PHW-Gruppe

The PHW Group can now look back on over 90 years of history. From a small agricultural trade with a hatchery, it has grown into a successful group of companies consisting of more than 45 subsidiaries. The family business has firmly established itself as a producer of high-quality animal and vegetable protein products in the German agricultural and food industry.

  • 1932 Founded in
  • 10.506 Employees
  • 4,033 bn € Annual revenue

The company
IN THE Poultry Sector

Today's PHW Group is based on three business areas: Poultry, Alternative Protein Sources and Health. The WIESENHOF brand - Germany's number 1 poultry brand - was established in 1965 and stands for 100 per cent poultry from Germany. The PHW Group is the number one in the poultry sector in Germany and one of the leading companies in Europe. In 1968, the initial course was set for the health business segment, and in 2018 the alternative protein sources business segment was successively expanded. The family business follows the credo ‘Growth through diversity and vision’ and understands the ‘nutritional mix of the future’ as the joint further development of the business areas. A sustainable diet with protein-rich, high-quality foods is becoming more and more of a global challenge. Proteins are essential for a healthy, balanced diet and for maintaining important bodily functions. Meeting the demand for proteins is therefore essential in every society. The Group's aim is to create a wide range of products for a conscious and balanced diet. Synergies are to be created between the Poultry and Alternative Protein Sources business segments. From the PHW Group's point of view, a healthy and balanced diet includes both animal and vegetable protein. And the consumer is offered both: High-quality poultry products and plant-based alternative products that can contribute to a nutritionally optimised diet.

For me, the Seedhouse is like a lovable, sometimes slightly chaotic family that you enjoy visiting and where you feel at home. The spirit of innovation and inspiration wafts through the old armoured halls. Improvisation and unconventional solutions seem to be omnipresent. But nobody should be fooled by this: In just a few years, the Seedhouse has developed into one of the leading start-up accelerators in the food, agriculture and digital sectors in Germany. That counts, and we can all be very proud of that!

Dr. Wolfgang Heinzl

Business Development at the PHW Group

What you should know
More about the PHW Group

In which areas are innovations particularly relevant for us?

In which areas are innovations particularly relevant for us?

As the PHW Group, we fundamentally need innovations both in our traditional poultry business and in the new business area of alternative proteins. Smart farming in poultry rearing, automation and robotics in meat processing or improved protein functionalities for our vegan meat substitutes are just some of the fields in which we are interested in innovation. Overall, it is practical solutions based on artificial intelligence that we would like to explore, without already knowing where this will lead us.

This is what we hope to achieve by working with start-ups:

This is what we hope to achieve by working with start-ups:

Start-ups need a good team, a scalable business model and a solution that meets a real need in the market. "Nice to have" is not enough. When a start-up's offer meets a real pain point, my interest and even more so that of the colleagues concerned is high. We don't expect perfect solutions, but we do want a realistic assessment of what is feasible and what is not. Irrespective of this, I have great respect for every start-up, as the founders are embarking on a journey for which an entrepreneurial spirit, the courage to take risks and a high level of commitment are essential.

What opportunities do start-ups have to cooperate with us?

What opportunities do start-ups have to cooperate with us?

We are flexible and can imagine various forms of cooperation with start-ups. It is conceivable that we could be interested in a product or technology as a potential customer, become involved as an investor or offer to collaborate on distribution and logistics. Ultimately, it is also possible that we share our knowledge and experience with start-ups as a kind of mentor.

How can start-ups benefit from working with us?

How can start-ups benefit from working with us?

Start-ups are not trapped in old ways of thinking. They take unconventional paths and are prepared to test the limits of their own resilience to ensure the success of their ideas. These qualities are not always present to the same extent in established companies. I therefore see start-ups as one of the main sources of innovation for companies like the PHW Group in the long term. Mutual appreciation and treating each other as equals are essential.

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more info about PHW-Gruppe

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