Ag-Tech Startup Betriebsmittelhelden From Bielefeld Gets First Round of Funding

Bielefeld, May 19, 2021 – Betriebsmittelhelden, the independent price comparison platform for farmers, announces the close of their first round of financing during which they were able to raise a six-figure sum. Using this growth capital, the ag-tech startup from Bielefeld is going to expand its e-commerce platform for the German market. Its goal – providing the agriculture industry with a sustainable and efficient e-commerce tool. Companies involved in the financing are Technologyfonds OWL, managed by EnjoyVenture, successful entrepreneurs likes the flaschenpost management, Oliver Flaskämpfer (bitcoin.de), BE-Beteiligungen, and the family company Landmaschinen Eggers. The Founders Foundation from Bielefeld is going to support the startup with its expertise.

Lasse Dumstrei, CEO and Founder: The new capital helps us to expand our services so that more farmers can make use of them. According to the idea “happy farmers on profitable farms”, Betriebsmittelhelden wants to create  room for innovation in the agriculture industry and offer every farmer in Germany both access to the market and transparent prices. We are proud that experienced investors and entrepreneurs share our vision.”

Stefan Bölte, Investmentmanger at Technologiefonds: “Betriebsmittelhelden represents a high added value for both farmers and agricultural traders. Both parties can profit highly from digitalization. The young company’s success on the market is evidence that a high demand exists in the industry. Now it’s up to the founding trio to expand their product so that they can have a lasting impact on the industry.”

Together, the founding team wants to help Germany’s agriculture go new paths and work as a driver for innovation in the industry. Thanks to the new capital, the team will expand its e-commerce platform and hire new staff, especially for the departments marketing and development, expanding the team from 7 to 20 people. The investor’s know-how and experience will help the ag-tech startup with scaling of their product.

The idea to create a digital marketplace for means of production to increase the efficiency of German farms and help them with cost-saving was developed and validated during the Founders Foundation Lab program by co-founders Lasse Dumstrei (CEO), Eike Diestelkamp (CTO), and Daniel Potthoff (CPO). In 2020, Betriebsmittelhelden, who run their own dairy farm in Steinhagen in OWL, launched their mission to create a transparent agricultural market. They are pioneering the idea of using a price comparison platform in the agriculture industry. Using the company’s digital platform, farmers can save a lot of time when buying feeding stuff, fertilizer, pesticides, fuel, or lubricants online. For farmers, Betriebsmittelhelden provide a completely new “shopping” experience with easy access to products while mainting absolute price transparency.

In 2020, the company tested its product in cooperation with a network of farmers, agricultural traders, farming associations, and agricultural machine manufacturers from the OWL region. When using the digital platform, farmers receive up to four offers in 24h and can respond online while traders get direct access to the requests. The feedback that Betriebsmittelhelden receive from farmers shows that they have hit a nerve with farmers and traders: The e-commerce platform has been available to farmers all over Germany since the beginning of the year.

Sebastian Borek, Founder of Founders Foundation: “We are glad that the team has been developing innovations for the agricultural market and adressing inefficiences in the industry out of our Lab. Lasse, Eike, and Daniel are preparing the soil for something new, especially in an industry with a lot of potential for technology-aided increase of yields. Betriebsmittelhelden are showcasing the strength of the OWL region: young entrepreneurs get early access to a network of family-run companies and world leaders from the region, as well as to experienced entrepreneurs. All of that leads to combined competencies and a way to make innovative ideas happen – together.”