P. Aker

What P. Aker does

P. Aker Zaden en Bloembollen BV is a 130-year-old, family-owned Dutch exporter of flower bulbs and seeds, headquartered in Venhuizen, North Holland, with a wholly-owned subsidiary in Silvan, Victoria (Australia). The company sources premium bulbs from approximately 80 contracted growers, then handles storage, disease and quality inspection, temperature treatment, and temperature-controlled transport for international delivery. Its core product range covers tulips, lilies, daffodils, gladiolus, peonies, and miscellaneous bulbs (hyacinth, crocus, scilla, amaryllis, grape hyacinth, iris, galanthus, dahlia), plus a flower seeds line sourced from well-known breeders.

The technical backbone is a phytosanitary and traceability stack built around the Dutch Flower Bulb Inspection Service (BKD) and the e-CertNL electronic certification system operated by NVWA, integrated via the Ketenregister to create a closed digital chain from grower to destination. P. Aker dissects bulb samples to determine flower initiation stage, generates per-consignment quality reports, and operates a test greenhouse for ongoing lot validation. All shipments move under temperature-controlled logistics.

The business model is B2B direct export on a quote-based pricing system to professional flower growers producing cut flowers and potted plants across Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific, and Oceania. The company sells no consumer-facing product and discloses no public pricing. Customer relationships are managed through trade events (Tulip Trade Event, Dutch Lily Days, Hortiflorexpo IPM Shanghai) and a multilingual website with downloadable growing guides. With 11 employees, the operation is intentionally lean, relying on a curated supplier network rather than in-house production since the 1980s. P. Aker was granted a Royal Warrant by King Willem-Alexander in December 2019, marking a 125-year milestone.

Name

P. Aker

Legal name

P. Aker Zaden en Bloembollen BV

Website

https://flowerbulbs.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1894

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

P. Aker is a 130-year-old Dutch family-owned exporter of premium flower bulbs and seeds, serving professional cut-flower and potted-plant growers worldwide via temperature-controlled B2B logistics and BKD-certified phytosanitary traceability.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Flower Bulbs and Seeds

NAICS

Greenhouse, Nursery, and Floriculture Production (1114)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Greenhouse Floriculture (Cut Flowers) (AFAGAHAD)

Keywords

• Flower bulb export
• Wholesale flower bulbs
• Tulip bulb supplier
• Lily bulb trade
• Professional flower seeds

Headquarters

HQ city

Venhuizen

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Flower Bulb Export: Export and trade of premium quality flower bulbs including tulips, lilies, daffodils, gladiolus, peonies, and miscellaneous varieties (hyacinth, crocus, scillis, amaryllis, grape hyacinth, iris, galanthus, dahlia) to international customers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

P. Aker exports and trades premium-quality flower bulbs and flower seeds to professional growers worldwide. The portfolio spans tulip, lily, daffodil, gladiolus, peony, and miscellaneous bulbs (hyacinth, crocus, scillas, amaryllis, grape hyacinth, iris, galanthus, dahlia), alongside flower seeds sourced from established breeders. Each shipment is supported by BKD inspection, temperature treatment tailored to customer requirements, temperature-controlled transport, and the Ketenregister tracing system linking BKD and e-CertNL for full phytosanitary traceability.

Product overview

P. Aker is a flower bulb and seed supplier offering a comprehensive portfolio of products and services. Their core product range includes tulip bulbs, lily bulbs, daffodil bulbs, gladiolus bulbs, peony roots, and miscellaneous bulbs (Hyacinth, Crocus, Scillas, Amaryllis, Grape Hyacinth, Iris, Galanthus, Dahlia). They also supply flower seeds from well-known breeders. Beyond products, they provide cultivation and storage services with quality inspection by the Dutch Flower Bulb Inspection Service (BKD), temperature treatment, temperature-controlled transport, and the Ketenregister tracking system for supply chain traceability. P. Aker also offers cultivation advice and downloadable growing instruction manuals in multiple languages.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tulip Bulbs

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Dutch Flower Bulb Inspection Service (BKD)coreOthersGovernment inspection and certification agency that samples bulbs from each lot and provides official certification. Essential partner for phytosanitary compliance and export documentation.
• NVWA (Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority)coreOthersGovernment authority overseeing e-CertNL electronic certification system for phytosanitary export documentation. Linked with BKD through Ketenregister system.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Dümmen Orange: Global leader in breeding and propagation of ornamental flowers (cut flowers, potted plants, bedding plants). Comparable as a broad incumbent serving the same professional grower customer base across overlapping end markets.
• Syngenta Flowers: Global horticulture seed and breeding business owned by Syngenta Group. Comparable as a broad incumbent supplying flower seeds and breeding genetics to professional growers, though at significantly larger scale.
• Ball Horticultural Company: Large global horticulture company breeding and distributing flower seeds and young plants to professional growers. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the floriculture supply chain, though with a different product focus (seeds/young plants vs. bulbs).

Direct peers

• Royal Van Zanten: Major Dutch breeder and exporter of flower bulbs and potted plants, including lilies and tulips. Directly comparable as a Dutch-based bulb trader serving professional growers worldwide with overlapping product categories (tulip, lily, daffodil).
• G. Hoogenraad & Zn. Dutch flower bulb trader and exporter based in the Netherlands. Comparable as a small-to-mid sized Dutch bulb export specialist serving professional growers with overlapping variety portfolio.
• Van Zanten Flowerbulbs B.V. Dutch-based flower bulb company active in breeding, preparation, and export of tulips and lilies. Comparable product portfolio, B2B export channel, and Dutch heritage.
• W. van Lierop: Dutch flower bulb trader and exporter with similar focus on tulip, daffodil, and crocus bulbs for international professional growers. Comparable in size, geography, and channel model.
• CNB (Coöperatieve Nederlandse Bloembollencentrale): Cooperative of Dutch flower bulb growers handling trade, preparation, and export. Highly comparable to P. Aker as a Dutch-based bulb preparation and export specialist with similar B2B customer base and BKD inspection integration.
• J. Walter & Co. / JW Bulbs: Dutch lily and tulip bulb exporter serving North American and European professional growers. Directly comparable in product mix, B2B export model, and reliance on Dutch growers for upstream supply.
• Jan de Wit en Zonen B.V. Dutch lily bulb specialist and exporter serving professional cut-flower growers worldwide. Directly comparable as a Dutch family-owned lily/tulip exporter with overlapping customer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/p-aker-bv

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 P. Aker