Hippotainer: Growing food without soil

Growing food where it once seemed impossible? Hippotainer makes it happen, using a smart container packed with technology.

Hippotainer is a mobile farming solution packed into a 40-foot shipping container. Inside is an intelligent cultivation system that automatically regulates light, water, temperature, CO₂ and pH. You don’t need to be a farmer to get started. The startup is the brainchild of Tijmen Blok and Jort Maarseveen. Together, they founded Hippotainer.

Farming, but differently

“With traditional farming you are always dependent on the weather, and that is unpredictable. We make cultivation possible in places where it wasn’t before; where it is actually too dry or too wet, or where the soil is poor and scarce,” Tijmen explains. “And you don’t need any formal training.” One project Tijmen is clearly proud of is running in Ukraine. “People there want food, jobs, structure and perspective. Under the name ‘Smart Harvest’, we help the population contribute to reconstruction by developing and empowering them with new skills and helping them develop new businesses.” In this project, Hippotainer works together with knowledge partner Delphy, within the Ukraine Partnership Facility (UPF) programme. It is supported by RVO and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Hippotainer also sees opportunities in the Caribbean. “Many islands depend on imports. Fresh food is expensive and scarce. By growing food locally, people get better food and you stimulate the local economy.”

Adding value

During the Foodindustrie Event, Tijmen presented the concept of mobile food production to a room full of entrepreneurs with many years of experience in the food sector. Tijmen: “That was incredibly valuable. Afterwards, I had a number of good conversations. We are looking for partners who want to use our system for niche or alternative crops, such as edible flowers or wasabi, or for the hospitality industry and education. Although the supply chain in the Netherlands is well organised, we believe we can add extra value here too.”

He dreams of a fully off-grid Hippotainer: “Self-sufficient, powered by solar energy or hydrogen. That way, you can set up a food source anywhere in the world.” He laughs. “Maybe it’s ambitious. But when you see where we already are today, I know we’ll get there.”

hippotainer.com

Tijmen Blok pitches his innovation during the Foodindustrie Event ©JamesMedia