Shipping containers that provide communities in war zones or desolate places with fresh and sustainable vegetables. Bee hotels in urban areas that provide up to date information on the state of biodiversity. With a practical solution, the winning initiatives of the Wageningen Entrepreneurship Grant make a difference in two of the most pressing current societal issues: biodiversity loss and food insecurity. An award of €25,000 each supports these young Wageningen entrepreneurs in growing the impact of their innovation.
During a well-attended finale of the Wageningen Entrepreneurship Grant on 21 May 2025, six young WUR entrepreneurs presented their initiative to the public and a jury consisting of experts in investment and agrifood.
Fresh vegetables under harsh conditions
Jort Maarseveen won with his initiative Hippotainer from Panteleimon Agianidis (Fermentera) and Emiel Smits (Aeroponics Equipment) in the battle for the Future Resources Award. With a strong pitch, they managed to convince the jury that healthy, sustainable, and local agriculture in a shipping container is an important piece of the puzzle in the world food security issue.
The containers are delivered ready-to-use in areas where growing fresh vegetables is difficult: in areas where war has destroyed agricultural land, such as Ukraine where Jort and his partner Tijmen Blok were the first to test the container. But also, in places where the conditions for agriculture are unfavourable due to, for example, drought, frost or inhospitability.
The growing conditions in the container are constant, little space, water and fertilizer for cultivation are needed, and pesticides are also unnecessary. A container provides enough food for a small community, calculated in heads of lettuce about 1.000 pieces per week. But other vegetables, such as spinach, tomatoes or peppers are also on the menu. Local users are trained to grow different vegetables in the container, and remote support is available for additional assistance.
With the prize money, Jort and Tijmen will demonstrate the operation of their container in Mallorca for 6 months, an island on which farmers are now struggling with increasing water scarcity. In this way, they hope to find customers who want to lease their containers, allowing their startup to grow. They are also working on a first R&D container in Wageningen and hope to provide an off-grid container on solar energy in the near future.
Public award for innovative potato cultivation
The Get Unstuck Award of €7,500, awarded by the public for the best small step that can mean the biggest growth of the startup, went to Emiel Smits of Aeroponics Equipment. With his sustainable cultivation system for potato mini tubers, he offers a high, consistent harvest in a small space and hopes to bring a change in declining potato cultivation. With the prize money from the public award, he can present his system at the most important European conference in the field of potato cultivation, Potato Europe.