WESTHOF BIO

What WESTHOF BIO does

WESTHOF BIO is a family-owned, vertically integrated organic vegetable producer headquartered in Friedrichsgabekoog, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, operating across a group of wholly- and jointly-owned subsidiaries that span field cultivation, protected greenhouse production, fresh and frozen processing, packaging, renewable energy, and direct-to-consumer retail. The group manages more than 1,200 hectares of certified organic farmland (Demeter, Bioland, Naturland, EU Bio) within the Dithmarschen region — one of Europe's largest contiguous organic vegetable areas — and runs two organic greenhouse sites (Wöhrden at 4 ha and Hennstedt at 6 ha) producing tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. Through BIO-FROST Westhof GmbH, the company operates Germany's only dedicated organic vegetable freezing facility, which was expanded in 2024 to 10 tons/hour throughput and 5,000 tons of storage and now includes small-format retail packaging alongside bulk wholesale SKUs.

The business serves B2B customers primarily — German Lebensmitteleinzelhandel food retailers, organic food and baby-food manufacturers, organic wholesalers (Naturkostfachhandel), and food-service operators — through quote-based direct sales and dedicated procurement/sales managers for fresh, frozen, and vacuum-packed lines. A complementary on-site farm shop (BIOhofladen) opened in 2023 provides direct-to-consumer sales of fresh produce, dairy, baked goods, frozen items, and preset baskets. A circular-economy backbone — Westhof Energie's biogas plant plus CHP units generating approximately 50 million kWh of electricity and 60 million kWh of heat annually on 50 MW of capacity — powers the CO2-neutral freezing facility, with captured CHP exhaust CO2 redirected into greenhouses as fertilizer.

The technology stack combines modern energy-efficient greenhouse construction (rainwater irrigation, diffuse glass, double energy screens, multi-skin insulation) with an in-house AI/robotics capability delivered through the 2018 spin-off nAIture GmbH & Co. KG. The nAIture weeding robot applies computer vision and machine learning to distinguish randomly sown crops from weeds in real time, achieving approximately 98% accuracy under variable field conditions, and is complemented by the AROS drone-based roe-fawn detection system and the MOOS mobile ground station for daily pest-monitoring imagery. Marketing combines direct sales, owned digital channels (website, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn), press relations, and paid farm experience tours (Genusstouren) at €20 per person.

Name

WESTHOF BIO

Legal name

Westhof Bio-Gemüse GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://westhof-bio.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

WESTHOF BIO is a family-owned German organic vegetable producer and processor operating 1,200+ hectares of farmland, 10 hectares of greenhouses, and Germany's only dedicated organic freezing facility, supplying fresh, frozen, and vacuum-packed produce to German food retailers, organic wholesalers, and baby-food manufacturers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Organic Vegetable Production

NAICS

Other Vegetable (except Potato) and Melon Farming (111219), Other Food Crops Grown Under Cover (111419), Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing (311991)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030)

akta.pro primary industry

Organic Greenhouse & Protected Crop Farming (High Tunnels, Greenhouses) (AFAGAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Organic Sugar & Starch Crop Farming (Sugar Crops, Starch Potatoes) (AFAGAKAH)

Keywords

• Organic vegetable production
• Frozen organic vegetables
• Organic greenhouse cultivation
• Agricultural weeding robotics
• Renewable farm energy

Headquarters

HQ city

Friedrichsgabekoog, Schleswig-Holstein

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fresh Organic Vegetables: Sales of fresh organic vegetables including carrots, cabbage varieties, broccoli, cauliflower, and more to retailers and wholesalers year-round. Products available unpackaged (12kg/10kg EPS or IFCO boxes), 1kg PE bags, and bunch carrots.
2. Frozen Organic Vegetables: Processing and sales of frozen organic vegetables through BIO-FROST Westhof GmbH. The company operates Germany's only pure organic vegetable freezing facility, processing vegetables immediately after harvest. Production capacity of 10 tons per hour with 5,000 tons storage capacity. Also produces small packaging formats for food retail trade.
3. Vacuum-Packed Organic Vegetables: Ready-to-eat vacuum-packed organic vegetables including carrots, red beet, and other varieties in various packaging formats (14x400g EPS/IFCO boxes).
4. Farm Shop Retail: Direct consumer sales through the on-site Westhof Bioladen opened in 2023, offering a full organic product range including fresh vegetables, fruits, dairy, baked goods, frozen products, and other responsibly produced foods. Also offers preset baskets and weekly farm boxes.
5. Renewable Energy Production: Generation and marketing of electricity and heat from renewable sources including wind, solar, and biogas. The company operates multiple combined heat and power (CHP) plants producing electricity and heat for internal operations and external marketing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

