HLB Group

What HLB Group does

HLB Group (Hilbrands Laboratorium B.V.) is a privately held Dutch agricultural research, diagnostics, and advisory firm headquartered in Wijster, Drenthe, with nearly 40 staff including nematologists, entomologists, phytopathologists, microbiologists, and more than 20 regional crop advisors. It serves Dutch arable farmers and flower bulb growers, plus agricultural businesses, government bodies, and NGOs, with laboratory analysis (nematode sampling, seed potato scans, tuber surveys, PCR diagnostics), contract research under GEP, EPPO, and NAK protocols, and individual plus study-group advisory across crop rotation, soil health, fertilization, and integrated pest management.

The technology stack pairs conventional laboratory analytics (microscopy, qPCR, incubation techniques) with proprietary digital tools and a strategic AI partnership with Antonie. The in-house LeafSpot app performs image recognition for crop leaf diseases (Alternaria in potatoes, Cercospora in sugar beet, Helminthosporium in maize), while the 2026 LIFE Monitor integration and AI-driven potato cyst nematode analysis automate large-scale biological soil diagnostics using automated microscopy and AI image analysis. HLB also operates EU-certified quarantine facilities, an internal microbiology lab, greenhouses, and field trial sites in the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium, and runs the Sterile Insect Technique for onion fly control via subsidiary De Groene Vlieg BioDiagnostics.

Revenue is generated through professional-services fees for laboratory diagnostics, contract research, and crop advisory on a quote-based engagement model, with no public pricing tiers disclosed. The sales motion is enterprise field sales via regional crop advisors and direct sample submission, supported by content marketing, a multilingual website, events like the HLB field and knowledge day, and sponsorship of the ESN 2026 nematology symposium. The company is led by CEO Janny Peltjes and Director Pieter Vos and is privately held with no external institutional investors disclosed.

Name

HLB Group

Legal name

Hilbrands Laboratorium B.V.

Website

https://hlbbv.nl

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

HLB Group is a Dutch agricultural diagnostics, research, and advisory firm that provides nematode analysis, seed potato scanning, contract research, and crop advisory to arable farmers, flower bulb growers, and agribusinesses across the Netherlands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural diagnostics and research services

NAICS

Exterminating and Pest Control Services (561710)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Nematode & Pest Diagnostics Services (AFACAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pathogen & Disease Diagnostics Services (Plant, Soil, Water) (AFACAKAG), Crop Scouting & Field Monitoring Services (AFACABAD), Sanitation, Exclusion & Pest-Proofing Consulting (HACCP/FSMA Support) (AFACAGAI)

Keywords

• Agricultural diagnostics
• Nematology analysis
• Contract research
• Crop consultancy
• Soil health monitoring

Headquarters

HQ city

Wijster

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

Revenue model

1. Laboratory Analysis and Diagnostics: Fees charged for laboratory analysis services including nematode sampling and analysis, tuber surveys, seed potato scans, disease diagnostics, soil analysis, and molecular (PCR) testing.
2. Contract Research: Customized scientific and practical research services for agricultural businesses, conducted according to GEP, EPPO, and NAK protocols. Clients include companies, governments, and NGOs.
3. Advisory and Consultancy Services: Individual crop advisory and study group supervision for arable farming and flower bulb cultivation, covering strategic crop management, sustainability, soil, fertilization, variety selection, nematode control, and crop protection.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

HLB Group provides scientific and practical agricultural research, laboratory diagnostics, and expert advisory services for Dutch arable farming and flower bulb cultivation. The company combines its own quarantine laboratory, greenhouses, and certified testing facilities with a field team of regional crop advisors to deliver nematode, disease, and soil-health analysis, contract research under GEP/EPPO/NAK protocols, and tailored crop management advice. Its portfolio includes diagnostic products (Seed Potato Scan, Tuber Surveys, nematode sampling), contract research (variety testing, pesticide efficacy), consultancy, and digital tools such as the LeafSpot image-recognition app.

Product overview

HLB Group provides agricultural research and advisory services for arable farming, primarily serving Dutch farmers. The portfolio consists of laboratory analysis services (for nematodes, diseases, viruses, bacteria in crops), digital diagnostic tools (Leafspot app), advisory and consultancy services, and contract research. Key analysis products include Seed Potato Scan, nematode sampling services (various types including intensive PCN, free-living, T7 quick test), tuber surveys (4×50 and 10×10), variety selection tests, rhizoctonia advice, and soil analysis services. The company integrates AI technology (via Antonie partnership) for automated nematode image analysis and offers biological control services through De Groene Vlieg partnership.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• De Groene Vlieg: BioDiagnostics company within the HLB Group, offering insect monitoring and the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) for pest management.
• ClearDetections

