Startup Story
Marieke de Ruyter de Wildt is the founder and CEO of Open Food Chain in The Netherlands. She is a seasoned and award-winning entrepreneur with 20+ years of experience in agri-tech. Open Food Chain is focused on improving traceability, transparency and sustainability in global food supply chains. She founded the business 7 years ago and now employs about 20 people from diverse nationalities and backgrounds. Her vision is to bring the new internet to the food system and launch the first bitcoin for food.
LoA spoke to the impact-driven Marieke de Ruyter de Wildt about her vision, her mission, and her entrepreneurial growth journey to date.
What does your company do?
Open Food Chain is an enterprise-grade traceability infrastructure connecting data from farm to fork. We connect existing data systems like ERPs or a simple spreadsheet into a decentralized blockchain network through an API. As a product moves up the supply chain, Open Food Chain keeps a tamper-proof digital trail of verifiable data such as sustainability claims. Every supply chain partner has access to this data, breaking existing data silos and providing a reliable, single source of truth. This makes compliance with sustainability regulations seamless - reducing costs and complexity while enabling greater transparency and collaboration in agri-food supply chains.
“Our vision is to revolutionize the food industry by providing enterprise-grade infrastructure that ensures comprehensive traceability, enabling seamless compliance.”
“We aim to empower food businesses with reliable and efficient solutions that enhance food safety, promote sustainable practices, and build consumer trust.”
What inspired you to start your company?
The potential of web3 (the newest version of the internet) to make the food system more sustainable.
Why should anyone use your service or product?
Open Food Chain (OFC) is unique because it's an open and affordable data infrastructure. Most traceability applications in the agri-food industry are private or semi-private and expensive. This limits participation, efficiency and scalability.
OFC enables equal access and visibility to all actors in the supply chain. Data stored on the network is immutable and publicly verifiable, fostering trust, transparency, and data integrity.
OFC is also affordable, with no transaction fees and free for farmers. Because it seamlessly integrates with any data system, software, and technology, companies can easily adopt it without the need for costly system restructuring. Ensuring scalability and reducing barriers to adoption.
Tell us a little about your team:
We are a diverse team with people from all over the world and highly committed to improving our food system.
“We hope soon to venture into the African market while facilitating farmers to own their data, increase their income and adapt to this changing market.”
Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?
I've always been inspired by using technology for agricultural supply chains. Love to make things more efficient and never have a dull day. I started my career at the United Nations. For the next 10 years, I lived on all continents and worked in more than 50 countries, from Costa Rica to Vietnam. I returned to Wageningen University, leading a research team to analyse the impact of agri-food investments, working with the likes of Rabobank, Syngenta and Ahold Delhaize.
In 2014, I became the director of AgriPlace, a software company simplifying compliance processes. Three years later blockchain matured and concluded it addressed key challenges in agri-food: data ownership and data integrity. Convinced that blockchain accelerates a more sustainable food system, I founded The New Fork in 2017, which is now Open Food Chain.
What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?
Our vision is to revolutionize the food industry by providing enterprise-grade infrastructure that ensures comprehensive traceability, enabling seamless compliance. We aim to empower food businesses with reliable and efficient solutions that enhance food safety, promote sustainable practices, and build consumer trust.
We hope soon to venture into the African market while facilitating farmers to own their data, increase their income and adapt to this changing market.
What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?
Solving a real problem and making a unique solution from scratch.
What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?
Invest in a good network of entrepreneurs and go for it. You don't need to have it all figured out and ready to start. Just try it, failure is fine!
Find out more:
Email: Marieke@openfoodchain.com
Website: http://www.openfoodchain.com
Why LoA loves it…
In today’s world, ensuring food security, safety, and sustainability is key. The need to find effective and environmentally sensitive solutions has never been more important, and more challenging. But founder, Marieke de Ruyter de Wildt, is looking to make an impact with her enterprise-grade traceability infrastructure, connecting data from farm to fork. She is empowering food businesses with reliable and efficient solutions that enhance food safety, promote sustainable practices, and build consumer trust. A high growth, high impact business to watch over the coming months and years. — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo, Lionesses of Africa