Creating value in a down to earth way
Value Factory Ventures invests in promising startups that are making an impact with pioneering innovations to combat climate change and increase food security. We pull together, in a down to earth way, to make as much possible impact.
Value Factory is all about creating new value - value for the startup, our investors, society and generations to come.
Drive positive change for a sustainable future
We, the founders of Value Factury Ventures, grew up in the agriculture and horticulturesector and have run successful businesses there. After selling our companies, we are
now committed to a sustainable future with Value Factory. We invest in pioneering agritech, food and climate startups that develop disruptive, deeptech technologies to make real impact. We believe here lies the key to solving the world’s most challenging problems: a growing global population, water scarcity and food security, energy transition and climate change.
We support these pioneers with more than capital. We provide expertise, hands-on support and access to our extensive network. This is how we take these early-stage startups to the next level.
Seizing opportunities to make it happen
We invest in promising (very) early-stage startups that we make successful in a short period of time. Successful for the startup, for the agri-food chain and for our investors.
Our initial ticket size is € 200k to € 1 million. We support the company until the next phase, in which (later stage) Venture Capital Funds can step in. Our criteria:
Portfolio companies
We select the most promising startups and connect the companies in our investment portfolio to make more impact in the chain together. With success: over the past three years, the value of our investments doubled every year.
Down to earth
entrepreneurs
What distinguish us is our combination of entrepreneurship, our down-to-earth approach, our network and our commitment.
Entrepreneurship
Seeing and realizing opportunities
Value Factory Ventures has extensive experience in building successful businesses. The founders and initial investors have each built and successfully sold their own companies. Doing nothing was not an option, so they joined forces and are boosting promising startups.
Down to earth
Pragmatic & hands-on
Our background in the agriculture & horticulture sector keeps us down to earth. We support startups in a pragmatic and realistic way, working together to achieve success.
Connecting for value
Creating more value together
Value Factory’s team combines all knowledge: from agri, technical, business management, marketing to financial expertise. With our large network, we can connect startups, create value and ensure synergy.
Meet our team
Peter, co-founder of Value Factory, is an entrepreneur with a strong affinity for ICT and technology. With a solid foundation in economics and business administration and decades of experience as the CEO of a successful company, he now uses Value Factory to take promising tech startups to the next phase.
Background
Bachelor Economics Hogeschool Rotterdam |Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) Hogeschool Rotterdam | Business & Managerial Economics Open University | F&A Manager Isolectra | Co-owner Vista+ | Founder and CEO Ledyears.
Personal
Peter loves to make an impact, take ownership, and persevere. His down-to-earth attitude comes from his upbringing in the agriculture & horticulture sector. He has been active in IT and international trade for years and has also lived and worked in Singapore. With his entrepreneurial background, he always sees where the opportunities lie. In 22 years, he built his company Ledyears into a large, international player in the field of business information systems. After the successful sale of Ledyears, he started Value Factory with Johan to make an impact in the AgriFood chain and apply his expertise as an entrepreneur to other entrepreneurs. Outside of work, Peter enjoys working in his garden and sports.
Jacco brings the smart data factor to the Value Factory team. He knows better than anyone how to use technology, data, ICT, and AI to improve processes in the AgriFood chain. As CTO, he guides our startups in technical and process-bound innovation.
Background
Data Science and Analytics at Tilburg University | Data analysis Erasmus University Rotterdam | Master of Science Mechanical Engineering at Delft University | Internship on the reduction of fuel consumption of salt winning pumps in India – Practica | Onderzoek washer disinfector Erasmus Medical Center | Data Scientist Datagestuurd Asset Management Prorail
Personal
Jacco joined Value Factory as the third member. As a data scientist, he is always looking for ways to improve processes and systems through data, thereby accelerating the companies in our portfolio. Jacco is married, has three children, and is athletic. To the annoyance of his colleagues, he can easily and quickly run long distances.