WESTHOF BIO is a vertically integrated organic vegetable producer and processor that cultivates certified organic vegetables on more than 1,200 hectares of farmland and across 10 hectares of greenhouses in Germany, then processes and sells them as fresh, frozen, and vacuum-packed produce to B2B customers including German food retailers, organic wholesalers, food processors (including baby food manufacturers), and food service operators. The company operates Germany's only dedicated pure organic vegetable freezing facility (BIO-FROST Westhof GmbH) and supplements its production with a renewable energy business (biogas, wind, solar) that powers its own circular economy and an on-site farm shop and guided farm tours (Genusstouren).

Product overview

WESTHOF BIO is a family-owned organic vegetable producer and processor operating through multiple integrated divisions: organic field cultivation (1,200+ hectares growing carrots, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, and more), organic greenhouse operations (10 hectares producing tomatoes and peppers), the BIO-FROST freezing facility (Germany's only pure organic vegetable freezer with CO2-neutral production), and Westhof Energie (renewable energy subsidiary). The company also operates a farm shop, offers farm tours, and has developed AI-powered agricultural technology through its nAIture subsidiary for autonomous weed control. Products are sold as fresh, frozen, and vacuum-packed organic vegetables across all major German organic certifications (EU Bio, Naturland, Bioland, Demeter).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• nAIture: AI-powered robotic systems for autonomous weed control in organic farming, spun off from Westhof research in 2018.
• BIO-FROST Westhof

