This spring, a group of entrepreneurs will complete an entrepreneurial journey for the seventh time, which they have undertaken within the Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo (BCGV) in Netherlands. While this entrepreneurial journey was initially mainly undertaken by agritech companies, it is now increasingly innovative food companies that are turning to the BLINC accelerator program for startups, scale-ups, and innovative SMEs.
This observation is made by Eveline Wijnhoven. She is responsible as a business developer for the Startup Ecosystem at BCGV, where the acceleration program for startups, scale-ups, and innovative entrepreneurs who want to grow and innovate on the campus’s themes is a part of. We speak to Eveline in between meetings on a busy day full of meetings for her.
All specialisms around the corner
In the BLINC box, located in the Villa Flora building on the former Floriade site, startups can weekly make use of the help of specialists in all areas related to entrepreneurship. Think of subsidies, financing, but also how to protect an innovation with patents. During the open consultation hour, Thursday from 9 to 12 o’clock, the startup business developers of BCGV and parties such as RVO, EY, and LIOF are available. “We connect you with the entire startup ecosystem. We help startups stay on track,” Eveline explains. “By keeping a good focus, we can help them save time or money.”
Meeting in the BLINC box
Focus
Eveline sees startup entrepreneurs daily who enthusiastically dive into the adventure, investing a lot of time and money in developing something new. But not always do these entrepreneurs, sometimes still students, but certainly also more experienced entrepreneurs who have started a new company, have a clear idea if there is a market, where and for whom.
“The sooner the focus is right, the easier your entrepreneurial journey is,” emphasizes the business developer.
“Uitblincers”
This year, the Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo, which has existed since 2018, was present as an exhibitor at the Fruit Logistica for the first time. That was noticeable. The campus wants to generate more awareness. That has been successful, Eveline notes. “We are in full conversation with parties interested in establishing themselves on our campus.”
On April 16, the closing event of the BL.INC Masterclass Food & Nutrition took place. It was the seventh entrepreneurial journey coming to an end. Is it all over with support after that? Eveline laughs: “No, certainly not. We have an alumni group, which we call ‘uitblincers’. That way, we keep a finger on the pulse with innovative entrepreneurs and continue to help make connections with the right parties, programs, or projects because your entrepreneurial journey does not stop after a program, and we know that.”
The team of Brightlands Campus Venlo as an exhibitor at Fruit Logistica 2025
Mini village
While it was initially mainly agritech companies that registered, in Venlo, more food companies are now participating. Meanwhile, BLINC is also organizing a masterclass for a group of agritech scale-ups to further help more mature companies on their way.
On the other hand, there is also the Brightlands Startup League. This is an overarching startup program of the four Brightlands campuses, LIOF, and Maastricht University that startups can participate in. “Participation in the BLINC accelerator program is not yet the right step for every startup. With the Startup League, we can ensure that startups go in the right direction at an early stage.” Participation in the BLINC accelerator program can then be a next growth step for a young company.
Anyone interested in the BLINC startup ecosystem of BCGV is warmly invited by Eveline to join, for example, the closing event on April 16 or to drop by during the open consultation hour in the BLINC box. On the campus, the thresholds are as low as possible. “Actually, what we have here is just like a mini village, everyone knows and helps each other to accelerate innovations in the plant-based food chain.”
For more information:
Eveline Wijnhoven
BLINC
[email protected]
www.brightlands.com
