Always spring with sustainable innovation on home soil

LIOF and SemperVere

Founders Thomas Baars (CEO) and Thijs Maathuis (CTO) tell us more: "We grow herbs and lettuces all year round. We do this without pesticides, fossil-free and climate-positive. Thus we offer a sustainable solution for the growing demand for herbs and leafy vegetables."

Fresh herbs and babyleaf: all year round

Thomas: "We converted an empty 2.5-hectare greenhouse into a closed and fully controlled cultivation site. Here we now produce more than 1 million plantlets a week, such as basil, chives and mixed babyleaf salad."

Weather or no weather: always a perfect taste

Traditional growers in open fields or greenhouses are finding it increasingly difficult to cope with climate extremes, while more and more plant protection products are (thankfully) being banned. As a result, availability and quality are increasingly compromised. Thanks to the closed greenhouse, the company has full control over growing conditions - independent of the weather. "This allows us to steer perfectly for the best taste and crunch experience," Thomas explains. "Herbs like basil have a shelf life of up to 10 days, our babyleafs even up to 3 weeks. We grow year-round on our own soil, and that too at market prices," Thijs adds. Indeed, not insignificant.

"So much more than just lettuce and herbs"

A strong cooperation for the future

Thomas and Thijs are very enthusiastic about the collaboration with LIOF: "LIOF is a sincere and substantively very involved sparring partner. Both strategically-financially, but also in areas such as commerce and organization, LIOF thinks constructively with them."

"We are already looking at new locations and opportunities
abroad"

Whoever says basil ...

SemperVere is not sitting still and is working hard on new developments. Thomas: "With support from the LIOF Participation Fund we are building an innovation hub for new developments and co-creations with partners. In addition, current customer demand far exceeds our capacity, so we are now running a crowdfunding camapgne to significantly expand our cultivation capacity in Venlo. We are doing this through DuurzaamInvesteren.nl. By choosing this financing method, everyone (both private and professional) can benefit from our growth."

Thijs: "We are also looking at new products, such as berries, leguminous and pharmaceutical crops, and new locations, including internationally. We are also investigating how we can use soft- and hardware optimization to further maximize the efficiency of the farms. We then also want to offer our knowledge to other horticultural entrepreneurs who want to start growing in a circular way."

"Sustainability must be ecologically and economically feasible"

Tips for other entrepreneurs?

Thomas certainly has them. One is, "Make sure the core of your idea is right. For us, that is a long-lasting, high-quality product that is affordable and available year-round. Sustainability is a criterion, not a goal in itself. Are you focusing only on sustainability, but not fulfilling the core of your proposition? Then the market acceptance of your product - or the price - will always come under pressure in the long run. In short, true sustainability must be ecological as well as economic. Only then will it be future-proof."

This is how the Circular Indoor Farm (CIF) responds to the 4 current transitions in Limburg

Energy

The CIF is CO2 negative. CO2 is a nutrient that is normally blown into greenhouses. To cool a greenhouse, vents are opened and 90% of the CO2 blown in escapes. Because of the CIF's closed system, the blown-in CO2 remains trapped in the system (and leaves the farm only by being absorbed by the plant). This CO2 is captured from the outside air and blown into the greenhouse in a concentrated manner.

Circularity

SemperVere gives vacant greenhouses and equipment a new purpose. The farm also fully reuses residual streams, such as substrate, water and absorbs CO2 from the outside air. And, in time, residual heat.

Health

The farm does not use plant protection products and prevents microbiological contamination. The products have a longer shelf life and retain nutritional values better. 

Digitalisation

The Circular Indoor Farm is data-driven . That means optimal control and efficiency. Scarce green fingers are not needed!

www.sempervere.com