On 17 September 2024, the new de:hub Agrifood Osnabrück-Hannover was launched as part of the Startup Germany Summit Berlin. An important milestone for the region and confirmation of Lower Saxony's central role in the digital transformation of the agricultural and food industry. With the de:hub status, Osnabrück-Hanover will become a key location in a national network of innovation centres that focus on the development and promotion of forward-looking technologies.
The de:hub Agrifood Osnabrück-Hannover stands for the shared vision of a sustainable and digital transformation of the global agricultural and food industry. The partners - Seedhouse, RootCamp, Agrotech Valley Forum and DIL Deutsches Institut für Lebensmitteltechnik e.V. - are joining forces to create a unique ecosystem. The aim is to bring innovative solutions to the market faster and ensure the competitiveness of the region and Germany. The aim is to make the agricultural and food industry a pioneer on an international level. Lower Saxony's Minister of Economic Affairs, Olaf Lies, emphasised: ‘With the de:hub AgriFood, Lower Saxony has a new start-up lighthouse, which not only strengthens our regional economy, but also establishes us as an international hub for innovations in agriculture and food production. This is thanks to the extraordinary commitment of our start-up ecosystem and the successful collaboration of our partners.’
The dawn of a new era in agriculture
In this community, Osnabrück-Hanover will become a central location for innovations in the agricultural and food industry. ‘We are embarking on an exciting journey as partners and are looking forward to exchanging ideas and collaborating with the existing and new hubs,’ emphasises Florian Stöhr, Managing Director of the Seedhouse. ‘Our vision is to use our combined expertise to drive the digital transformation of the agricultural industry and develop sustainable solutions for global challenges. Lower Saxony and Germany therefore have the potential to become an international hotspot for agrifood innovations.’
About the de:hubs
The Digital Hub Initiative of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK) has been connecting start-ups, established companies, science and investors since 2017 in order to promote the digital transformation in Germany. The current twelve hubs each focus on specific industry and technology focal points and help to strengthen Germany's competitiveness as a centre of innovation. The hubs serve as platforms that enable close collaboration between different players and sectors and promote innovations that have an international impact.
About the partners
The success of the de:hub Agrifood Osnabrück-Hannover is based on the strong partnership between four key players, each with extensive expertise and resources:
- Seedhouse (Osnabrück): Since its foundation in 2018, Seedhouse has established itself as a central innovation centre for agricultural, food and digital start-ups in Lower Saxony. With broad support from 32 shareholder companies, including Agravis, Coppenrath & Wiese and PHW, Seedhouse offers comprehensive consulting and funding programmes. Over 200 start-ups have already benefited from this platform, which builds a bridge between young companies and established market leaders. Seedhouse not only offers access to valuable networks, but also to funding opportunities and strategic advice, which are crucial for the success of start-ups.
- RootCamp (Hanover): As a leading innovation centre for AgTech and bioeconomy, RootCamp offers tailored programmes that support startups at all stages of development. The centre works closely with large companies such as K+S and KWS to quickly bring innovative solutions to market and scale them internationally. The RootCamp combines the strengths of German industry with the agility of start-ups and thus promotes the development of disruptive technologies that sustainably transform the agricultural value chain.
- Agrotech Valley Forum (Osnabrück): The network is a leading player in the digital transformation of agriculture. The Agrotech Valley Forum promotes technology transfer through close cooperation between science and practice. It pools the strengths of leading agricultural systems technology companies and supports innovative research and development projects. The forum works to develop sustainable and efficient technologies that can serve as a global benchmark for the future of agriculture.
- DIL (Quakenbrück): The German Institute of Food Technologies (DIL) is one of the leading research institutions in food technology and plays a central role in the development of sustainable and innovative production methods, the processing of alternative proteins and the development of AI-supported process technology. With a team of around 200 experts, the DIL develops innovative solutions to increase the sustainability, safety and efficiency of the global food system. By working closely with industry, the DIL supports technology transfer and promotes the international competitiveness of the German agricultural and food industry.
Charlotte Große-Rechtien
Project Lead Marketing & Events
Osnabrück | 04.12.2025
The innovate! Zukunftsdialog held last week attracted around 400 visitors to the Coppenrath Innovation Center in Osnabrück. The first joint congress organized by Seedhouse and agrarzeitung provided both substantive and conceptual impulses.
Osnabrück | 28.07.2025
Last week, Minister for Economic Affairs Grant Hendrik Tonne visited Seedhouse in Osnabrück – with a symbolic funding check for €500,000 per year, provided by the state of Lower Saxony and co-financed by the ERDF program.
Osnabrück & Frankfurt | 01.07.2025
The dfv Media Group and Seedhouse are merging their two events, “innovate!convention” and “Future Dialogue on Agriculture and Nutrition.” For years, “innovate!” has brought together the most innovative start-ups in the AgriFood scene in German-speaking countries.
