Growth funding and EU support for agrifood startups

There was plenty to celebrate at StartLife’s 15th anniversary. The organisation surpassed €10 million in pre-seed funding for Dutch agrifood startups. And a strong new partnership with EIT Food was announced.

Since 2010, StartLife has been helping young companies in the food chain get started. More than 400 startups worldwide have received support. Of those, 163 were based in the Netherlands and collectively received the first €10 million in early-stage funding. That has led to over 1,000 direct jobs and more than €230 million in follow-on investments. Well-known names that started out with StartLife? Chaincraft, FoodCase International, Dutch DNA Biotech, Revyve and Orbisk.

Most of the funding comes from public sources: the Province of Gelderland, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, and the Province of Overijssel. The capital was made available through partner Oost NL. “StartLife plays a crucial role in preparing agrifood startups to grow,” said Fons de Zeeuw (Oost NL). “In close collaboration, we’ve been able to provide early-stage funding to promising companies.”

EIT Food opens new door for alumni

The partnership with EIT Food brings something new. Alumni of the StartLife Accelerate programme are now eligible for investment funding from EIT Food — up to €1.5 million per startup. They do need to pass a selection process that complies with Horizon Europe guidelines. Until now, this investment was only available to participants in EIT’s own programmes.

“StartLife’s startup support is excellent,” said Benoit Buntinx of EIT Food. “Together, we can make a big step forward in our joint mission to accelerate the growth of agrifood startups that help build healthy and resilient food systems.”

Nikki Harrison (StartLife) added: “This collaboration between two European agrifood powerhouses gives startups unprecedented access to funding and growth opportunities.”

Wageningen-based SeaCrete raises €100,000

The latest startup to receive pre-seed funding is SeaCrete. This Wageningen-based spin-off is developing a sustainable alternative to concrete, aimed at marine ecological restoration. Their bio-based solution naturally integrates into underwater environments and supports the recovery of reefs and biodiversity.

“This funding enables us to further test our sustainable building material and explore business models,” said CEO Marc van der Peet. “We are very happy to receive this support from StartLife, Oost NL, and the Province of Gelderland.”

Investment climate under pressure

Still, not everything is smooth sailing. According to the State of Dutch Tech Report 2025, the number of Dutch tech startups that raised more than €100,000 in venture capital dropped sharply — from 172 in 2023 to 104 in 2024. Agrifoodtech companies are part of that trend. “Continued public-private support is more important than ever,” Harrison emphasised. “If we want to build sustainable food systems, we must continue to invest in early-stage innovation.”

Startlife.nl