Rom is responsible for investor relations within Value Factory Ventures. With a broad base in economics and strategic marketing and a large committed network, Rom is concerned with increasing invested capital. This way we can help even more agrifood startups to make an impact.
Background
Bachelor Economics Hogeschool Rotterdam | Business Economics Erasmus University Rotterdam | marketing director Euretco, director Covatuin / Europatuin, interim manager Schiphol Retail, Wehkamp procurement, Nuon procurement, Optimize Finance corporate finance and REWIN Development Company.
Personal
To connect is a verb and Rom loves that. As chairman of a business association, he connects entrepreneurs. He gets a lot of energy from the entrepreneurial spirit and the dynamics between entrepreneurs. Besides connecting, making impact is also one of his motivations; together with the Value Factory team, he goes for this as well. Rom is married and has two daughters.
Johan is a co-founder and the man behind the numbers and euros at Value Factory. With his background in Finance as a chartered accountant and consultant with extensive M&A experience, he assists our investors in creating a profitable portfolio. He supports our startups as CFO in every phase of the business – from solid business plans and robust growth to acquisitions and sales.
Background
Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Nyenrode Business University | Executive Master’s degree Business Valuation Erasmus University Rotterdam School of Management | Certified Blockchain technology specialist INSEAD Executive Education | Accountmanager at Van Noord Accountancy and Tax Consultancy | Chartered Accountant at Visser & Visser Accountancy and Tax Services | Chartered Accountant at Drechtsteden Accountants and Advisors | Chief Financial Officer at Ledyears B.V. | M&A, Carve-out and Financial Integration consultancy at T-Mobile Netherlands.
Personal
With Johan, nothing is left to chance. He is a thinker who thoroughly analyzes all aspects. He rapidly works out possible steps and scenarios. After assisting Peter with the sale of Ledyears, they started Value Factory together. In his scarce free time, he enjoys a solid book and a good conversation with friends. He clears his head by cycling or running, often participating in running competitions cheered on by his wife and four children.
Ishani is completing her Master’s degree in Finance & Investments, during which she is researching the ESG strategies of companies. Ishani supports our investment team with, for example, accounting, business analyses, modeling, and research.
Background
MSc Finance & Investments Erasmus University Rotterdam, RSM | BSc Business Administration at Erasmus University Rotterdam, RSM | Philosophy of a Specific Discipline: Economics at Erasmus University Rotterdam, ESPhil | Economie Docent Stanislascollege | Customer Relationship Agent AP-Moller Maersk
Personal
Ishani knows how to maintain an overview while simultaneously paying attention to detail – a skill she certainly learned as an Economics teacher in high school. In her adventures, she loves to explore and stays fit by boxing and playing tennis. Her passion for sustainability is not only reflected in her thesis research on ESG but also in her involvement with the various startups of Value Factory.
As Office Manager, Milon serves as an all-round support person within our office, assisting the Management Team with both day-to-day operations and special events.
She brings broad experience in management support, administrative support and reception work.
Milon is a real doer with a hands-on mentality.
Background
Sales | reception | administration HealthCity Sport Clubs & David Lloyd Leisure Clubs | reception | admin | finance employee SME | administrative support ABN Amro Bank | sales support Coca-Cola Enterprises | logistics administrative employee SME | business development SME
Personal
Besides her administrative | secretarial career, Milon worked as a beautician and massage therapist for many years. Since starting at Value Factory, she is fully dedicated to her job as office manager, but still enjoys a nice wellness or beauty treatment herself every now and then.
In her spare time, Milon likes to do fun things with her three children, from play parks & cinema to day trips or just playing and doing things together at home. In terms of sports, she likes to be in the pool!
