ROOTS: 'high demand for offices for start-ups'

ROOTS Innovation Hub, the location for start-ups on the World Food Center site, is celebrating its first anniversary. Despite the corona crisis, ROOTS has welcomed no less than 25 young companies in the past 12 months. This lightning start proves that there is a great demand for accessible office and experimentation space for start-ups.   

Since February 2020 ROOTS offers space to startups and scale-ups active in agri and food, but also beyond. In two former barracks buildings on the World Food Center site in Ede, they can establish themselves at very favorable conditions. Of the more than 3,400 square meters, only a small portion is still available.

On Wednesday February 17, alderman for economic affairs of the municipality of Ede, Jan Pieter van der Schans visited the established companies: "With ROOTS we keep starting entrepreneurs in the region. It is an affordable and functional place. You can hammer a nail in the wall here, set up a grow room or do a test. That flexibility is very nice for these start-ups. Meeting other entrepreneurs does the rest."

ROOTS Innovation Hub Foundation board member Roger van Hoesel is extremely proud of the success. "We see that startups are playing an increasing role in renewing our food system. A major shortcoming was the availability of affordable housing for these young companies. ROOTS provides that opportunity in a particularly inspiring environment. It's a nice mix of piece-by-piece inspiring companies. One of them, Rival Foods, even won the Sustainable Innovation Award of the Rabobank last year."

worldfoodcenter.net/roots-voor-startups/