Products and services

• Seed Potato Scan (Pootgoedscan) Comprehensive seed potato health analysis examining potatoes for bacteria, viruses, fungi, and nematodes, combined with tuber vitality assessment. Uses microscopic visual assessments and molecular biology (PCR) techniques to detect pathogens at the DNA level. Aimed at seed potato growers and traders requiring certified health status.
• Sampling of Nematodes (Bemonstering Nematoden) Comprehensive nematode sampling and analysis service covering intensive PCN (potato cyst nematode) sampling with GPS-quad tracking (700+ samples per hectare), free-living nematode analysis using incubation technique, T7 quick test for flower bulb cultivation, stem nematode testing, and beet cyst analysis. Includes PCR species identification. Aimed at arable farmers and bulb growers managing nematode-related crop risk.
• Variety Selection Test (Rassenkeuzetoets) Practice-oriented test that matches resistant potato varieties against the specific virulent potato cyst nematode populations present in a grower's plot. Determines which varieties form more or fewer cysts when exposed to the field population, enabling optimal variety selection at plot level. Aimed at potato growers managing PCN infestations.
• Tuber Survey 4x50 (Knolonderzoek 4x50) Standard tuber analysis examining 200 tubers in four samples of 50 each for PVY virus, Pectobacterium, Dickeya, tobacco rattle virus (TRV), and optionally Meloidogyne fallax and chitwoodi nematodes. Aimed at seed potato growers and certification bodies.
• Tuber Survey 10x10 (Knolonderzoek 10x10) Tuber inspection method for determining contamination levels in seed potato propagation. Examines 100 tubers in ten samples of 10 each for viruses (PVY, PVA, PVX, PLRV), Pectobacterium, and Dickeya. Aimed at seed potato growers and traders.
• Rhizoctonia Advice (Rhizoctonia Advies) Analysis of rhizoctonia sclerotia quantity and vitality on tubers to determine whether seed potato treatment is required. Combines Rhizoctonia index (from 100 tubers) with vitality assessment to provide treatment recommendations. Aimed at seed potato growers.
• LeafSpot In-house developed image recognition tool for diagnosing various leaf defects caused by moulds. Currently supports Alternaria solani in potatoes, Cercospora in sugar beet, and Helminthosporium turcicum in maize, with ongoing expansion to bacteria, viruses, and deficiency diseases. Delivered as an app through partner AgroCares. Aimed at arable farmers and crop advisors.
• Soil Analysis White Rot (Bodemanalyse witrot) Soil analysis for white rot (Sclerotium cepivorum) in onion cultivation, used for selecting plots suitable for bulb cultivation. Aimed at onion growers and bulb cultivators.
• Complete Advice Starch Potato (Totaaladvies zetmeelaardappelen) Comprehensive advisory service for damage control in starch potato cultivation. Based on analysis of harmful nematodes (potato cyst and free-living), incorporating factors like pH, organic matter percentage, and variety tolerance properties. Provides expected damage estimates for four potato varieties and granulate application advice. Aimed at starch potato growers.
• Diagnosis (Diagnostiek) General plant disease diagnostic service including molecular tests and development of new diagnostic methods for identifying moulds, bacteria, viruses, insects, and nematodes. Aimed at growers, advisors, and agricultural businesses needing plant health diagnostics.
• Contract Research Customized research and testing services for open-field crops conducted by agronomists, phytopathologists, nematologists, and entomologists. Includes research design, implementation, and analysis. GEP certified and accredited for use of unauthorized substances. Aimed at agricultural companies, governments, and NGOs.
• Advice & Consultancy Agricultural advisory service including individual farm guidance and study group supervision. Covers strategic crop management, soil analysis interpretation, nematode control, crop protection, green manure recommendations, and storage guidance based on latest research results. Aimed at arable farmers and flower bulb growers.
• LIFE Monitor Soil Analysis (via Antonie partnership) AI-driven biological soil analysis service combining automated microscopy with image analysis for large-scale identification of nematodes and soil organisms. Provides reproducible and scalable soil health insights. Aimed at arable farmers and agricultural businesses requiring advanced soil biology diagnostics.
• Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) Sterile Insect Technique offered through subsidiary De Groene Vlieg for biological control of onion flies and other insect pests. A long-term pest management strategy that prevents reproduction by releasing sterile insects. Aimed at onion growers and other arable farmers facing insect pest pressure.

Quantifiable outcome

• HLB and Antonie's AI-driven PCN analysis enables faster, more consistent, and scalable nematode diagnostic services compared to traditional manual microscopy.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

