BL.INC is the startup accelerator for entrepreneurs who want to innovate in the fields of healthy and safe food, future farming or bio-circular economy. The new edition starts on Oct. 31! By participating in BL.INC you increase your chances of success and accelerate the growth of your company. Moreover, you can take advantage of the innovative agri food community at Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo.

Eveline Wijnhoven (Business Developer BL.INC at Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo) and Sjaak Berden (Business Developer at LIOF) will tell you more.

Purpose and set-up

Sjaak: "With BL.INC we want to support and help innovative companies active around the Brightlands campus in Venlo to grow (further). You often see startups/scale-ups get stuck somewhere in the process or towards the market. This can be on many fronts, for example in team organization, a piece of product development, market validation or not knowing at all where to find funding.'

Eveline: "It's a 12-week entrepreneurial journey. In the broadest sense, we are going to grasp the facets of entrepreneurship. Think about strategic support (such as business model canvas and value proposition) and team development. But also connecting to the right parties: the investment landscape is very large, who can you turn to at what point?"

From the innovative entrepreneur with a new idea to a company that is already a little further along: BL.INC is there for entrepreneurs who need help finding their way in the big forest of entrepreneurs, investors and partners. Startup incubation programs often have someone standing in front of the class like a teacher. Instead, we chose to set up a program where partners and experts in the ecosystem rotate in.

During knowledge sessions and workshops you will work on your business in an active way. Here you can immediately connect with the parties from the ecosystem, because as the experts they bring that knowledge and workshops. Giving substance to the community and the ecosystem in such a tangible way, that is the power of BL.INC. We are not going to tell you what to do, but we connect you directly to the network and the chain that is important to you.'

Fixed themes

Sjaak: 'The program is thematic. Every week there is a recurring theme on the agenda. From intellectual property to what does the funding landscape look like for a startup.'

Eveline: 'But also how to sell yourself (including perfect pitch and marketing), how to set up your company in a good way, how to make sure you are scalable, how to connect with others and how to get people moving. We tap all those elements during the 12-week program. It really is an entrepreneurial journey.'

Three Pillars

Three pillars make tangible what the BL.INC program stands for:

We Care As a business, you don't always allow yourself the rest and time, because you are "on" 24/7 and want to move forward immediately in an upward trend. We care stands for (self) reflection. With us you will find the peace and space. We actually have a workplace for you on campus. And we make sure you stay focused. That is essential for a company!

We Connect On campus, we have a great community that includes business, education and government. Startups from the former BL.INC program are also present. By "connecting" with these parties, you can start to broaden your network. Very interesting to see who is in your chain and who can help you further.

We Innovate We use shared facilities here. Startups don't always have the facilities to do what they would like to do at the time. Think for example of a test lab or research by the educational institutions on campus. We do have those facilities and you can connect to them. Moreover, you get the tools to grow your business now, but also to make it future-proof.

Eveline: "It is very important that you spend the time you have well. Normally you would have to look for yourself. That takes a lot of time, especially networking. Here you end up in a tube where you find all that. So you also end up being much more efficient. We solve those pain points.'

Sjaak: 'Another important addition: you also learn from other participants, because you often run into the same challenges. That is really an added value, sharing experiences with like-minded people.'

Eveline: 'You are indeed not alone, you do it together with the whole community. And you stay connected. The moment you leave the incubation program here, we don't let you go.'

For whom?

Sjaak: "BL.INC is for innovative entrepreneurs who want to start or grow a business in the North Limburg region. Your startup or scale-up must connect to the three themes of the campus: future farming, healthy and safe food or biocircular economy. Crossovers in the chain, such as (fresh) logistics and (manufacturing) industry can also participate.'

By whom?

BL.INC is organized by Regio Noord-Limburg, Rabobank, LIOF and Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo.