What Kapiteyn does

Kapiteyn is a Dutch privately-held, fourth-generation family flower bulb company founded in 1926, headquartered in Breezand, Netherlands. It operates a vertically integrated model covering the first three steps of the flower bulb value chain — breeding (Kapiteyn Breeding bv), cultivation and propagation (Kapiteyn Horticulture bv across 70 hectares), and trading/packaging (Kapiteyn bv and Kapiteyn Captain Calla bv). The portfolio spans 200+ varieties of tulips, hyacinths, lilies, and Calla tubers, with a globally recognized proprietary brand (Captain Calla) built on 30+ years of breeding that yields ~750 Calla hybrids and ~150,000 seeds annually.

The business is organized into three operating divisions: Retail & Concepts (packaged flower bulbs and tailored sales concepts such as pre-packaged concepts, displays, mix-crates, and lasagne pots for garden centers, chain stores, supermarkets, and DIY retailers across 25+ countries), Captain Calla (pot and cut Calla lilies sold to professional growers and forcers with year-round delivery), and Nursery (starting material and cultivation advice for professional forcers). Underlying capabilities include climate-controlled storage operating from -2°C to +40°C with 24/7 monitoring, automated sorting/counting machinery processing 200,000–300,000 bulbs per day, and certifications spanning ISO 9001, Global G.A.P., Skal, Bio Suisse, MPS-ABC, and FSI.

Kapiteyn operates a B2B sales model with regional specialists, quote-based pricing, and no direct-to-consumer sales. Revenue is generated across three streams: retail flower bulbs, Captain Calla products, and nursery starting material. The company serves 2,500 garden center customers (rating the business 9/10), international supermarket chains, DIY chains, and professional growers in markets including the Netherlands, Germany, France, UK, Italy, USA, Canada, Japan, China, Colombia, Mexico, and South Africa. Distribution is primarily direct sales with regional account managers in each market, supplemented by channel partnerships (ThinkPlants in North America, Syngenta Flowers in the U.S.) and growers' associations (Captain Select, Remarkable, Orientalis, Marklily).

Name

Kapiteyn

Legal name

Kapiteyn group

Website

https://kapiteyn.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1926

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Kapiteyn is a Dutch, fourth-generation family business that breeds, cultivates, and trades 200+ varieties of flower bulbs (including globally branded Captain Calla lilies) for B2B customers — garden centers, retail chains, and professional growers across 25+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Flower Bulbs & Horticulture

NAICS

Nursery and Floriculture Production (11142), Greenhouse, Nursery, and Floriculture Production (1114)

akta.pro primary industry

Plant Breeding & Variety Development (Conventional) (AFAGAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Propagation & Seedling/Plug Production (Vegetable Transplants, Tissue-Culture Liners) (AFAGAHAG), Organic Floriculture & Nursery Crop Production (Ornamentals, Seedlings) (AFAGAKAJ)

Keywords

• Flower bulb cultivation
• Flower bulb breeding
• Horticultural wholesale
• Calla lily varieties
• B2B horticulture supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Breezand

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Flower Bulbs: Packaged and traded finished products for retail customers including garden centers, chain stores, department stores, and DIY retailers. Products include tulips, hyacinths, lilies and other flower bulbs with custom packaging concepts.
2. Captain Calla Products: Pot and cut Calla lily tubers under the Captain Calla brand, sold to growers and forcers worldwide with year-round delivery capability
3. Nursery Products: Starting material and growing advice for professional growers, with cultivation support and optimized forcing schedules

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kapiteyn is a vertically integrated Dutch flower bulb company that breeds, cultivates, and trades flower bulbs (tulips, hyacinths, lilies, and Captain Calla varieties) through four subsidiaries: Kapiteyn Breeding bv, Kapiteyn Horticulture bv, Kapiteyn bv (retail packaging and concepts), and Kapiteyn Captain Calla bv. The company supplies packaged retail concepts, pot and cut Calla lilies under the globally recognized Captain Calla brand, and starting material with cultivation support to professional growers across more than 25 countries.

Product overview

Kapiteyn is a Dutch flower bulb company founded in 1926, operating four subsidiaries: Kapiteyn bv (retail packaging and trade), Kapiteyn Captain Calla bv (Calla trade/export), Kapiteyn Breeding bv (breeding of new varieties), and Kapiteyn Horticulture bv (nursery/cultivation). The company manages the first three steps of the flower bulb value chain — breeding, growing, and trading — giving it direct control over quality. The product portfolio is organized into three core divisions: (1) Retail & Concepts — packaged flower bulbs and tailored sales concepts (displays, mix-crates, lasagne pots) for garden centres, chain stores, and other retailers across 20+ countries; (2) Captain Calla — a globally recognized Calla brand encompassing pot Callas and cut Callas, sold to growers and collectors; and (3) Nursery — professional bulb and tuber cultivation across 70 hectares offering 200+ varieties to commercial growers, with grower support and cultivation advice. Supporting sub-brands include Captain Select and Captain Research (Calla grower collaborations), Remarkable (tulip growers' association), Orientalis (hyacinth growers' association), and Marklily (lily growers' association). Additional lines include Organic Flower Bulbs (Skal/Bio Suisse certified), Patio Collection, Plant O Mat Tray, Blooms Bees & Butterflies, and annual Spring and Summer Flowering Collection catalogues.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Captain Calla: Globally recognized brand for pot and cut Calla lilies, developed through Kapiteyn's breeding program. Known worldwide for delivering every day of the year.
• Remarkable
• Orientalis
• Marklily

