Florigen develops controlled production systems for plant-based active compounds for applications including pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements, and natural health products.
Global demand for natural, traceable, and reliably produced ingredients is growing rapidly. At the same time, many existing supply chains are vulnerable due to concentration in a limited number of countries, climate risks, geopolitical tensions, and variability in quality and availability.
Florigen addresses these challenges by combining controlled cultivation with integrated processing and extraction. This creates a production model with greater control over quality, active compound content, and supply security, with controlled production and processing based in the Netherlands and Europe.
The initial product focus includes menthol from peppermint and active compounds derived from medicinal crops such as valerian, Papaver somniferum, and ginseng. The first validation projects for peppermint cultivation aimed at menthol production will begin shortly at the Delphy Improvement Centre, while larger R&D programs focused on medicinal and functional crops are being prepared in parallel.
Florigen is the first venture established through the HIC Venture Studio and was founded by Juriën Koster and Rudi Dieleman.
The strength of a venture studio lies not only in developing ideas, but especially in building strong teams.”-
Loet Rummenie, Managing Director of the HortiScience Innovation Center.
“Florigen is a great example of that. Rudi brings deep expertise in extraction technologies, while Juriën contributes extensive knowledge in controlled cultivation. Together, they form the perfect combination to further scale this venture.”
Over the coming period, Florigen will seek partners and investment capital to validate and scale its first production systems and to build a platform for the controlled production of plant-based active compounds.
Metropool Regio Rotterdam Den Haag (MRDH) is a partner in this initiative and sees the HIC Venture Studio as a strategic instrument for regional economic growth and societal impact. By connecting entrepreneurs, knowledge institutions, and companies, new startups are created that work on sustainable solutions for greenhouse horticulture — a sector of major importance for employment, exports, and innovation in the metropolitan region.
Eric Faassen, Committee Member at MRDH: “Startups like these demonstrate how innovation can contribute to a strong and future-proof regional ecosystem. The region has a unique combination of knowledge, entrepreneurship, and growers. Building new innovative companies is essential for maintaining long-term economic strength and resilience as a region.”
