Royal Dutch Jaarbeurs is acquiring the innovation platform Foodbytes from Rabobank. Since 2015, Foodbytes has been an international hub for startups, corporates, and investors active in the agri and food sectors. The platform brings together stakeholders working on areas such as regenerative agriculture, alternative protein production, robotics and automation in farming, and innovations in seaweed production. The acquisition was announced today at VIV Europe 2026, the international agritech exhibition currently taking place at Jaarbeurs.
Jaarbeurs has been active worldwide in the agri and food sector for over forty years through VIV Worldwide, a global network of events. Jeroen van Hooff, CEO of Royal Dutch Jaarbeurs:
“With Foodbytes, we are making a significant step forward in creating digital opportunities for our community in this sector. Live encounters are and will remain crucial; with Foodbytes, we are also expanding our online offering of relevant meeting spaces for decision-makers, investors and entrepreneurs. It is not only part of our digital strategy, but also of the further development of our position in this sector. With Foodbytes, we gain insights and knowledge that we can share with the food and agri community to support their growth. Rabobank and Jaarbeurs know each other as trusted and inspiring partners—and we are literally neighbors in Utrecht. We are therefore very pleased to continue our collaboration, including in the context of Foodbytes.”
Foodbytes has grown rapidly in recent years and is now ready to enter its next phase of growth. Roland van der Vorst, Strategic Advisor of the Board of Rabobank and as former Head of Innovation responsible for launching Foodbytes: “It is impressive how the Foodbytes team has grown from a physical event into a fully-fledged international digital innovation platform. As Rabobank, we are proud of what we have developed, and we also see that Foodbytes has greater potential to grow beyond the confines of a strictly regulated financial institution. With Jaarbeurs, we have found the ideal partner to achieve this: we will continue to work closely with Foodbytes as a strategic partner, and the combination of digital and physical events holds great promise.”
For media inquiries and further information, please contact:
Lida Kokkini – Senior Marketing Manager VNU Europe
lida@vnueurope.com
For more information and visual materials: persinfo@jaarbeurs.nl
About Foodbytes | Foodbytes started in 2015 as a pitch competition for promising food and agri startups. In recent years, it has evolved into a collaborative innovation platform that helps companies and investors work with startups and scale-ups. Rabobank will remain closely involved with Foodbytes as a strategic partner.
Royal Dutch Jaarbeurs | Royal Dutch Jaarbeurs organizes and facilitates trade fairs, conferences, and events, based in Utrecht. With over 110 years of experience, Jaarbeurs creates meaningful live encounters where people and ideas come together. From its home base in Utrecht, Royal Dutch Jaarbeurs combines its strong position in the Netherlands with international activities through VNU Exhibitions Europe, VNU Asia Pacific, and VIV Worldwide. Under the tagline We Are Live, the organization enhances physical events with digital experiences and smart technology to create value for visitors and partners 365 days a year.
About VNU Group | VNU Group is a globally operating exhibition company with offices in Utrecht (VNU Europe), Shanghai (VNU Asia), and Bangkok (VNU Asia Pacific). VNU Group is part of the Royal Dutch Jaarbeurs and represents its international exhibition business outside of the Netherlands. Each VNU office runs a portfolio of exhibition and conference brands with professional expertise on specific markets and industries. The Agri-food exhibition portfolio is a core business in all three VNU regional offices. Other VNU Group main event sectors include Tech, Lifestyle, Construction, Lifesciences and Biotech, and more.
About VNU Europe | VNU Europe is a subsidiary company of Royal Dutch Jaarbeurs with its base in Utrecht, at the heart of the Netherlands and only 30 minutes from Amsterdam. The VNU Europe office is located within the extensive Jaarbeurs complex. The international team of VNU Europe is wholly involved in the agrifood sector focusing on the organization of worldwide industry events such as VIV and Horti Agri Next. For more information, visit www.vnueurope.com
About Royal Jaarbeurs | Royal Jaarbeurs was founded in 1916 to promote trade and industry. Now more than 105 years later, this ambition still forms the foundation of Jaarbeurs. Jaarbeurs organizes and facilitates the most diverse (international) events. From meetings, workshops and training courses to conferences, business events, award ceremonies, shows and large-scale events and exhibitions. Every year, some 2.3 million visitors find their way to Jaarbeurs. Engaging valuable connections is at the heart of everything Jaarbeurs does. Live and online.