Products and services

• Captain Calla (Pot and Cut Callas) Globally recognised Calla (Zantedeschia) brand encompassing pot Callas and cut Callas, bred and marketed by Kapiteyn. Known for strong stems, round flower forms, and high bloom production, with year-round delivery capability. Sold to growers, forcers, and collectors worldwide.
• Retail & Concepts Packaged flower bulbs and tailored retail concepts (pre-packaged concepts, displays, mix-crates, lasagne pots) developed alongside garden centres, chain stores, and other retailers across more than 20 countries. Includes spring-flowering and summer-flowering bulb collections.
• Nursery (Professional Bulb Cultivation)

Quantifiable outcome

• 2500 garden center customers rate Kapiteyn's product and service with average 9 out of 10
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 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

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• Captain Select (Growers' Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrowers' association with 19 growers established to ensure important Captain Calla varieties are introduced to the market in a controlled manner. If a Captain grower cannot fully supply, another member of the association fills the delivery.
• Captain ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with growers and research institutions to continuously improve cultivation methods. Tests are performed and experiences are shared to optimize cultivation methods for each Captain Calla variety.
• Simply CallaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with all Dutch growers, breeders and forcing specialists to promote cut and pot Calla lilies towards florists and consumers. Promotional activities through www.simplycalla.com.
• Bloemenbureau HollandminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMarketing organization that promotes Dutch flowers including Kapiteyn's Calla lilies through inspiring content and campaigns.
• Remarkable (Tulip Growers' Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 1996, engaged in propagation, cultivation, exploitation and marketing of new tulip varieties. Major varieties such as Milkshake and Dutch Design come from this association.
• Orientalis (Hyacinth Growers' Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 1987, developing finest hyacinths with Fa. P.A. de Groot and Rooijakkers Breezand. Focus on cultivation, efficiency and forcing possibilities, particularly yellow, orange and red varieties.
• Marklily (Lily Growers' Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrong partnership with 14 growers producing major varieties such as Robina, Marlon, Evelyne and Indian Summerset. Successful in both production and trade.
• ThinkPlantsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTransformative partnership linking Captain Calla plants to markets in North America through ThinkPlants distribution network.
• Syngenta FlowersmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPresented Captain Calla varieties at Syngenta Flowers location during California Spring Trials in Gilroy, California.
• Marco Zhang (Shurui Zhang)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarketing Advisor China leading Captain Calla variety introduction in China with successful market development.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Gebr. Vletter & Den Haan: Gebr. Vletter & Den Haan is one of the world's largest specialized lily growers and breeders, marketing varieties through grower associations similar to Kapiteyn's Marklily partnership — directly comparable in breeding-led lily cultivation and export trade.
• Royal van Zanten: Royal van Zanten is a leading Dutch breeder and propagator of flower bulbs, pot plants, and cut flowers, with vertically integrated breeding, cultivation and trade operations — directly comparable to Kapiteyn's breeding-to-trade model and bulb-and-Calla focus.
• P. Nelis & Co. P. Nelis & Co. is a long-established Dutch flower bulb trading and growing company serving retail and professional markets, comparable to Kapiteyn bv in packaged retail bulbs and supply to garden centers across Europe.
• Boon & Bv: Boon & Bv is a Dutch flower bulb grower and trader offering retail and professional assortments including tulips, hyacinths, and lilies — directly overlapping Kapiteyn's nursery and retail bulb categories and European garden-center channel.
• Jan de Wit en Zonen: Jan de Wit en Zonen is a Dutch family-owned flower bulb grower and exporter specializing in tulips, hyacinths, narcissi and specialty bulbs for international retail and forcing markets — a clear like-for-like to Kapiteyn's wholesale and nursery businesses.

Broad incumbents

• Syngenta Flowers: Syngenta Flowers is a global ornamentals breeder and seed supplier with extensive pot and cut flower portfolios. Kapiteyn has even showcased Captain Calla at Syngenta's California Spring Trials site — comparable breeding/distribution scale but broader and seed-based rather than bulb-based.
• Dümmen Orange: Dümmen Orange is one of the world's largest ornamental plant breeders and propagators with broad portfolios across pot plants, cut flowers and perennials — comparable breeding IP and global distribution reach to Kapiteyn's Captain Calla program but across a much wider category set.
• Ball Horticultural Company: Ball Horticultural is a large US-headquartered horticulture breeder and distributor serving professional growers and retailers globally — overlapping with Kapiteyn's professional-grower and retail bulb segments but with a much broader ornamental and bedding plant portfolio.

Regional players

• Brent & Becky's Bulbs: Brent & Becky's Bulbs is a US-based flower bulb grower and retailer offering spring- and summer-flowering bulb assortments to North American gardeners — directly comparable product mix to Kapiteyn but serving the North American market through DTC and wholesale channels.

Emerging players

• Fluwel (Leon van Zijl): Fluwel is a Dutch flower bulb company growing and selling bulbs to consumers online — comparable product category to Kapiteyn (tulips, daffodils, specialty bulbs) but with a DTC model that Kapiteyn has deliberately avoided, making it an adjacent emerging channel rather than a direct channel competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kapiteyngroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/kapiteyngroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kapiteyn

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries4 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 Kapiteyn