Henning Dicks - CEO & Co-Founder, Agriportance
What if you could help farmers become more sustainable and give them a future perspective? While also providing a scalable solution for the energy transition? Read about how Henning Dicks and his co-founder found a crucial role for their biogas startup in this interview.
Henning Dicks - CEO & Co-Founder
As a young graduate farmer, Henning Dicks was looking for ways to make his family farm more sustainable. In his role as a journalist for the German agricultural site TopAgrar, he discovered that many biogas producers were facing the same problems: marketing their green gas and obtaining the sustainability certificates required for it. The encounter with software engineer Thorsten Rohling marked the beginning of Agriportance.
What is your startup focused on?
“Our startup specializes in biomethane, with a focus on sustainability certification and its trading. We provide sustainability certificates for the biogas industry through a user-friendly tool. Additionally, we facilitate the trading of biomethane on our platform. Our innovative business model, which started about 2.5 years ago, focuses on software management, allowing farmers to easily obtain sustainability certificates, access the latest market insights, and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Unlike other entities, we are strongly focused on software, while others act more as consultants providing services to biogas farmers.”
How is your startup perceived in the local market?
“In Germany and Austria, we are known as the experts in biomethane. Many people recognize us and view us as pioneers in the market. The increasing recognition in this short period is due to word-of-mouth referrals from farmers. Once one joined, others followed from his circle of agricultural entrepreneurs.”
What are your future plans and what innovations do you expect?
“Growth is our aim. From a team of 20 employees, we aim to expand to 40 individuals by 2024. We want to strengthen our market position with green gas in Europe and see significant opportunities in the Netherlands. Therefore, we are starting with one Sales & Business Developer who will go out in the field with me. It would be great if we could add another person in a year or two.
Regarding innovations, we are on the right track. We are experimenting with various approaches, but as a startup, it's important to be cautious not to do everything. Currently, our focus is on researching what truly interests our market.”
Is knowledge of the biogas industry essential for employees?
“No, it is not necessary. We offer internal training programs to educate new colleagues on biogas and biomethane, including commercial skills. While a background in agriculture can be beneficial, the most important factor is the drive to succeed. Since we are not very well-known in the Netherlands, it's not the easiest task. For someone who sees it as a challenge, who is eager to build something from scratch, it's a very interesting and rewarding opportunity.”
What kind of team have you assembled?
“Our team is young and international, with most members between 25 and early 30s. But even if you are older, you are welcome. We are open to diverse backgrounds and nationalities. Besides German, English is also widely spoken here. Dutch too, actually. We have noticed that many people are interested in working in this relatively new business field.”
What is the atmosphere like within the team?
"The team is close-knit, driven, and collaborative. We communicate openly and are there for each other. By sharing our plans, strategies, and targets with each other, we ensure that everyone is involved in the business. This is reflected in the results, as we are growing. Occasionally, we pause together to celebrate successes and have a beer on the balcony of our office in Münster. A few times a year, we go out together. Sometimes we visit a biogas plant, other times we relax for two days at a resort and engage in fun activities related to the world of agriportance."
Your services are quite new. Why would you want to join as an employee?
"It seems that the market in which we operate is poised for significant growth. There is a lot of interest from politics and society in what we do. If you want to work for a growing innovative team with a bright future and contribute to a greener world, then you're in the right place with us. Moreover, you are joining at the startup phase and will truly help build our market position. This means there are also opportunities for advancement for our employees. In the Netherlands, as well as elsewhere in Europe."
Ready to take the next step? Then get in touch with us.
[Published: November 2023]
