HIC and S&L Ventures build virtual bridge between Dutch and Korean horticulture ecosystems
HortiScience Innovation Center (HIC) and S&L Ventures are joining forces to create a virtual bridge between The Netherlands and Korea, helping promising Korean startups connect with the Dutch horticultural ecosystem.
Through the partnership, S&L Ventures and HIC will work together to identify and support Korean startups with technologies that can contribute to a more sustainable, resilient and future-proof greenhouse horticulture sector. Selected startups will be introduced to the Dutch ecosystem through HIC’s soft landing program, with the opportunity to demonstrate and validate their solutions.
The collaboration is designed to make international market entry more concrete and practical. HIC offers a physical demonstration environment where companies can test their technology, build visibility, receive feedback from growers, researchers and industry partners, and explore routes to market in The Netherlands and Europe.
“We see a lot of innovative technologies emerging from Korea that could be highly relevant for greenhouse horticulture in The Netherlands,” says Loet Rummenie, Managing Director of HortiScience Innovation Center. “Together with S&L Ventures, we want to create a practical landing place for these startups. Our demonstration greenhouse allows them to show what their solution can do in a real horticultural context and helps them build meaningful connections with the Dutch ecosystem.”
S&L Ventures brings strong connections with Korean startups, technology companies and innovation partners in agriculture and aquaculture. HIC adds access to the Dutch greenhouse horticulture ecosystem, including its demonstration greenhouse, network events, Venture Studio, entrepreneurs and innovation tables.
“Our role is to help technology-driven startups move beyond borders,” says Hannah Seong, CEO of S&L Ventures. “By working with HIC, we can give Korean startups a more direct pathway into one of the most advanced horticultural ecosystems in the world.”
The first step in the collaboration will be to jointly select a first group of Korean startups that are ready to explore the Dutch market. These startups will be assessed on their relevance for greenhouse horticulture, their readiness to scale and their potential contribution to sector challenges such as automation, energy transition, water, resilient cultivation systems and circular horticulture.
With this partnership, HIC and S&L Ventures aim to strengthen international collaboration between The Netherlands and Korea and accelerate the adoption of innovative technologies in greenhouse horticulture.