For his start as an entrepreneur, Rien Kamman worked for the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) for nearly 10 years. 'There I had decision support systems “building for typically large industries,” Kamman explains. “I saw that with the right AI applications, you can create a great deal of value—for example, for an aircraft fleet or a steel producer—but at a certain point, that also frustrated me. Such powerful technology—why was it used so little for applications with social value?”
That question wouldn’t let him go. In 2020, he and his business partner Ernst van Bruggen resigned from their jobs and spent a year traveling through the Westland region, exploring together. “It definitely gave me some gray hair,” he laughs. “Because at one point, I only had two months’ worth of savings left, but I still had a mortgage and two kids. Fortunately, the risk paid off: we secured our first investments right on time.”
AI in the greenhouse
Thus, the Source.ag was founded that same year. The Agriculture Technology (AgTech) scaleup develops AI and data systems that help greenhouse growers optimize their production. “We use plant biology simulations that take into account different seed varieties, genetics, and locations,” says Kamman. “Our software supports growers in making key decisions such as determining the optimal start of the growing season, harvest timing, and cultivation strategies—without requiring an investment in new hardware.”
“By combining existing greenhouse technology with our AI-driven insights, we help growers maximize their output with minimal resources,” says Kamman. “We focus specifically on professional greenhouse growers who are already accustomed to high-quality technology but still base their decisions largely on experience.”
From experience to data
“Our systems enable growers to reach optimal results more quickly in new situations,” says Kamman. “For example, a Dutch tomato grower expanding into France doesn’t have to spend years experimenting to find the ideal growing strategy for that different sunlight profile: our software can simulate various scenarios risk-free. We bridge the gap between the pieces of the academic research puzzle and practical knowledge. We capture that in software and systems that make it scalable.”
Taking a fundamentally different approach to food production
For Kamman, it’s part of an underlying intrinsic motivation. “Source.ag exists because access to fruits and vegetables should be a basic right, but that’s not the case right now,” says Kamman. “With 800 million people not getting enough calories and 3 billion people lacking adequate access to fruits and vegetables—even in Europe and North America—we need to fundamentally rethink how we approach food production.”
A billion dollar company
That social mission is also reflected in strong growth figures. Source.ag currently supports 300 growers in approximately 18 countries, who together produce one billion kilograms of fruits and vegetables for some 60 million consumers. And in four years, Source.ag has raised 37 million euros through three rounds of funding.
But the ambition goes further, says Kamman. “We want to move as quickly as possible toward a billion dollar company that reaches a billion people positively. “Maybe it’s the inner American speaking through me, thanks to my two years in New York, but I think we should dare to dream bigger sometimes. At Source.ag, we have the ambition to become the first Dutch AgTech unicorn—but one that has a positive impact on the world.”
“That also makes it very straightforward. It’s not about doing something really bad for the world and then making the occasional donation. If we achieve our goal, it means we’ll have a positive impact on farmers’ incomes as well as on food productivity. Revenue is nothing more than delivering value to your customers, and them being willing to give a little of that value back.”
Constant transformation
Growing from two to one hundred employees in four years requires constant adaptation. “You’re effectively a different company every six to nine months,” says Kamman. “We started in a small office in the corner of the first floor, and were able to expand a little bit at a time as we grew. Now we’re on the fourth floor in a large office. That flexibility was indispensable, because as a startup, you never know exactly how fast you’re going to grow.”
That growth does require a certain mindset, says Kamman. “You have to be willing to quickly accept that it’s no longer the same company. In the beginning, I was a founder; now I’m a CEO, responsible for 100 employees and 300 clients. I really enjoy that, but it’s also the challenge. You have to keep reinventing yourself every six to nine months.”
The Netherlands' Pioneering Role
From his office in Amsterdam, Kamman looks beyond the growth of his own company. He sees a key role for the Netherlands in addressing the challenge of global food security. “We’re known for our innovative solutions in hydraulic engineering and water management, but we also have so many seed breeders, hardware manufacturers, greenhouse builders, climate control systems, and sensors here.”
“We have all the pieces of the puzzle right here to make a global impact on food security,” Kamman concludes. “We can’t do it alone, but the Netherlands can play a pioneering role in helping those three billion people.”
