitable innovation facilities, enabling companies to find the right infrastructure to scale their food innovations.
• The Protein Community A thematic community network for organizations concerned with improving the balance between animal and plant-based proteins, including stakeholders in the Bean Deal agreement.
• The Healthier Food Community A thematic community network for organizations striving to make healthier food accessible to all, including the VIPS pilot consortium.
• The Upcycling Community A thematic community network for organizations committed to reducing food waste through the smart reuse of food, ingredients, and side streams.
• The Regenerative Agriculture Community A thematic community network for organizations focused on encouraging more nature-inclusive ways of farming, such as regenerative agriculture.
• Protein Transition Map NL An interactive platform showcasing the economic value of the Dutch alternative protein ecosystem across provinces, featuring approximately 500 actors and showing combined annual production value of at least 881 million euros and 3,500 jobs.
• Global Food Upcycling Map An interactive digital platform showing who is doing what and where in the food upcycling ecosystem worldwide, with 175 actors mapped across 22 countries in 6 side-stream categories.
• SME Innovation Voucher
• UPcycled4Food Initiative A collaborative initiative launched in 2025 focused on driving demand for upcycled food and ingredients, helping food manufacturers, retailers, and foodservice adopt upcycled products.
• Resilient Agriculture Portfolio (Regenerative Innovation Portfolio) An ecosystem collaboration under the Food Innovation Hub Europe, co-led with EIT Food, aiming to remove barriers to regenerative agriculture adoption by demonstrating innovative cross-value chain solutions in Europe (e.g., Navarra 360°, ReGeNL, Lower Silesia 360°).
• Global FOODture A COSME-funded programme supporting the sustainable transition of the food system by stimulating global collaboration, with missions and matchmaking targeting Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Thailand; 89 cooperation cases and 15 business agreements have been facilitated.
• Food-scalEUp A Horizon Europe-funded European agri-food and digital acceleration network supporting startups and SMEs to implement innovative digital solutions and make the leap to Industry 5.0.
• Food Innovation Hub Europe A partnership initiated by the World Economic Forum to connect parties that accelerate the transition to sustainable, nutritious, and healthy food systems in Europe; founding partners include Wageningen University and Research, Dutch Ministry of LVVN, Unilever, DSM, Rabobank, and Topsector Agri-Food.
• The Bean Deal A Green Deal Protein-Rich Crops agreement launched in 2022 with 56 Dutch stakeholders to increase EU self-sufficiency in plant proteins, improve soil quality, and create fair earnings for farmers.
• LIKE-A-PRO A Horizon Europe project (grant 101074323, 13.7M euros total cost, 12M euros EU contribution) aiming to mainstream alternative proteins and make them accessible, available, and acceptable to everyone across Europe.
• VIPS Pilot A personalised nutrition pilot driven by a multi-disciplinary consortium of 8 startups plus WUR and TNO to help better understand the customer journey and test market viability of personalised nutrition options.
• Plant Protein Forward A programme co-initiated with Rabobank and Provinciaal Eiwitoverleg NL to scale and professionalise crop-specific value chain initiatives for higher sales and human consumption of Dutch-grown plant-based proteins.

Quantifiable outcome

• 500+ companies in network with 40% international
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

