Eindhoven / De Lier / Amsterdam (NL), 27 januari 2023

AgTech Group Kind Technologies attracts growth capital from Avedon Capital Partners. The parties will invest in the future growth of the company and its international expansion within the horticulture greenhouse market.

Kind Technologies is a frontrunner in providing a complete and cutting-edge portfolio of internal logistics, sorting, and packing solutions for the horticulture market. Kind is active internationally with its companies Crux Agribotics and Martin Stolze, from its headquarters in The Netherlands.

Growing demand for technology and automation within the greenhouse horticulture market worldwide
Rising labor costs and scarcity, the importance of food safety, quality and traceability and the use of data for growing fruits and vegetables, are important drivers for the further automation and digitization of greenhouses worldwide. With its Robotics, Computer Vision, Data & AI technologies, Kind Technologies enables greenhouse growers and packing centers to increase yields, reduce waste and control growth of fruits, vegetables and plants in a more predictable, sustainable and future proof manner. Kind has developed the award-winning SortiPack® system for fully automatic grading, sorting and packing of fruits and vegetables.

Building a leading AgTech group
After having pivoted the last decade towards a 100% AgTech focus, Kind Technologies is ready for the next phase of growth. ‘The momentum we experience to deploy automation technology and robotics in an accelerated pace, is the reason why we started to engage with a new partner’, says Alex E. Kind, CEO & Co-Founder of the group. ‘We are very happy to have found a strong partner in Avedon that sees the same opportunity and necessity as we do to disrupt the way plants, fruits and vegetables are grown today, and has a similar drive and ambition. Their experience in scaling will enable us to accelerate our expansion in offering and international service delivery’.

Accelerated growth
Fueled by the ambition to automate the complete process from crop harvest to packed product, Avedon and Kind Technologies will focus on the expansion and development of the product and technology portfolio. The company will further build its international sales and service organization and scale up the production processes and facilities for the next phase of growth. At Kind, people work from a strong purpose, and the team and unique company culture, continue to be the driver of Kind’s success. The organic growth path ahead will be accelerated with selected buy and build opportunities that would provide complementary IP and technologies as well as market access. ‘We are honored and excited to support Alex, Richard and the strong teams at Crux and Martin Stolze on the promising growth journey ahead’, says Emily Jeffries, partner at Avedon, ‘Kind Technologies’ engineering talent, innovative culture and unmatched product and service portfolio give Kind a great position to accelerate their meaningful impact’.

Be Kind to the World
Kind Technologies intends to remain world-leading in horticulture technology by leveraging synergies within the group. ‘The combined experience in high-tech multidisciplinary R&D from Brainport based Crux Agribotics with the experience in handling of horticultural products from Westland’s Martin Stolze provides a unique fundament for the future’, says Richard Vialle, Co-Founder of the group. ‘We feel the inspiration and conviction within our growing teams to change the way how plants, fruits and vegetables are grown, handled and packed with data driven automation technologies. We call this mission: Be Kind to the World’.
FLTR: Alex E. Kind, Richard Vialle, Emily Jeffries and Rogier Luttjeboer

ABOUT Kind Technologies
Kind Technologies is an IP focused AgTech group specialized in Robotics, Computer Vision, data and AI. With over 150 highly educated employees, primarily engineers, and technicians we operate worldwide as an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) in the greenhouse horticulture industry. We develop our systems and IP (intellectual property) inhouse and deliver these turn-key around the globe including value added integration and support services. Together we enable a world where plants, fruits and vegetables are better distributed, and advanced automation technology addresses overall resource scarcity.
Leading brands within our group are: Crux Agribotics and Martin Stolze

ABOUT Avedon Capital Partners
Avedon is a leading mid-market private equity firm in the Benelux and DACH-region, supporting founders or management teams of niche market leaders to realize their ambitious growth plans through organic growth, international expansion and/or a
buy-and-build strategy. The Avedon team is based in Amsterdam and Düsseldorf. Avedon seeks opportunities in niches within four sectors: i) smart industries, ii) software & technology, iii) consumer & health, and iv) business services.
For more information, visit: www.avedoncapital.com