Backed by financial partners, Start it @KBC is launching the accelerator programme Scale it Agro, aimed at scale-ups offering sustainable and innovative agricultural solutions for agriculture and horticulture businesses. Kjell Clarysse, programme director at Scale it Agro, goes into more detail.

The vision and ambition are to achieve sustainable, futureproof food production that preserves the natural balance of soil and aquatic ecosystems, with limited emissions and minimal impact on the climate, while enabling farmers and horticulturists to engage in agricultural activities in a dignified and economically viable manner.

“We are a consortium of leading players in the agro & food sector”, says Kjell Clarysse, programme director at Scale it Agro. “We bring together all stakeholders, centred around a cohort of high-potential scale-ups. On this foundation, we are building our network of international investors and industry experts, and we also involve farmers in our group dynamic. Bringing all stakeholders in the sector together fosters a better understanding of each other's interests.”

Belgian agriculture and horticulture among global leaders

“Belgian agriculture and horticulture are already world-class in terms of productivity and sustainability. At the same time, we face major challenges and constantly strive to do better. Whether it’s agro-investor AIF, full-service commercial provider Arvesta or the member organisation Boerenbond, all entities within our group share the same ultimate goal: to continue strengthening and decarbonising the sector in the interest of our farmers. We are therefore delighted to join forces with our partners Cera and KBC, bringing our passion and expertise to the table for the selected companies”, says Patrik Haesen, CEO of AIF and programme coordinator on behalf of the Boerenbond group.

Proven track record

Each of the involved partners has a proven track record. AIF, for example, invests in young companies such as Protealis, which is bringing improved protein crops to the European market, while KBC Bank also provides financing to businesses implementing groundbreaking new technologies, such as integrated water management. Arvesta has successfully introduced its methane-reducing livestock feed Euroclim, and Boerenbond is an active contributor to the DjustConnect programme, which focuses on data sharing with respect for farmers. Start it @KBC previously supported Frolight in another programme, helping them protect crops against frost in a sustainable and cost-efficient way using infrared light.

Partner network

Concretely, the selected scale-ups will be integrated into Scale it Agro’s extensive partner network and for a period of nine months they will receive tailored coaching and support from experts with in-depth market knowledge in areas such as sales, recruitment and fundraising. In addition, personalised bespoke advice is provided, with attention to the company’s growth trajectory as well as to the founders’ personal development. The programme does not require equity in exchange for participation and is open to international companies. The only condition is a willingness to co-develop solutions that can be applied within the organisation.

Identifying problems

Programme director Kjell Clarysse explains that he always starts by identifying problems before seeking solutions. “Mapping out the issues and the corresponding behaviours is the starting point of any success, both at a company and at sector level. Moreover, exposing stakeholders to each other is a powerful way of clearing up misunderstandings.” 

According to Clarysse, start-ups are the ideal glue in the industry as they bring together a unique combination of qualities: a passion for solving problems, often backed by hands-on experience, and at the same time the innocence of a young company to be able to ask any and all questions.

“Sometimes this creates the opening to raise sensitive or difficult topics.” 

https://startit-x.com/en/accelerate/agro