Products and services

• Organic Fresh Vegetables (Bio-Frischgemüse) Fresh organic vegetables including carrots, cabbage varieties, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, and potatoes grown on more than 1,200 hectares in Dithmarschen and supplied year-round to retailers and wholesalers in unpackaged (12kg/10kg EPS or IFCO boxes), 1kg PE bags, and bunch carrot formats under Demeter, Bioland, Naturland, and EU Bio certifications.
• Organic Frozen Vegetables (Bio-Tiefkühlgemüse) Flash-frozen certified organic vegetables processed at BIO-FROST Westhof GmbH, Germany's only pure organic vegetable freezing facility, available as carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, parsnips, potatoes, spinach, peas, and other varieties in bulk wholesale and small retail packaging formats with 10 tons/hour production capacity and 5,000 tons of storage; IFS Food, IFS Broker, and Bio Suisse certified.
• Organic Vacuum-Packed Vegetables (Bio-Vakuumgemüse) Ready-to-eat vacuum-packed organic vegetables including carrots, red beet, sweet corn, and other varieties in 14x400g EPS/IFCO boxes, offering convenience while preserving freshness and certified organic quality for retail and food service customers.
• Organic Carrots (Bio-Möhren) Premium organic carrots (~8,000 tons/year) available year-round in 12kg/10kg loose, 1kg PE bags, and bunch carrot formats, certified under Demeter, Bioland, and Naturland standards, with Spanish imports supplementing supply during April-July.
• Organic Greenhouse Tomatoes and Peppers Organic vine tomatoes, mini vine tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, mini Roma tomatoes (Sweetelle), and block peppers grown across two of Germany's largest organic greenhouses (10 hectares total in Wöhrden and Hennstedt) using rainwater irrigation and energy-neutral cultivation under Bioland and Naturland guidelines, with annual planting of 150,000 tomato and 132,000 bell pepper double-stemmed plants.
• nAIture Weeding Robot AI-powered autonomous weeding robot that distinguishes randomly sown crops (carrots, beetroot) from weeds using real-time computer vision and machine learning, achieving ~98% accuracy under changing environmental conditions; variable speed 2-5 km/h, 8-track working width, modularly adaptable to other widths; designed for chemical-free organic farming.
• AROS (Autonomous Roe Fawn Tracking System) Autonomous drone-based roe fawn detection system that locates fawns in fields prior to mowing operations, preventing wildlife casualties and improving mowing efficiency, developed as part of Westhof's integrated AI agricultural technology portfolio under nAIture.
• BIOhofladen (Farm Shop) Direct-to-consumer farm shop at Westhof Bioladen (Zum Westhof 2, Friedrichsgabekoog) selling Westhof's own organic vegetables plus products from regional partner operations including dairy, eggs, meat, and cheese; open Mon-Sat 9:00-17:00 and Sunday 10:00-16:00.
• Genusstouren (Farm Tours) Guided farm tours combining exclusive field visits to organic farming, greenhouse, and freezing facility operations with seasonal organic dishes from the farm kitchen, run 14:00-16:00 at EUR 20 per person including the meal, offered multiple times yearly.
• Renewable Energy Supply (Electricity & Heat) Generation and external marketing of renewable electricity (~50 million kWh/year) and heat (~60 million kWh/year) from Westhof Energie GmbH & Co. KG's biogas plant with combined heat and power units (50 MW total output), wind, and solar sources, serving both internal operations and external energy markets.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% accuracy in weed detection under varying environmental conditions
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• nAIture GmbH & Co. KGcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 December 2018Spin-off company established in December 2018 from a research project at the University of Applied Sciences Westküste. Specializes in developing intelligent, chemical-free robotic systems for autonomous weed control. The name combines 'Nature' and 'AI' symbolizing the integration of technology with organic farming. Located at Zum Westhof 6, same address as WESTHOF BIO headquarters. Research leader Vitali Czymmek leads the development team.
• University of Applied Sciences Westküste (Fachhochschule Westküste)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Long-standing research partnership initiated in 2008 for developing sustainable weed control solutions. The 2013 project 'Highly accurate weed detection in organic farming' led to the development of functional prototypes and eventually the nAIture spin-off. The partnership combines academic research capabilities with practical farming application.
• Local Organic Farmers and Producer GroupscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of organic farmers organized in producer groups across Schleswig-Holstein and other German regions. All suppliers must present valid organic certificates before acceptance. The partnership ensures consistent supply and allows sourcing from regions like Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Rhineland-Palatinate.
• European Organic Produce Import PartnersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorImport partners in the Netherlands, Spain, and Denmark enabling year-round supply and reduced dependency on regional harvest fluctuations. Spain imports include organic carrots during April-July when German supply is limited. Same quality standards applied to imported produce.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Greenyard: Belgian-listed fresh, frozen, and prepared produce group serving European retailers. Comparable on integrated fresh-and-frozen vegetable supply chain and pan-European sourcing, though larger and conventional-led.
• Bonduelle: Global leader in processed vegetables (canned and frozen) with a growing organic line. Comparable on frozen-vegetable processing capacity and retail distribution, though Bonduelle operates at much larger scale and primarily conventional.
• Dennree: Germany's largest organic wholesaler, distributing certified organic produce and natural food products to Naturkostfachhandel and LEH. Comparable as a downstream channel and indirect competitor for shelf space with Westhof's retail customers.
• Ardo: Belgian frozen vegetable processor with deep European retail relationships. Comparable on frozen vegetable processing capacity, packaging formats, and B2B food retail distribution; broader portfolio but overlapping product set.

Regional players

• Bio Company: Berlin-based organic supermarket chain and wholesaler operating across Germany with strong fresh-produce and certified-organic sourcing. Comparable on organic retail/wholesale positioning and demand pull on suppliers like Westhof.

Direct peers

• Bioland Marktgesellschaft: German organic producer cooperative and wholesaler handling Bioland-certified produce. Directly comparable as a Bioland-certified organic producer/wholesaler with overlapping farmer network and German retail customers.
• Naturkost Schramm: German organic vegetable wholesaler and processor operating in the same B2B retail/wholesale channel with similar organic certifications. Directly comparable as a mid-sized German organic produce supplier serving Lebensmitteleinzelhandel.
• EOSTA: Netherlands-based organic and fair-trade fresh produce distributor supplying European retailers with similar organic certifications (including Naturland and Bio Suisse). Comparable on vertical integration in organic fresh produce and cross-border European sourcing.

Emerging players

• Farm4Future / Naio Technologies: European agricultural robotics startups developing autonomous weeding and farming robots. Comparable to Westhof's nAIture subsidiary in addressing chemical-free weed control through AI/robotics, though independent rather than integrated with an organic farm.

Others

• Naturland Hofpfisterei / Organic Bavaria Cluster: Naturland is a major German organic certification body and association; its member farms compete directly with Westhof on certified production. Comparable as ecosystem-level peer reflecting the competitive supply pool for Westhof's organic crops.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/p/Westhof-Bio-100027918836983
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/westhof-bio
• Instagraminstagram.com/westhofbio

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Subsidiaries9 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 WESTHOF BIO