The Value Factory
You can have a good story, but conveying it effectively is another story altogether. For this, we have Jolanda Ravenek on our team. As the CMO, Jolanda is the brain behind the branding, marketing, and communication of The Value Factory and the companies in our portfolio. With her experience as a Director of Marketing in Retail, Transformation Manager, and Marketing Manager at a sustainable corporation, she guides our portfolio companies to position themselves clearly and attractively to the right target groups, thereby helping to realize their growth ambitions.
Background
Corporate Communications Erasmus University | Master International Communications Management University Utrecht | Bachelor Communications | Manager Corporate Branding Eneco | Manager Marketing & Communicatie Eneco | Programma manager Transformatie Eneco | Branding & Marketing Consultancy Ravelyn | Marketing directeur Lucardi |Head of Brand Moco Museum
Personal
Jolanda is an inquisitive individual who analyzes all aspects of your brand and offering from the customer’s perspective, and then translates this into a creative and decisive approach. This way, a distinctive and compelling story can be crafted that is effective with the right marketing approach. Like (almost) all Value Factory colleagues, Jolanda also runs in her free time. Those kilometers are for fun, and at home, she tirelessly runs around for her family with three children.
Martijn always works at the intersection of processes and entrepreneurship, focusing on societal relevance and people. He is a versatile project manager who provides guidance on process improvement and team performance to several of our companies from Value Factory. He is the Service Delivery Manager at Growficient and IT project manager at Dealin.Green. Additionally, he is the CEO of Fair Agro Food and a partner at FOGA Organic Gum, which aims to provide farmers with a better existence.
Background
Applied Sciences The Hague University | Theatre Producer Theaterfabriek, Stage Entertainment | Leading Organizational Changes SIOO Utrecht | Quality Auditor KVE | Mobility Analist, IT Project Manager and Manager Modernisation at Kone International | Teamlead project Services at AJS / AMEC | Project leader, Team lead and Service Operations Manager at QDelft | Service Delivery Manager at Aumatics | CEO Fair Agro Food | Partner FOGA Organic Gum.
Personal
Martijn appears to be a calm person who, as a scrum master, wants to bring structure everywhere. At the same time, he is a driven creative spirit who, due to his background in the theater world, can easily think outside the box. As a project manager, this creative flair is reflected in surprising solutions and refreshing insights for our project approaches.
Hadassa is the jack-of-all-trades within Value Factory. With her broad educational background, she is versatile in her capabilities. She is involved in legal, financial, and administrative matters, among others. She gets excited about putting things in order and frequently uses her skills for our portfolio companies.
Background
Bachelor in Business Erasmus University Rotterdam School of Management – Bachelor in Law Erasmus University Rotterdam School of Law
Personal
Hadassa joined Value Factory in April 2022 as a Junior Investment Analyst alongside her various studies. She is often busy, loves to tackle and persevere, and always goes the extra mile. Besides her studies and work, she is often found in the gym and gets very excited about traveling. Unlike her colleagues, she does not take up running.
Investment Committee
The Investment Committee plays an important role in evaluating, reviewing, and approving investment proposals, ensuring all decisions align with the strategic goals of our fund. It also serves as a trusted advisory board for the management team, offering insights on investment policies and acting as a sounding board.
Guido Dubbeld joins as an independent member, appointed in collaboration with the RVO, regarding the Seed Capital funding that was granted to us earlier this year. Guido brings extensive experience in finance and sustainability, having worked as CFO of Eneco. His expertise will be very valuable in driving our sustainable investment strategies.
Aart Duijzer, representing the investors, has been nominated by Value Factory Management. His background in finance and M&A, gained during his tenure as CFO of Refresco, makes him a strong asset to the committee.
Hans Kleijwegt is being reappointed to the Investment Committee, a role he has held since 2022. Hans’s deep industry knowledge and previous contributions to the committee’s investment decisions have made him an essential member.
Marian Wagemakers has also been nominated by Value Factory Management to represent the investors. Marian brings a wealth of experience in innovation, start-up building, and the plant-based industry, which aligned with our focus on forward-thinking investments.
