Located in the heart of the Woudestein Campus, Erasmus Enterprise connects the entrepreneurial community with aspiring students eager to make a significant impact. With passion and dedication, we foster innovative ideas, expand networks, and provide financial advice and support.
In this week’s Founders’ Friday series, we shine the spotlight on an innovative student-led startup that has received the Startup Voucher, a financial support product offered by Erasmus Enterprise. Their dedication to entrepreneurship and sustainability shines through their participation in the Erasmus University Challenge, a competition for startups at all stages. As one of the finalist teams, they stand out for their innovative approach. Join us as we explore their entrepreneurial journey and uncover how they aim to revolutionize the beer industry
From waste to resource, from problem to solution! Innovating with purpose, inspiring with action! Where brewing ends, innovation begins!
Overview and Mission
Hops & Co. is on a mission to make the beer brewing industry more sustainable. They achieve this by upcycling the byproducts of beer brewing into highly nutritious, sustainable flour. After collecting the spent grain from their partner breweries, they dry and mill it to produce flour. This flour is then distributed to their customers, which include local cafés, bakeries, and restaurants that use it to create a variety of goods. By doing so, Hops & Co. contributes to a circular economy, reduces waste, and helps local businesses adopt sustainable practices at an affordable price—offering their flour at a price comparable to conventional options.
Moritz Jäger and Luis Koenigs are the co-founders and team leaders of Hops & Co. Both are 20-year-old International Business students from Germany, currently expanding their team with plans to have 7-8 members by the end of September.
Initially, Moritz and Luis were part of an innovation team within Enactus, a student association at Erasmus University that serves as a startup incubator. In late 2023, along with a few former team members, they founded Hops & Co., inspired by the vast potential for upcycling spent grain, a highly nutritious byproduct. Rotterdam’s network of microbreweries, cafés, and restaurants further fueled their mission.
Through conversations with brewery representatives, Moritz and Luis discovered that waste management is often an expensive, time-consuming task that harms the environment, especially when spent grains are transported over long distances or disposed of. Even when not wasted, these byproducts are typically sent to farms for animal feed. On the customer side, they found that many local businesses want to adopt sustainable products but are often deterred by the high costs—sustainable alternatives are typically three to four times more expensive than conventional products. This is where Hops & Co. saw an opportunity: to upcycle byproducts into highly nutritious flour and offer local facilities an affordable, sustainable alternative.
To turn their vision into reality, Hops & Co. needed financial support. They quickly identified Erasmus Enterprise’s Startup Voucher as a potential funding source and decided to apply for the €2,500 voucher. During the application process, they were closely guided by Erasmus Enterprise representatives, who provided invaluable support. The team was required to outline their business model, evaluate their competitive advantage, and present a detailed plan for the voucher’s use. Shortly after submitting all necessary documents, they were thrilled to learn that they had been granted the voucher.
This achievement marks a crucial turning point for Hops & Co. Not only do Moritz and Luis feel proud and validated in their work, but they now have the means to turn Hops & Co. into a fully operational venture. The voucher will enable them to purchase professional equipment, rent a production facility, and generate their first sales.
They learned that if you are confident in an idea and truly believe in it, even when it’s still in the theoretical stage, you should share it with others. Once you dare to do so, representing your idea to potential stakeholders becomes much easier, and convincing others of your concept follows naturally. Hops & Co. took that leap of faith and have been substantially rewarded.
Insights for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
Know the customers, not just your product
Understanding customers is key to growing a business. Identify their pain points, unmet needs, and create solutions around them. If you focus on solving a real problem, there will always be customers. The best business ideas aren’t necessarily new inventions—they simply address a clear unmet need.
Networking and Relationships
Surround yourself with mentors, fellow entrepreneurs, and customers who can provide valuable feedback and support as you pursue your mission.
Get comfortable with uncertainty
There will always be things you can’t predict. Embrace uncertainty and move forward with calculated risks, rather than trying to control every aspect.
Reflecting on Journey
Not every decision Hops & Co. made turned out as planned. However, each choice was crucial for learning important skills and developing aspects of the venture that are essential today. For example, when they first experimented with brewing spent grain, they started by making granola bars. While they have since shifted their focus entirely to flour, the lessons learned from those early experiments were invaluable.
