Agrobusiness Niederrhein e.V.

What Agrobusiness Niederrhein e.V. does

Agrobusiness Niederrhein e.V. is a German-registered non-profit association (eingetragener Verein) founded in 2008 and headquartered in Straelen, Germany, that operates a cross-border networking platform for the agribusiness sector spanning the German-Dutch border region (Niederrhein in North Rhine-Westphalia and Dutch Province of Limburg). The association serves as the lead coordination entity for a network of 110+ member companies across horticulture, agriculture, processing, logistics, and supplier/service firms, including notable members such as Baum & Bonheur, Compas Agro, Heynen GmbH, AI.Land, and Gartenbau Dercks.

The organization operates a portfolio of services and projects rather than commercial products. Core services include the regional Jobbörse (job exchange), the Natürlich Niederrhein regional brand, Greenmeet entrepreneur breakfast networking events, a monthly newsletter (Haus des Wissens), and trade fair presence at International Green Week Berlin. Its technology-enabled offerings include the TreeDigital sub-project, which applies AI and sensor-based predictive models for early plant stress detection in tree nurseries. Underpinning the work are EU-funded innovation projects — most prominently Agropole Innovates (€2.025M Interreg VI grant through August 2026 with 10+ consortium partners including Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo and Gemeinde Venray) — plus Circular.NiederRhein (EFRE-funded) and TransRegINT (with Hochschule Rhein-Waal).

The revenue model is a hybrid of annual membership dues from 110+ member companies and public-sector project funding (EU Interreg, EFRE, German state ministries, Dutch national/regional government). The core team is small (~9 named staff), led by Managing Director Dr. Anke Schirocki and First Chairman Sven Kaiser. Go-to-market is community-led: member acquisition occurs through demonstrated value at events, trade fair presence, and word-of-mouth within the agricultural community rather than sales-led outbound. The organization functions as a coordination hub, channeling grants and facilitating knowledge transfer rather than commercializing a proprietary software product.

Name

Agrobusiness Niederrhein e.V.

Legal name

Agrobusiness Niederrhein e.V.

Website

https://agrobusiness-niederrhein.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Agrobusiness Niederrhein e.V. is a German non-profit association founded in 2008 that coordinates a cross-border network of 110+ agribusiness companies in the German-Dutch border region through EU-funded innovation projects, a regional job exchange, networking events, and the Natürlich Niederrhein regional brand.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Network Association

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Agriculture, Farming & AgriTech Shows Organizers (THAHABAM)

Keywords

• Agribusiness networking
• Cross-border innovation
• Horticulture cluster management
• Agricultural regional development
• Agribusiness workforce services

Headquarters

HQ city

Straelen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership dues from companies across the agribusiness value chain. The organization operates a regional job board and competence exchange free for members. Pricing tier document available for download.
2. Project Funding (EU/Government): Major Interreg VI project funding (2.025 million euros) for Agropole Innovates project, co-financed by European Union, German state ministries (MWIKE NRW, MB Niedersachsen), Dutch Ministry EZK, and Province of Limburg. Additional EFRE funding for Circular.NiederRhein project.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Agrobusiness Niederrhein e.V. is a registered non-profit network association that facilitates cross-border collaboration among 110+ agribusiness member companies across the German-Dutch border region. It operates as a coordination hub delivering a regional job portal, the NATÜRLICH NIEDERRHEIN regional brand, cross-border innovation projects (Agropole Innovates, TreeDigital, CIRCULAR.NIEDERRHEIN, TRANSREGINT), networking events (Greenmeet), and a monthly newsletter for knowledge transfer and workforce development.

Product overview

Agrobusiness Niederrhein e.V. is a network association serving the German-Dutch border region's agrobusiness sector. The organization offers a unified platform of services including a job portal (Jobbörse) connecting employers with job seekers, the cross-border Agropole Innovates innovation project, the NATÜRLICH NIEDERRHEIN regional brand, multiple innovation sub-projects (TreeDigital, CIRCULAR.NIEDERRHEIN, TRANSREGINT), a monthly newsletter (Haus des Wissens), and Greenmeet networking events. The organization functions as a coordination hub rather than a software product company, facilitating knowledge transfer, innovation support, and workforce development among its approximately 110 member companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Natürlich Niederrhein: Regional brand initiative for products from the Niederrhein region.
• Agropole Innovates

Products and services

• Jobbörse (Regional Job Exchange) Regional job portal connecting job seekers with agribusiness employers across the German-Dutch border region. Offers free job postings and company profiles for agribusiness employers and a dedicated application portal for job seekers.
• Agropole Innovates Project Interreg VI-funded cross-border innovation project strengthening German-Dutch agribusiness cooperation through knowledge transfer, innovation support, and workforce development. Operates through August 2026 with €2.025 million in EU, German, and Dutch government co-financing.
• NATÜRLICH NIEDERRHEIN Regional Brand Regional brand initiative promoting products from the Niederrhein region, licensing regional producers to use the quality mark for marketing and product differentiation.
• Greenmeet Networking Events Entrepreneur breakfast networking events connecting agribusiness professionals through themed discussions, company visits, and knowledge exchange, including cross-border sessions with Dutch partners.
• Haus des Wissens Monthly Newsletter Monthly newsletter providing association updates, member news, event invitations, and innovation highlights to subscribers across the agribusiness network.
• TreeDigital Project Development of digital assistance systems for tree nurseries using AI-based sensors and predictive models to detect plant stress early and support cultivation decisions.
• CIRCULAR.NIEDERRHEIN Project EFRE-funded project strengthening circular value creation potentials in the Niederrhein region, focused on sustainable and circular construction.
• TRANSREGINT Project Project bridging practice and science for regional transformation, partnering with Hochschule Rhein-Waal to connect academic research with industry application.

