Harkboot

What Harkboot does

Harkboot.nl BV is a Dutch specialty environmental services company headquartered in Roden, Netherlands, founded in 2018 to commercialize the proprietary "hark method" for removing unwanted rooted water plants (both invasive exotics such as grote waternavel, watercrassula, and ongelijkbladig vederkruid, and overgrown native species) from waterways. The method pulls a specialized rake through sediment from a boat so that plants are extracted with their roots intact, then collected on the surface, resulting in only one required treatment per year versus the three typically needed for conventional mowing. The company operates a fleet of purpose-built vessels including the Hark-verzamelboot, XL-Hark-verzamelboot, Verzamelboot, and electric Handpickboot, with the XL Harkboot SL09 extending reach to approximately 3.5 meters depth, supplemented by specialized tooling such as the Taludhark (slope rake) for reed beds and the Schanierploeg (hinge plow) for hard-bottom channels.

The business model is project-based professional services delivered under direct enterprise field sales to Dutch government water managers (municipalities, provinces, waterschappen), angling federations (Sportvisserij Groningen Drenthe), marinas, nature managers (Staatsbosbeheer), and private pond owners, with quote-based per-project pricing. Distribution is wholly direct; no reseller or franchise network. Certifying bodies and regulatory positioning are central to GTM: Harkboot initiated and was first certified under European norm CWA 17916 and Dutch NTA 8037:2021, and holds VCA**, ISO 9001, and CO2-prestatieladder Niveau 5 certifications that materially qualify the company for public-sector framework contracts.

The company pursues R&D through strategic partnerships with Conver B.V. (exclusive amphibia-equipment collaboration), Sportvisserij Groningen Drenthe (long-term co-development since 2016), KOWW (co-founded knowledge center), Rijksuniversiteit Groningen and Datacadabra (autonomous hark-boat and AI plant-classification development), and NOM (regional development support). Operations are primarily in the Netherlands with select international projects in France and Germany; a 2022 facility expansion in Roden doubled capacity, and the 2026 launch of the Harkboot Toolkit (Harkkalender and Plantenwaaier) marks the first productized extension beyond direct service delivery.

Name

Harkboot

Legal name

Harkboot.nl BV

Website

https://harkboot.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Harkboot.nl BV is a Dutch specialty environmental services firm that removes unwanted rooted aquatic plants using a proprietary boat-based "hark method." It primarily serves Dutch municipalities, provinces, waterschappen, angling federations, marinas, and nature managers across the Netherlands, with select projects in France and Germany.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aquatic Vegetation Management Services

NAICS

Timber Tract Operations (1131)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Lot Clearing, Land Clearing & Brush Removal (HSAIADAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Vegetation Management (ROW Clearing) for Distribution Lines (EUAEACAI), Sewer & Stormwater Line Cleaning (Jetting, Rooting) (BPALAMAG)

Keywords

• Aquatic plant removal
• Invasive species control
• Waterway maintenance services
• Ecological water management
• Specialized aquatic vessels

Headquarters

HQ city

Roden

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Water Plant Removal Services: Project-based professional services for removing unwanted rooted water plants from waterways using the proprietary Hark method. Services include both machine-based removal (hark boats) and manual removal (handpick boats). Pricing is quote-based per project.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Harkboot removes unwanted rooting (invasive exotic and indigenous) water plants from waterways using a proprietary boat-based rake method called the Hark method. The technique pulls plants from the sediment with their roots intact, requiring only one annual treatment versus three for traditional mowing. Services are delivered through a specialized fleet of hark collection boats, XL collection boats, support collection boats, and electric hand-picking boats, operating under European norm CWA 17916 and Dutch standard NTA 8037:2021.

Product overview

Harkboot operates a fleet of specialized boats for ecologically responsible removal of unwanted rooting water plants using the patented hark method. The core offering is the Harkmethode service, supported by distinct boat types: the Hark-verzamelboot (standard collection boat) and XL-Hark-verzamelboot (large-format collection boat) for mechanical raking, the Verzamelboot for supplementary sweeping, and the Handpickboot for manual precision work in areas machines cannot access. The company also offers the Harkboot Toolkit (Harkkalender and Plantenwaaier) as practical management aids. All boats operate under the CWA 17916 European standard for the hark method, which Harkboot initiated.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Harkmethode (Hark Method) Service Core professional service that removes unwanted rooting water plants by pulling a rake through the soil or sludge, extracting plants with roots intact. Plants float to the surface and are collected by the fleet. Covers both indigenous and exotic invasive species. Delivered to municipalities, waterschappen, provinces, fishing associations, marinas, and private pond owners across the Netherlands.
• Harkboot Toolkit Practical toolkit for water managers and stakeholders, including the Harkkalender (hark calendar) and Plantenwaaier (plant identification guide). Unveiled as a standalone management aid to support adoption of the Hark method.

