Horticoop

What Horticoop does

Horticoop (legal entity Coöperatie Horticoop U.A.) is a Dutch investment cooperative headquartered in Bleiswijk, Netherlands, that channels capital from its membership of approximately 280 Dutch and German horticulture growers into innovative companies serving the horticulture primary value chain. Founded in 1904 as a purchasing cooperative (inkooporganisatie), Horticoop completed a strategic pivot in 2021–2023, formally converting to an investment cooperative (investeringscoöperatie) in March 2023 with equity registered as participations in members' names. Members must meet a minimum annual turnover threshold of €100,000 and be established in the Netherlands, Belgium, or Germany to join.

The cooperative currently holds 10 portfolio companies spanning AI-driven autonomous greenhouse management (Blue Radix), greenhouse coatings (Lumiforte), plant biosignal monitoring (Vivent Biosignals), regenerative soil improvement (REKA), and AI-driven plant breeding (25:2). Horticoop's primary "product" is the Community Platform — a digital member environment for knowledge exchange, participation in investment governance, and themed discussions on energy, sustainability, LED, and robotics — supplemented by Magazine BLAD, webinars, member events hosted at partner facilities such as Royal Cosun, and direct email communications. Strategic partnerships with Wageningen University & Research (WUR), NCR, and Motivaction deepen the sector research and member-engagement capability.

Economically, Horticoop generates returns from its portfolio and distributes a portion to members as dividends — €8 million in 2024 and €3.2 million in 2025 — while reinvesting the cooperative's share into new sector investments. Governance rests on a members' council (ledenraad), a Raad van Commissarissen (Supervisory Board), and a daily management team led by CEO Patrick Groeneveld and CFO Hend van Ravestein. Following the June 2025 resignation of the entire previous Supervisory Board over investment-fund design disagreements and the appointment of a new four-member board, Horticoop has continued expanding its portfolio, including the first US-based investment (25:2) in March 2026, while divesting non-core physical assets such as the Bleiswijk and Cuijk production locations in late 2025.

Name

Horticoop

Legal name

Coöperatie Horticoop U.A.

Website

https://horticoop.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1904

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Horticoop is a Dutch investment cooperative of roughly 280 Dutch and German horticulture growers that invests in innovative companies across the horticulture value chain and distributes portfolio returns to members as dividends via a participation structure.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Horticulture Investment Cooperative

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Horticulture, Nursery & Greenhouse Operations (EDAOAOAB)

Keywords

• Horticulture investments
• Investment cooperative
• Controlled environment agriculture
• Greenhouse technology investing
• Grower cooperative services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bleiswijk

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Investment Returns: Horticoop generates returns through investments in portfolio companies. These returns are distributed to members as dividends and the cooperative reinvests its share of profits in other companies that benefit the sector.
2. Membership Contributions: Members pay to join the cooperative and receive participations. The cooperative's equity is registered in the members' names, with members sharing in profits via a participation structure and receiving potential dividends.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Horticoop is a Dutch investment cooperative that pools capital from approximately 280 member horticulture growers and entrepreneurs to invest in innovative companies along the horticulture primary value chain. Members hold participations, receive dividends from profitable portfolio exits, and participate in cooperative governance via a members' council. The cooperative runs a digital community platform for member knowledge exchange and participations trading.

Product overview

Horticoop operates as an investment cooperative rather than a product company. The primary service offering is the Horticoop Community Platform, a digital member platform that facilitates knowledge exchange among 280 Dutch and German horticultural growers. Members can participate in investment decisions, trade participations, access news via Magazine BLAD, and engage in themed discussions around topics such as energy, climate, sustainability, and technology. Horticoop invests in portfolio companies that develop innovative solutions for the horticultural sector, but these portfolio companies (Blue Radix, Lumiforte, 25:2, REKA, Vivent Biosignals) are separate entities, not products of Horticoop itself.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Horticoop Community Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• Dividend of €8 million distributed to members in 2024
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Royal CosuncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 October 2025Royal Cosun hosted the annual Horticoop member event in November 2025 at their facility in Dinteloord. The event included facility tours, panel discussions on the future of greenhouse horticulture, and member meetings.
• Wageningen University & Research (WUR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWUR collaborates with Horticoop on research topics including circular horticulture, energy transition, and robotics. WUR develops factsheets for Horticoop members on topics like energy, sustainability, LED, and robotics.
• NCR (Nationale Coöperatieve Raad)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCR collaborated with Horticoop on member engagement research, along with WUR and Motivaction, to better understand what drives members.
• MotivactionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch bureau collaborated on Horticoop's member engagement survey to understand member needs and expectations.
• Blue RadixcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPortfolio company specializing in AI-driven autonomous growing solutions for greenhouse horticulture.
• LumifortecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPortfolio company producing coatings for greenhouse horticulture. Acquired Sportlines GmbH to strengthen market position.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Royal Fruitmasters / Fruitmasters: Fruitmasters is a Dutch cooperative of fruit growers that pools, packs, and markets members' produce. It is comparable to Horticoop as a Dutch grower cooperative with shared member services, collective participation, and dividend-style returns.
• Royal Cosun: Royal Cosun is a Dutch agricultural cooperative of crop growers and an existing strategic partner of Horticoop. It is comparable as a grower-member cooperative operating in the Dutch agri-food value chain with collective investment and member-return structures.
• Royal FloraHolland: Royal FloraHolland is a large Dutch cooperative in the floriculture value chain, comparable to Horticoop as a member-owned cooperative serving Dutch horticulture growers with shared services, governance, and participation-based ownership.
• Cibus Fund: Cibus Fund is a specialist European VC fund investing in agri-food technology companies. It is a direct comparable to Horticoop's portfolio strategy targeting innovative companies in the food and horticulture value chain.

Broad incumbents

• LTO Nederland: LTO Nederland is the main Dutch entrepreneurial and employers' organisation for agriculture and horticulture, representing growers' interests. It is broadly comparable to Horticoop as a member-driven organisation serving Dutch growers, though focused on advocacy rather than investment.
• Rabobank: Rabobank is a Dutch cooperative bank with the world's largest dedicated agribusiness franchise. It is comparable to Horticoop as a member-owned Dutch cooperative serving agriculture and horticulture, though operating at vastly larger scale across banking, lending, and investment.

Others

• Kartesia: Kartesia is a European private debt / private equity provider that co-invested alongside Horticoop in portfolio company Lumiforte. It is an OTHERS / enabling peer — comparable as a financial partner co-investing in Horticoop-adjacent horticulture assets rather than as a direct competitor.
• Wageningen University & Research (WUR): WUR is Horticoop's research partner on circular horticulture, energy transition, and robotics, producing factsheets for members. It is an OTHERS / enabling peer — adjacent as the leading knowledge institution that feeds the cooperative's investment funnel and validates portfolio technologies.

Regional players

• InnovationQuarter: InnovationQuarter is a regional Dutch development agency that invests in innovative companies, including in the horticulture and agri-tech space. It is comparable to Horticoop as a regional capital provider backing Dutch horticulture innovation, but operating as a public-private body rather than a cooperative.

Emerging players

• AGRI Investment Fund: AGRI Investment Fund is a European investment vehicle focused on agri-food innovations. It is a comparable emerging specialist investor that co-invested alongside Horticoop in portfolio company Vivent Biosignals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Horticoop
• Facebookfacebook.com/Horticoop
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/horticoop-b-v

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments2 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Horticoop