For Investors

Contributing to due diligence

Parties considering an investment in an agri-tech startup naturally want to have a complete overview of the opportunities and threats in the market that influence the value of the technological innovation at hand. Innova Connect supports investors in making these decisions by providing insight into the potential market and its opportunities, as well as the threats. Opportunities may for example consist of market segments that have hitherto been overlooked or underestimated. Threats can include, for example, scientific uncertainties, technical challenges, regulatory barriers, and competitive solutions. We are happy to use our many years of experience with advanced technologies in (international) agriculture and horticulture to help investors make wise decisions.

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Growth and development of organizations

Growth and development of organizations

We have contributed to the further growth and development of organizations in various ways. Examples include providing agricultural and horticultural training to investors, conducting due diligence research for new acquisitions, and supporting the CEO and MT by contributing to the company’s strategic development through an Advisory Board or Supervisory Board.

For Investors

Insight into social impact

Investors are increasingly concerned that the startups in which they participate make a positive contribution to a sustainable world. The challenge here is to substantiate and demonstrate the alleged impact as concretely as possible. The support that Innova Connect offers in this regard is based on scientific insights combined with years of practical experience from the full spectrum of agriculture and horticulture.

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Quick scans sustainability aspects

Quick scans sustainability aspects

As of 2016, Innova Connect has conducted several desk studies for an innovative supplier in horticulture. In these desk studies, the environmental impact of horticulture with and without the customer’s product was compared. Scientific literature formed the main basis for the studies.

For Investors

Issue management

Startups that challenge the established order with a disruptive innovation have a high risk of failure. The innovation is not understood in the market or does not fit within existing regulations. Innova Connect offers solace for portfolio companies with such issues. Support can consist of advice, lobbying, communication, deployment of our network, or a combination of these factors.

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Strategy session VitalFluid

Strategy session VitalFluid

VitalFluid – a spin-off from the Eindhoven University of Technology – has developed technology to bring air into the plasma phase and immediately dissolve it in water. This water then briefly acquires special properties, which are related to the unstable nitrogen compounds that are present in the water for a short time. After some time a solution of nitrate in water remains. The technology has potential applications in a variety of sectors, from healthcare to agriculture. Applications in agriculture and horticulture range from seed treatment and crop protection to applications as a biostimulant and a fertilizer. The crop protection market in particular is highly regulated in Europe. However, these regulations are tailored to the marketing of a particular substance. How the regulations relate to a device that gives water short-term biocidal effects is quite complex. To gain more insight into this, and to avoid a stalemate with regard to the regulations, Innova Connect organized a strategy session for VitalFluid at the end of 2019. Various experts from the Netherlands and abroad took part in the strategy session. At the end of the day, a strategy outline had been developed that guided the next steps.