This was the start of the Food Pioneers Program 2026

Nineteen selected startups have started the program in which they will work on their next stage of growth. During the first two program days, the energy was palpable from the very first moment. The group of founders came together to get to know each other, and the first sharp choices were made right away. Where do you stand as an entrepreneur? Where is your biggest growth opportunity? And what needs to happen to nail the pitch event on 8 October?

Day 1: Connecting for Collaboration

At the sunny Energy Up estate in Zeewolde, the first program day revolved around connection. It was all about understanding who you are entering this journey with, so you can make the most of it together. The group was immediately challenged to take the stage and become visible. The participants lined up outside based on age, place of residence and entrepreneurial experience. After that, it was time for a short pitch with peer feedback. What stood out were both the clear differences and the clear similarities within the group. There was a wide age range, with the youngest participant being 25 and the oldest 53. But the drive and ambition were present across the board.

“The buy-in of the whole group. Everyone was engaged and it made it very enjoyable.” Layth Massoud, Fil Foods

In the afternoon, the participants explored their personal strengths and pitfalls through core quadrants. They gained a clearer view of how their qualities show up in their entrepreneurship, and where they may sometimes get in their own way. The day ended with a clear goal and practical tools to move towards that goal together.

Day 2: Foundations for Growth

Where Day 1 focused on the entrepreneur, Day 2 was fully dedicated to the food startup itself. At the new Food Pioneers office in the city centre of Almere, the participants worked with venture developer Tim de Kraker from Gritd on one central question: where do you really stand, and what is your next step?

Using the Startup Framework, it became very clear where the bottlenecks are. Customers, revenue, team, capital, business model: everything was brought to the table. Together with Leon Buter and Rob Dal from Horizon, partner organisation of the Food Pioneers Program, the participants looked at what the outcomes mean for their next growth step.

That requires making sharp choices. What is your most important “job to be done”? Where should your focus be right now? And what do you leave aside (for the time being) in order to grow more consistently?

In the afternoon, the focus shifted to product-market fit. After all, a good product alone is not enough. Growth also requires a clear market, a strong story and a sharp route to customers and investors. The group ended the day with one clear development milestone, a key result and concrete actions to match.

Towards the pitch event

With this foundation in place, the participants will continue building over the coming months. During the next program day, they will work on funding, pitch decks and PR.

Step by step, the group is working towards the finale: the pitch event on 8 October 2026. There, the startups will present their companies to a jury, investors and a room full of food professionals. Three participants will also have the chance to receive growth capital of at least € 50,000.

Want to see which startups will help shape the food sector in the years ahead? Then 8 October is the moment to meet them live.

Stay tuned!

Over the coming months, we will share more updates about the Food Pioneers Program 2026 and the growth of the participating startups. Want to stay up to date and attend the pitch event on 8 October? Leave your details at the bottom of this page and you’ll be the first to hear when registration opens.