AI capability6 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Antonie (AI-gedreven PCN Analysis)coreTechnology or Integration · 8 June 2026HLB and Antonie co-developed an AI-driven technology that automates the most labor-intensive part of potato cyst nematode (PCN) analysis. HLB contributes its specialized agronomic laboratory expertise for development and validation, while Antonie provides AI, automated microscopy, and high-throughput image analysis. The result enables fast, consistent, and scalable nematode diagnostics for the agricultural sector worldwide.
• AntoniecoreTechnology or Integration · 9 April 2026HLB and Antonie entered a strategic partnership to integrate Antonie's LIFE Monitor (automated microscopy + AI-driven analysis of living soil life) into HLB's laboratory processes, making automated biological soil analysis on a large scale possible. HLB is the first laboratory in the Netherlands to deploy this technology. The partnership supports HLB's mission of translating innovative techniques into practical agricultural solutions.
• SyncomminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSyncom conducts chemical-technical feasibility studies for extracting pyrethrin from Tagetes for the Non-Food and Animal Health sectors. HLB contributes literature studies on the relationship between cultivation conditions, fertilisation, and Tagetes varieties on pyrethrin content.
• New Businesses and Kissels ConsultingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners in the Tagetes/pyrethrin extraction project, tasked with testing technical and economic feasibility, conducting qualitative market research, and identifying suitable chain parties for follow-up.
• PlantValue Consortium (Ecostyle, Louis Bolk Institute, Bioclear Earth, Cees Ruhe/Macrophylla)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium formed in June 2018 to research the valorisation of sustainably produced plant contents and plant-related substances from main and residual streams, supporting the reorientation of Northern Netherlands towards a bio-based economy. HLB contributed expertise in plant contents research. Project ran from 2017 to April 2020.
• Boerenbedrijf Beuling bv, Siebring Akkerbouw, Dacom FarmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners in the Precision Agriculture Basic Package project (2018–2021), developing a basic precision agriculture package for front-running farmers in Groningen, Friesland, and Drenthe. Innovation through simplification to make precision agriculture widely usable in practice.
• Aeres Hogeschool DrontenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Flevoland Innovatieland project (POP 3), combining smart precision systems and sensor technologies (Lab in a Box, Thrips monitoring, Leafspot) with educational programs. Students worked on various innovation challenges as part of their minor studies.
• Wageningen University & Research (WUR)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Future-proof control of potato volunteers and weeds project (2018–2021) and the Ditylenchus dipsaci (stem nematode) action plan (2020–2023). WUR provides scientific expertise in open cultivation and agro-systems research.
• GeoVille, EODC, Agrico, Hermess, TolsmaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners in the ESA-funded EO PLUG-IN project (2018–2020) investigating satellite imagery applications in agriculture, specifically predicting below-ground potato yield by following above-ground growth through satellite images.
• Agrarische Natuur Drenthe (AND/ANOG)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the mechanical weed control project investigating chemical-free weed control methods in arable farming in the Peat Colonial area.
• European Society of Nematologists (ESN)minorOthersHLB sponsors the 36th ESN 2026 symposium in Egmond aan Zee, an international nematology conference bringing together researchers and specialists from universities, knowledge institutes, and companies across Europe. HLB staff man a stand in the meeting room to discuss activities and expertise.
• De Groene Vlieg BioDiagnosticscoreOthersDe Groene Vlieg is part of the HLB Group, offering Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) for biological insect control (notably onion fly control) and insect monitoring services. NVWA and TÜV audit both HLB bv and De Groene Vlieg BioDiagnostics together. Also offers the Goudval for carrot fly monitoring.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Syngenta: Global crop protection and seeds company running large-scale GEP/EPPO-compliant trials — comparable only at the contract research / trial design layer that HLB serves, but at vastly greater scale and on the customer (rather than supplier) side.
• SGS: Global testing, inspection and certification company with a sizable agricultural services division offering soil, crop and seed testing. Comparable only at the testing/inspection layer; lacks HLB's grower-facing advisory depth in the Dutch market.
• Bureau Veritas: Global TIC firm with an agricultural commodities and testing practice covering soil, seed and crop analysis. Comparable in lab-based diagnostics but offers a much narrower advisory footprint relative to HLB.
• Wageningen University & Research (WUR): Largest Dutch agricultural research institution running applied research and field trials across the same crop scope as HLB. Already a project partner to HLB; competes indirectly for contract research and applied trial work but at much greater scale and public funding base.

Direct peers

• NAK Tuinbouw: Dutch inspection body for horticultural seeds and planting material, including flower bulbs — a key segment for HLB. Overlaps with HLB on bulb-related diagnostics and variety testing protocols and shares regulatory standing in the Dutch agricultural sector.
• DLV Adviesgroep: Dutch agricultural advisory cooperative offering crop consulting, trial work and farm-level guidance to arable and livestock farmers. Comparable to HLB in study-group supervision and individual farm advisory, with similar SMB Dutch grower segments.
• Delphy: Dutch agricultural advisory and consultancy firm serving arable and horticultural growers with crop consulting, study groups and applied research — directly comparable to HLB's advisory and consultancy stream and overlapping Dutch customer base.
• NAK (Nederlandse Algemene Keuringsdienst): Dutch seed potato and agricultural inspection authority providing diagnostics, quality inspection and laboratory services for the same Dutch arable farming customer base as HLB. Highly comparable in target customers, regulatory role and crop scope (potatoes, seed potatoes).
• Eurofins Agro Testing: Eurofins' agricultural testing division (incorporating the former BLGG) offers soil, crop and fertilizer analysis across Europe. Comparable in service offering (routine soil/nematode diagnostics) but operates at significantly greater scale and geographic breadth than HLB.

Others

• Antonie: Agri-tech AI/microscopy company and HLB's strategic partner on the LIFE Monitor and AI-driven PCN analysis. Comparable as an adjacent enabling technology provider rather than a competitor, but a future risk if it commercializes directly to growers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hlbgroep

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 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 HLB Group