26 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Wageningen University and Research (WUR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding partner of Food Innovation Hub Europe. WUR is a key knowledge partner providing scientific expertise and research capabilities to Foodvalley's initiatives. They contribute to various programs including CO-FRESH, VIPS pilots, and the Fastlane program.
• Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LVVN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding partner of Food Innovation Hub Europe and commissioning body for Future Protein NL initiative. Provides policy alignment and funding for national protein strategy development.
• UnilevercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding partner of Food Innovation Hub Europe. Active in alternative protein and regenerative agriculture initiatives. Representatives participate in Action Teams.
• DSMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding partner of Food Innovation Hub Europe. Contributes to Food Innovation Hub Europe Action Team and alternative protein initiatives.
• RabobankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding partner of Food Innovation Hub Europe. Co-initiator of Plant Protein Forward program. Provides financial expertise and connections to agricultural sector.
• Topsector Agri-FoodcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding partner of Food Innovation Hub Europe. Represents Dutch agrifood industry coordination and innovation agenda.
• EIT FoodcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-leader of Food Innovation Hub Europe and primary funder of Regenerative Innovation Portfolio. The world's largest food innovation community providing European funding and network access.
• World Economic Forum (Food Innovation Hubs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitiator of Food Innovation Hubs worldwide with Foodvalley NL as leading European partner. Global Coordination Secretariat based in Wageningen. Sean de Cleene from WEF stated Foodvalley is exactly the right partner for leading European Hub.
• Food & Bio Cluster DenmarksecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean cluster partner in Global FOODture consortium for international collaboration with Asian markets.
• FOOD+IsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean cluster partner in Global FOODture consortium representing German food cluster.
• VitagorasecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean cluster partner in Global FOODture consortium representing French food innovation cluster.
• Flanders'FOODsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean cluster partner in Global FOODture consortium representing Belgian/Flemish food cluster.
• ITC – Innovation Technology Cluster Murska SobotasecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean cluster partner in Global FOODture consortium from Slovenia.
• Packaging ClustersecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean cluster partner in Global FOODture consortium focused on packaging innovation.
• BungecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner in Lower Silesia 360° landscape project for regenerative agriculture in Poland. One of major agricultural traders involved in supply chain transformation.
• PepsiCocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner in Lower Silesia 360° landscape project. Contributing to regenerative agriculture transition and sustainable sourcing.
• Viking Malt and MalteuropsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerMalt supply chain partners in Lower Silesia 360° landscape project supporting regenerative barley cultivation.
• Provinciaal Eiwitoverleg NLcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-initiator of Plant Protein Forward program alongside Foodvalley and Rabobank. Supports Dutch plant protein transition initiatives.
• Province of GelderlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch provincial government partner providing facilities and support for food innovation ecosystem in Gelderland region where Foodvalley is based.
• Network for Insect Knowledge (NIK)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Insects for Food initiative, leading national communication campaign for insect consumption.
• Upcycling Community PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClosed group of partners collaborating on upcycling of food losses towards food. Launched UPcycled4Food Initiative for driving demand for upcycled ingredients.
• Protein Community PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of organizations concerned with improving balance between animal and plant-based proteins. Includes Bean Deal participants (56 stakeholders).
• Healthier Food Community PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of organizations striving for accessibility to healthier food for all. Includes VIPS pilot consortium of 8 startups plus WUR and TNO.
• Regenerative Agriculture Community PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of organizations focused on encouraging nature-inclusive farming. Facilitates exchange of inter-landscape knowledge to foster innovations and collaboration.
• Larive InternationalsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned alongside Foodvalley by Ministry of Agriculture for Future Protein NL international component, bringing feed sector perspective.
• AIDISA (Spain)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinator of LIKE-A-PRO Horizon Europe project. Associated pour la Investigation Desarrollo e Innovacion del Sector Agroalimentario.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Wageningen University & Research: Founding partner of Food Innovation Hub Europe and Foodvalley's closest knowledge partner. While a research university rather than a cluster, WUR is materially comparable because it convenes the same agrifood stakeholders and is the primary source of scientific capability underlying Foodvalley's programmes.
• World Economic Forum Food Innovation Hubs: Initiator of Food Innovation Hubs globally and Foodvalley's strategic partner for the European hub. Operates as a much broader platform across industries, but the Food Innovation Hubs initiative is a direct strategic counterpart to Foodvalley's ecosystem-orchestration mandate.

Direct peers

• Vitagora: French food innovation cluster headquartered in Dijon focused on taste, nutrition, and health. Comparable to Foodvalley in operating model (cluster organization, SME support, ecosystem orchestration) and confirmed as a Global FOODture European cluster partner.
• Flanders'FOOD: Belgian/Flemish spearhead cluster for food innovation with a strong industry-driven, programmatic structure. Highly comparable to Foodvalley's community-and-programme model and a partner in the same Global FOODture consortium.
• Food & Bio Cluster Denmark: Danish food innovation cluster that convenes SMEs, large companies, and knowledge institutions to accelerate sustainable food solutions. Directly comparable to Foodvalley as a co-partner in Global FOODture and a national-level food cluster organization with similar mission and structure.
• EIT Food: World's largest food innovation community, funded by the EU, that co-leads Food Innovation Hub Europe with Foodvalley and is the primary funder of the Regenerative Innovation Portfolio. Comparable in mission (agrifood innovation, sustainability) and role as a Europe-wide convener.
• FOOD+I (German Food Cluster): German food innovation cluster representing industry, research, and SMEs in food and nutrition. Functions as Foodvalley's near-equivalent for the German market and is a confirmed co-partner in Global FOODture internationalization efforts.

Regional players

• FoodTech Israel: Israeli agrifood-tech cluster that maps and connects the country's food innovation ecosystem. Comparable in mission (mapping, convening, accelerating) but serves a different geography; occasionally intersects with Foodvalley through international missions.
• Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy: U.S. pre-competitive collaboration organization focused on dairy and broader food-system sustainability. Comparable to Foodvalley in operating as a sector-level convening body for innovation, but geographically distinct (North America) and thematically narrower.

Emerging players

• Food Innovation Network UK: UK-based food innovation support network aimed at helping SMEs access expertise and scale. Comparable to Foodvalley in targeting agrifood SMEs with ecosystem-based support, but at a smaller scale and less established than Foodvalley's 20-year Dutch ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@TheFoodValley
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/food-valley-foundation-/?viewAsMember=true
• Xx.com/FoodValley_NL

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 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 Foodvalley