At the closing of the 9th F&A Next summit, Jord BioScience was crowned winner of the Feike Sijbesma Sustainable Innovation Award 2024, which includes a €25,000 grant prize. This prestigious award recognizes Jord BioScience’s innovative microbial technologies enhancing crop productivity. According to the jury, the company stood out for its potential significant impact in the agri-food system and the benefits for its customers.
Jord BioScience was one of ten startups selected by F&A Next to pitch their solutions to a global audience of top agrifood investors and corporates. Recognized as one of the ‘Next Heroes in Food & Agtech,’ they automatically entered the Feike Sijbesma Sustainable Innovation Award 2024 (FSSIA) competition. Named after the former DSM CEO and empowered by the DSM Brighter Living Foundation, the award promotes science-based solutions from innovative startups, providing prize money to accelerate their growth and impact.
The technology of Jord BioScience offers farmers around the world powerful tools to protect, stimulate, and nourish their crops. It develops microbial technologies that enhance performance of biologicals products for improved crop productivity. Although still in the early stages of proof points, the startup has gathered numerous data points that demonstrate clear traction and promise.
“Jord BioScience’s innovative, nature-inspired approach can lead to significant breakthroughs and their experienced team shows a thorough foundation for future growth,” said Sjoukje Heimovaara, President of the Executive Board of Wageningen University & Research (WUR) when announcing the winner on behalf of the jury and Feike Sijbesma.
Keri Carstens, CEO of Jord BioScience, was overwhelmed with joy when announced winner. “It’s amazing, it is such an honor to win this prize and to be part of this special group of people. Especially the startups that were crowned by F&A Next as true game changers in the world of food and agriculture. They are all incredible and doing great work. To even be part of this group is a true honor. We will use the award money to purchase new piece of equipment that my team really needs for specific labwork that we are doing, allowing us to further enhance our technology.”
Keri received the award cheque personally from Feike Sijbesma. Mr Sijbesma said: “It is important to stimulate disruptors in the food and agriculture sector to accelerate transition to a more sustainable food system. The ten finalists for the FSSIA all brought their vision on how to tackle this from different parts of the food value chain. I am pleased that the winner Jord Bioscience is an excellent example bringing collaborative disruption to advance microbial products and look forward to supporting them on their journey to impactful changes in the industry.”
