Startup in Residence 

Whether it's sorting waste, the impact of climate change or cycling safety in the rural areas; the Northern Netherlands offers plenty of challenges. That's why in the Startup in Residence program we are connecting public organizations with ambitious startups.

Startup in Residence is a 6-month programme where you are intensively coached and trained. Our partners and challenge owners act as launching customers for the most promising solutions.

Harkboot.nl

Harkboot.nl's raking methodology removes rooting aquatic plants, including exotics, in the most ecologically sound way possible. This edition of Startup in Residence, they are collaborating with the Province of Fryslân. Harkboot.nl solves several challenges: "The raking method is a solution for controlling certain native and exotic rooting unwanted aquatic plants. Think of Yellow Plump and Reed or Water Fan and Uneven-leaved Featherweed. In this way, we make waters more fishable, improve long-term water flow and make boating or swimming easier," explains co-founder Leon Sterk.

Green Caravan

The startup enters the market as an e-Mobility Service Provider in late 2021 with the only charging pass that tracks the CO2 emissions of your charging sessions. By now, more than 1,000 charging cards are already in circulation. The next step is to realise fossil-free charging squares for electric cars and trucks. Founder Ferry Tap looks ahead: "Our ambition is to have 5 charging squares operational by the end of 2024, and then to scale up to a European fossil-free charging network." This edition of Startup in Residence Noord-Nederland, they are working with the Province of Drenthe to enable a Green Caravan charging plaza in the north of the Netherlands.

Techmaps

This startup is now in its growth and development phase. "In recent years, we have mapped overgrown aquatic plant populations for area managers in the IJsselmeer region. Based on this collaboration and experience, we have developed our products; overview maps of current aquatic plant populations, a mowing app that allows mowing with greater efficiency, and waterplanten.nu, a free app for water sports enthusiasts that allows them to bypass the plants. At this stage of our business, we want to grow," shares founder Chris de Graaff. A nice next step is the collaboration within Startup in Residence with Province of Groningen, where boats on the Oldambtmeer get stuck in the water plants with their keel or propeller.

BioScope

BioScope is now active in the market with several information services for farmers and advisors. Developer Rinus Vijftigschild and founder Tamme van der Wal share, "We have a soil and crop monitoring app called FieldScout, we provide irrigation advice (also through FieldScout) and we have a harvest forecasting service especially for broccoli growers." The reason for collaborating with Province of Fryslân on reducing nitrogen emissions this edition of Startup in Residence Northern Netherlands: "The province's request to help farmers and contractors reduce emissions fits us very well. We have information resources available and it is also a very relevant need among farmers."

ScoutinScience

This startup has now been active for 3 years and works in demonstration/pilot projects with a number of university and applied sciences clients. ScoutinScience collaborates within Startup in Residence with NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences and Campus Groningen, where the question is how they stimulate innovative entrepreneurship and actively facilitate business. Startup ScoutinScience shares, "We aim to create a sustainable innovation ecosystem that stimulates economic growth and social progress in the Northern Netherlands, by leveraging the complementarity of the campuses in Groningen and Friesland, and engaging researchers, students, businesses and industries in the region through an online platform."

DroneQ Robotics

Robotics, artificial intelligence and electrification are taking an increasing role in our private and business lives. "With DroneQ, we have now reached the point where we can effectively enter the market with the solution at the heart of our proposition, Autonomous Asset Integrity Management System (AAIMS). We have already done this in recent years as separate services, such as drone inspections, inspections with underwater robots and unmanned vessels but never before as integral AAIMS," explains founder John Troch. A nice next step is the collaboration within Startup in Residence with Groningen Seaports on autonomous port inspection.