Quantifiable outcome

• Plants removed with root and all, requiring only 1x annual treatment vs 3x annual mowing
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Conver B.V.coreTechnology or IntegrationLeading manufacturer of amphibious mowing boats and other heavy equipment. Exclusive collaboration for developing standard modular attachment for hark method that can be mounted on mowing boats. Co-developed the specialized hark boats in the Harkboot fleet. Conver was acquired by Alemo Group from Texas.
• Sportvisserij Groningen DrenthecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional angling federation representing fishermen's interests. Long-term collaboration since 2016 developing and optimizing the hark method to meet specific requirements of sport fishermen. Federation needs water that is clean but not too clean - vegetation needed for fish shelter and spawning.
• Kenniscentrum Ongewenste Woekerende Waterplanten (KOWW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent knowledge center co-founded by Harkboot to promote and control quality of CWA 17916 standard. Brings together knowledge and expertise in the field of unwanted proliferating water plants. Platform for connecting water managers.
• Rijksuniversiteit Groningen (RUG)coreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership within Engineering Doctorate program for autonomous systems. RUG leads development of autonomous inventory system using drones and self-driving vessels with AI classification of water plants. Working to improve CWA 17916 standard through automated detection.
• Elmekz (Ecology Lessons Make Environmental Knowledge Zweep)minorOthersEcology education provider led by Wim Zweep. Provides annual training courses on oxygen depletion at water-related work, including theory and practice. Course content based on years of experience in fish ecology, fieldwork, and education.
• Roelf Pot Onderzoeks- en AdviesbureauminorOthersIndependent ecologist and biologist providing species identification expertise and long-term monitoring of Harkboot project areas. Critical review of results and ongoing education of staff about plant species and growth patterns.
• Platform WOWminorOthersProfessional network connecting road, waterway, and water managers. Stimulates knowledge sharing through practical examples and experiences. Organizes events and workshops including Invasive Species meetings in Limburg.
• NVWA (Nederlandse Voedsel- en Warenautoriteit)minorOthersDutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority. Provided insights into legislation, supervision, and national enforcement regarding invasive species during Platform WOW meeting.
• RijkswaterstaatminorOthersDutch national water management authority. Emphasizes centralization of knowledge as essential to prevent insights from being lost or unused. Participated in Platform WOW invasive species meeting.
• SBB (Stichting Samenwerking Beroepsonderwijs Bedrijfsleven)minorOthersFoundation for Collaboration between Vocational Education and Business. Recognized learning company status allows Harkboot to guide students, trainees, and career switchers during practical training.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Van Oord: Dutch marine contractor specializing in dredging, land reclamation, and offshore projects. Comparable as a broad incumbent with overlapping waterway-related capabilities and government relationships across the Netherlands and internationally.
• Royal Boskalis Westminster: Global Dutch dredging and marine services contractor executing large-scale water infrastructure works. Comparable as a broad incumbent that operates in the same Dutch water-management ecosystem and could integrate invasive-species management into broader contracts.
• BAM Infra: Major Dutch infrastructure contractor with water, civil, and environmental capabilities across the Netherlands and Europe. Comparable as a broad incumbent bidding on multi-year public tenders that include waterway maintenance.
• KWS Infra (Royal VolkerWessels): Large Dutch infrastructure subsidiary of VolkerWessels active across roads, water, and public works. Comparable as a broad incumbent that competes for the same waterschap and provincial water-management contracts at greater scale.

Regional players

• Roelofs B.V. Dutch contractor delivering water, infrastructure, and environmental maintenance across the Netherlands. Comparable as a regional player active in Dutch waterway management who could compete for waterschappen and municipality vegetation tenders.

Others

• Conver B.V. Dutch manufacturer of amphibious mowing boats and the exclusive partner that co-developed Harkboot's fleet and standardized modular hark tool. They are comparable as the upstream equipment supplier in aquatic vegetation management, whose tooling could enable competing service providers.
• Truxor AB: Swedish manufacturer of amphibious carriers and attachments for water work, including aquatic vegetation and dredging tools. Comparable as a peer in specialized aquatic vegetation/waterway maintenance machinery that could be fitted with hark-style implements.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/harkboot-nl-bv
• Facebookfacebook.com/harkboot.nl

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Harkboot