Ilse Bastmeijer, auteur op Goeie Grutten Impact Fonds

Verdify: technology meets food transition

Technology meets food transition. That’s Verdify if we had to describe the company in three words. A gem to add to our portfolio.

Verdify allows you to personalize every recipe on the internet, making it easier for you to make healthy and sustainable food choices. Or adapt a recipe to an allergy or dietary requirement, for example. This is all possible via Verdify’s platform Swapmeals.

Verdify is also a great tool for healthcare providers. They help patients eat according to their dietary advice using Verdify-personalised recipes, with their platform NooryMed. NooryMed is currently under development.

A company to keep an eye on, because you are definitely going to see more of this!

Johnny Cashew

Johnny Cashew cuts the unnecessary detour out of the cashew nut chain: from Africa via Asia to the Netherlands. A detour of 12,000 to 25,000 kilometers, with associated CO2 emissions. By shelling cashew nuts where they are produced – in the case of Johhny Cashew in Tanzania – and transporting them from there to the Netherlands, Johnny Cashew has already saved more than 200,000 transport kilometres in recent years. And that while the company only saw the light of day in 2020!

Johnny Cashew also works with 1,100 Fairtrade farmers in Tanzania. And they created about 600 jobs in the Mama Cashew peeling factory in the same country.

Johnny’s delicious cashew nuts are available at Albert Heijn, Picnic, EkoPlaza, the Wereldwinkels and at Lidl under the sustainable brand Way to Go.

Goeie Grutten invests together with impact fund People and a British investor. You can read more about this investment on MT/Sprout.

World of NIX: pioneer in tasteful alcohol-free

When Frederike de Groot started World of NIX three and a half years ago – as co-founder – they had one goal in mind: non-alcoholic drinking should be just as festive and tasty as traditional choices. “Alcohol-free beer was already there, but good wines or other alternatives? Hardly.” With two liquor stores in Amsterdam and one in Haarlem, World of NIX presents a carefully curated selection of non-alcoholic wines, bubbles and more, setting a new standard.

Norm change and awareness
World of NIX goes beyond just selling drinks. They want to bring about a social shift in which alcohol-free becomes an equally natural choice. “Everyone should be able to choose with taste without feeling excluded,” says Frederike. Whether you’re at home, at a party or in a restaurant, World of NIX offers inclusive alternatives that combine style and experience. This vision is in line with the growing awareness of the health and social impact of alcohol, similar to the shifts in the broader food industry, such as the rise of veganism. People are becoming more aware of what they consume, and World of NIX makes it easier to embrace these choices.

Busy festive period
World of NIX has been working on campaigns and stock since the summer to make the holidays run smoothly, because that will be a busy one! More and more people are looking for festive, alcohol-free alternatives – from guests who are the driver to people who consciously drink less. “During this peak, we make sure we have extra staff and of course a well-stocked stock,” says Frederike. Her personal Christmas favorite? The Saboritz Spumante, our own non-alcoholic bubble that turns every moment into a party!

Looking to the future
With initiatives such as Dry January, World of NIX wants to continue to grow and introduce people to their tasteful range. “It’s an entry point, but the idea is that people see how tasty and fully alcohol-free can be,” says Frederike. World of NIX continues to lead the way with campaigns, showing that alcohol-free is not only a conscious, but also a tasteful choice – all year round.

Pymwymic Healthy Food Systems Fund II Successfully Closed: Major Support for Regenerative Food System

The Pymwymic Healthy Food Systems Impact Fund II has reached its final close and is oversubscribed, with support from more than 250 private and institutional investors. This broad interest shows the growing awareness that a transformation of our global food system is necessary. The fund, supported by investors such as AGCO, a.s.r., Invest-NL, Klaverblad Insurance and Van Lanschot Kempen, is committed to a regenerative food system that promotes both biodiversity and human health.

“At Goeie Grutten Impact Fund, we believe in the power of pioneers. We have been involved with Pymwymic from the outset and are delighted to see that the Healthy Food Systems Fund II has been successfully oversubscribed,” said a fund spokesperson.

With investments in innovative scale-ups, the Healthy Food Systems Fund II focuses on sustainable agriculture, reducing food waste and soil health. The fund supports technology-driven companies that contribute to a sustainable food system, laying the foundation for a healthy future for people and the planet.

We would like to congratulate Maarten van Dam, Rogier Pieterse, Monique Meulemans, Pieter Vis, Froukje Remmers, Sophie Pickering, Marleen Blanson Henkemans, Stijn Boogaarts and Rik Posthuma with this impressive milestone!

Aurea Imaging

Aurea Imaging is a specialist in crop intelligence technology. Their innovative TreeScout system allows growers with orchards to adjust dosages per tree to increase yields, reduce labor costs and use 90% less chemicals.

In this way, Aurea contributes to a healthier and more sustainable future for farmers and consumers.

Plaatsen Nederland

Foundation “Plaatsen Nederland” works with (groups of) farmers, scientists, system players, artists, innovative representatives of knowledge and financial institutions and numerous other citizens on a new perspective for a regenerative food system. We do this by bringing people together, both in physical Places and in (virtual) networks. We strive for accessible, affordable, healthy and good food for everyone that above all contributes to a restored ecosystem. De first Place is located in Boxtel.

Gentle Green

Gentle Green developed a new climate, water, and energy system that combines climate and airflow control in a greenhouse with heating and cooling. This allows for closed greenhouses, such that no energy, water or CO2 is lost by opening windows. The risk of death from viruses, bacteria, fungi and pollen is reduced by more than 90%. The overall result is a more sustainable greenhouse with higher profitability and improved yield of healthy food.

GreenPro International

GreenPro International plays an important role as a go-to-market partner for both companies and retailers of plant-based products in key European markets. By improving the availability and accessibility of plant-based products for consumers, GreenPro plays an instrumental role in accelerating the transition towards a healthier and more sustainable plant-based diet.

Lyv

Lyv is developing an advanced energy management system (EMS), with which, for example, batteries, boilers and heat pumps can be controlled. By switching the devices on and off at the right moment, overloading of the power grid can be prevented. A phenomenon that will happen more and more often in the future as more and more electric driving takes place and households move away from the gas grid.

XINTC

XINTC develops and produces innovative modular alkaline electrolysers for the production of hydrogen gas for medium-scale applications, at any desired location. The company’s electrolyser is therefore suitable for converting solar and wind energy directly into hydrogen. As a clean energy carrier, hydrogen is in the international spotlight. Hydrogen makes an important and lasting contribution to reducing our CO2 footprint. The splitting of water into hydrogen and oxygen is an electrochemical process and occurs in an electrolyser. No CO2 is released. For large-scale applications, there is a need for affordable, efficient, sustainable and flexible electrolysis capacity.