Eric de Winter, who has been a part of the Investment Committee since 2022, is also being reappointed. Eric’s expertise and valuable input have shaped our investment decisions over the past two yers, and we are excited to have him continue in his role.
We believe this Investment Committee is well-positioned to guide up through upcoming opportunities, ensuring we make thoughtful and impactful investments that support our mission.
Peter, co-founder of Value Factory, is an entrepreneur with a strong affinity for ICT and technology. With a solid foundation in economics and business administration and decades of experience as the CEO of a successful company, he now uses Value Factory to take promising tech startups to the next phase.
Background
Bachelor Economics Hogeschool Rotterdam |Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) Hogeschool Rotterdam | Business & Managerial Economics Open University | F&A Manager Isolectra | Co-owner Vista+ | Founder and CEO Ledyears.
Personal
Peter loves to make an impact, take ownership, and persevere. His down-to-earth attitude comes from his upbringing in the agriculture & horticulture sector. He has been active in IT and international trade for years and has also lived and worked in Singapore. With his entrepreneurial background, he always sees where the opportunities lie. In 22 years, he built his company Ledyears into a large, international player in the field of business information systems. After the successful sale of Ledyears, he started Value Factory with Johan to make an impact in the AgriFood chain and apply his expertise as an entrepreneur to other entrepreneurs. Outside of work, Peter enjoys working in his garden and sports.
Johan is a co-founder and the man behind the numbers and euros at Value Factory. With his background in Finance as a chartered accountant and consultant with extensive M&A experience, he assists our investors in creating a profitable portfolio. He supports our startups as CFO in every phase of the business – from solid business plans and robust growth to acquisitions and sales.
Background
Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Nyenrode Business University | Executive Master’s degree Business Valuation Erasmus University Rotterdam School of Management | Certified Blockchain technology specialist INSEAD Executive Education | Accountmanager at Van Noord Accountancy and Tax Consultancy | Chartered Accountant at Visser & Visser Accountancy and Tax Services | Chartered Accountant at Drechtsteden Accountants and Advisors | Chief Financial Officer at Ledyears B.V. | M&A, Carve-out and Financial Integration consultancy at T-Mobile Netherlands.
Personal
With Johan, nothing is left to chance. He is a thinker who thoroughly analyzes all aspects. He rapidly works out possible steps and scenarios. After assisting Peter with the sale of Ledyears, they started Value Factory together. In his scarce free time, he enjoys a solid book and a good conversation with friends. He clears his head by cycling or running, often participating in running competitions cheered on by his wife and four children.
The Value Factory
You might have a great story, but having the right market strategy and delivering it effectively is a whole different challenge. That’s where Jolanda Ravenek comes in. As CMO, Jolanda helps companies first sharpen their strategy and maximize growth opportunities. She then focuses on clearly and attractively positioning businesses to reach the right audiences, leveraging her expertise in strategy, branding, and marketing. With her experience as Marketing Director in Retail, Transformation Manager and Marketing Manager at a sustainable corporate, and as a consultant, she brings valuable insights into various types of organizations. Jolanda supports not only the strategic and marketing side but also supports with HR/People matters. For example, she helps build the right team, develop talent, and foster cultural change. This is how growth ambitions can truly be realized.
Background
Corporate Communications Erasmus University | Master International Communications Management University Utrecht | Bachelor Communications | Manager Corporate Branding Eneco | Manager Marketing & Communicatie Eneco | Programma manager Transformatie Eneco | Branding & Marketing Consultancy Ravelyn | Marketing directeur Lucardi |Head of Brand Moco Museum
Personal
Jolanda analyzes all aspects of your brand, strategy and offerings from the customer’s perspective and quickly identifies pain points. She then translates this into a creative and effective approach. Like (almost) all Value Factory colleagues, Jolanda enjoys running—whether it’s miles for fun and relaxation or keeping up with her busy household and her three children.