The plant and flower industry is one of the few places where the startup scene hasn’t really flourished yet. Let it Grow has the ambition to change this. Let it Grow is looking for initiatives and startups, who want to positively influence the city life through flowers and plants. For example plants that generate electricity or a chemogarden where cancer patients undergo their chemotherapy. Everybody who has a great idea or concept can apply, and will be guided by team of experts.
The application period starts today. The open innovation call’s theme is health & wellbeing. The goal is to start a social movement out of the Netherlands with innovations that make cities and their inhabitants healthier and happier with flowers and plants. A skilled jury will select the initiatives that are going to be supported and coached in the green and colourful Let it Grow Lab in Amsterdam. From October, they will participate in a bespoke incubation programme that will last for five months. Let it Grow, together with Royal FloraHolland, will open up its international network and expertise. To realize their concepts, €100,000 in funding is available to the teams. Its important to note that the participating startups don’t have to give up any equity. The application deadline is September 10, 2016.
Let it Grow as a platform is developed by Royal FloraHolland, the largest flower auction house in the world with over 100 years of expertise in the industry. The founder of Let it Grow is Silke Tijkotte, a 28-year-old female entrepreneur that managed to realize her dream by convincing Royal FloraHolland of her plans: “Young urban consumers have a sustainable and conscious lifestyle. Let it Grow thinks that plants and flowers are a natural fit here. As a response, Let it Grow is uniting the floricultural world and the (startup) world to seize the opportunities that arise as a result.”