Quantifiable outcome

• TASPO Award 2017 - Best Cooperation of the Year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Baum & Bonheur (formerly Baumschule Lappen)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 April 2024Tree nursery in Nettetal, Germany. Partner in Agropole Innovates, specifically Pro Healthy Tree project for early detection of plant diseases using digital prediction models.
• Compas AgrocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 April 2024Dutch horticulture consulting company based in Venlo. Grew from 0 to 16 employees in 6 years. Partner in Agropole Innovates with focus on tree nursery digitalization and crop protection.
• Piglets Treatment SystemcoreTechnology or Integration · 24 April 2024Dutch company developing Health System for pig farming with digital monitoring via ear tags and precision medication injectors. Partner in Agropole Innovates Pig Data project.
• Brand QualitätsfleischminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 April 2024Quality meat company, partner in Agropole Innovates focusing on livestock digitalization and welfare improvements.
• Brightlands Campus Greenport VenlocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 June 2023Leading innovation campus in healthy food and horticulture. Primary project partner in Agropole Innovates and cross-border collaboration. Hosts joint events, student exchanges, and research partnerships.
• Gemeinde Venray (NL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 June 2023Dutch municipality adjacent to German border, part of the Agropole Innovates consortium. Collaborates on regional development and cross-border agribusiness promotion.
• Hochschule Rhein-WaalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 June 2023University of applied sciences in Kleve, Germany. Partners on TransRegINT project for regional transformation research, student engagement, and innovation projects.
• Landwirtschaftskammer Nordrhein-WestfalencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 June 2023North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Agriculture. Key institutional partner for vocational training, research, and extension services. Collaborates on talent development and field trials.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Foodvalley NL: Dutch agrifood innovation network based in the Wageningen region. Comparable as a cross-border agrifood network association that connects companies, knowledge institutions, and government to drive innovation, with a similar structure of member companies and project-based funding.
• Greenport West-Holland: Dutch regional agribusiness cluster network for the West-Holland horticulture and food region. Directly comparable as another Dutch agribusiness cluster network that convenes companies, research institutions, and government around horticulture innovation, similar to Agrobusiness Niederrhein's cross-border convening model.
• AgriFood Capital: Regional agrifood network association in North Brabant, Netherlands. Comparable as a tri-partite network (government, education, business) focused on agrifood innovation in a Dutch regional cluster, paralleling Agrobusiness Niederrhein's role in the Niederrhein/Limburg cross-border region.

Broad incumbents

• DLG (Deutsche Landwirtschafts-Gesellschaft): Germany's leading agricultural society, organizing trade fairs (including AGRITECHNICA) and industry knowledge across the full agriculture value chain. Comparable as a much larger, established network and event organization in the agriculture sector where Agrobusiness Niederrhein operates regionally.
• LTO Nederland: Dutch agricultural employers' organization representing ~35,000 farmers and growers. Comparable as a member-based network organization serving Dutch agribusiness, providing regional advocacy, networking, and project support — similar in mission to Agrobusiness Niederrhein but national in scope.
• Zentralverband Gartenbau (ZVG): German national trade association for the horticulture industry. Comparable as a larger, established trade association serving the same horticulture sector that Agrobusiness Niederrhein targets, but operating at the national level across Germany rather than a single cross-border region.
• Copa-Cogeca: Combined voice of European farmers and agricultural cooperatives at the EU level. Comparable as the pan-European member association structure for agribusiness, representing the networked advocacy and project-coordination model that Agrobusiness Niederrhein applies at a regional cross-border scale.

Regional players

• Boerenbond: Belgian farmers' association and agricultural cooperative network. Comparable as a member-based agribusiness network that provides representation, knowledge transfer, and innovation services — paralleling Agrobusiness Niederrhein's member-centric model but in the Belgian/Flemish market.
• Landwirtschaftskammer Nordrhein-Westfalen: Official Chamber of Agriculture for North Rhine-Westphalia. Comparable as a regional agricultural membership/institution organization in the same NRW geography, providing agribusiness services, vocational training, and applied research — overlapping in member base and programs with Agrobusiness Niederrhein.

Others

• Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo: Innovation campus in Venlo focused on healthy food and horticulture. Comparable as a key strategic partner in Agrobusiness Niederrhein's Agropole Innovates project — both organizations serve the same cross-border horticulture innovation ecosystem and co-organize events and research programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/agrobusinessnrw
• Facebookfacebook.com/agrobusinessniederrhein
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/agrobusiness-niederrhein-e-v

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Agrobusiness Niederrhein e.V.