“From pioneering to professionalising”, Matthea Rijneker reflects on her first six months as CEO of Ledgnd

At Ledgnd, 2025 was a year of change. Not only within the MyLedgnd platform, but also within the organisation itself, which went through a clear strategic shift. Midway through the year, Matthea stepped in as CEO, with the task of building on the foundation of recent years and preparing Ledgnd for its next phase of growth.

“Ledgnd started as a group of pioneers with a strong idea and a lot of energy,” says Matthea. “Over the past few years, that has evolved into a strategic shift, a mature product, a growing team and international customers. My role is to organise that growth and accelerate the adoption of plant feedback, without losing our innovative and entrepreneurial character.”

The development of MyLedgnd also required a different organizational setup. In just a few years, Ledgnd has grown from a startup into a scale-up, with more customers, more projects, and a greater responsibility across the value chain.

“That calls for different choices than in the early days,” says Matthea. “We’ve expanded the team with expertise in plant physiology and product development, and internally we’ve added more structure to how we organize projects and set priorities. We now work much more with clear rhythms and roles, without losing the speed and flexibility of our startup phase.

“That growth even led us to open a second location in Utrecht this year, creating more space for the team and more opportunities to scale further.”

This organizational growth goes hand in hand with the further development of MyLedgnd. New modules and functionalities are continuously added. Over the past year, this has included the integration of CF2GO, the development and integration of the Light Spectrum sensor in collaboration with Aranet, and the visualization of KNMI weather data within the platform. In addition, we are building AI modules that support growers in making more targeted and better-informed decisions, allowing the platform to increasingly function as a practical co-pilot in daily cultivation.

“New modules almost never originate solely at the drawing board,” Matthea explains. “They emerge from conversations with growers, experts and partners: what challenges are you facing, which questions remain unanswered, and what needs to be visible at a glance?”

Ultimately, all of these developments revolve around one central figure: the grower. Everything we build must help them gain faster, clearer and more confident insight into what is happening in the greenhouse and how to steer accordingly.

Looking back on her first six months as CEO, Matthea mainly sees how strong the foundation is that Ledgnd can build on, both organizationally and at product level. Her focus is on continuing to strengthen the team and further developing the product.
“A strong platform isn’t built with code alone, but with people who dare to ask questions, stay curious, and genuinely want to understand what’s happening in the greenhouse. That’s something we want to protect and build on in the years ahead.”

According to Matthea, that development is essential to remain an organization that grows alongside its customers’ ambitions, especially in a sector that demands sustainability and smart use of technology. In that context, Ledgnd aims to be one thing above all: a stable partner that helps growers take the next step with confidence.

“The challenges in greenhouse horticulture are significant,” Matthea concludes. “But I see every day how much resilience and craftsmanship there is in this sector. If, with MyLedgnd, we can help unlock that strength even further, then we’re doing what we stand for.”