Global Alliance of Horticulture Regions meets Start & Scale-Ups

Stan Aanhane is co-founder and CTO of Bionomic. Drawing on his background in Biomolecular Sciences and research experience in molecular modification and manufacturing, he combines in-depth scientific knowledge with a keen eye for technological innovation .

As CTO, he drives Bionomic's innovation and technological development. He works on scaling up biotechnological processes, safeguarding research quality, and preparing Bionomic's technology for market application. What sets him apart: translating complex scientific issues into concrete solutions and bringing technology from the laboratory to practice.

Desh Ramnath is a serial entrepreneur and ecosystem architect, driven by innovation, collaboration, and systemic impact.

After founding and scaling his own ventures, Desh expanded his scope across industries and even into politics. These experiences shaped a clear conviction: meaningful innovation does not happen in silos, but through well-designed ecosystems that connect people, technology, capital, and value chains.

Curious about how younger generations and the emerging economy approached entrepreneurship, Desh entered the innovation space as a mentor at UtrechtInc. From there, he went on to design and support startup ecosystems across the globe. His journey came full circle when the Municipality of Westland invited him into the Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) domain—reconnecting him with both his professional interests and his roots as a Dutch citizen of Indian origin, born in ’s-Gravenzande.

What began as an exploration quickly evolved into a mission. Inspired by the transformative potential of horticulture, Desh became deeply engaged with entrepreneurs in the food and flower industries. Together with Mart Valstar (Best Fresh Group), he initiated strategic conversations with the Municipality of Westland, ultimately leading to the creation of HortiHeroes—an innovation acceleration platform for the global Food & Flower ecosystem.

Alongside close collaborators Bas Allart and Roel Raatgever, Desh co-founded HortiHeroes and built the team that successfully scaled the platform to its next phase. During this period, he was invited by fellow Entrepreneur-in-Residence Maren Schoormans to co-develop the international strategy of Dutch Greenhouse Delta, supporting its global ambitions in CEA technology. What was intended as a short engagement evolved into several years in which Desh fulfilled multiple strategic and leadership roles within the organization.

These experiences converged into a new venture, Horizon11—a strategic advisory company focused on accelerating impact through collaboration, innovation, and purposeful ecosystem design.

While remaining active across multiple ventures and industries, Desh firmly believes that AgriFood is a key enabler of healthy living on a healthy planet. It is one of the few industries where commercial success and positive global impact truly align. This belief, combined with his experience and ambition, led him to join the HortiScience Innovation Center.

Returning to the role of a starting entrepreneur, Desh looks forward to creating value once again—building the future of AgriFood innovation from the ground up. 

Peter van Hooft, Head of Project Development EMEA at Skytree, leads the development of direct air capture (DAC) projects across Europe, the Middle East, Africa. He focuses on advancing local CO₂ generation solutions for industries including indoor farming, CDR and Power-to-X projects, greenhouses, and mineralization, supporting the transition away from fossil fuel-based CO₂ supply. Drawing on his experience in innovation strategy and public-private collaborations, Peter helps create scalable pathways for cleaner industrial processes.