CONQUERING THE MARKET WITH CUSTOMIZED SPECIALTY BEER.

From course module to UT Challenge, and onward to student societies, living rooms and bars: the brewers at Hops & Grains : The Personal Brewing Company still have a long way to go, but they are determined and incredibly motivated. “Our ambition? We want to be the new Booking.com or Thuisbezorgd.nl,” Teun Evers, one of a team of five student entrepreneurs behind the startup, exclaims excitedly.

The University of Twente is a fertile breeding ground for spin-off companies; many among them innovative high-tech affairs. Startup Hops & Grains, contrary to expectations, chose to work with an existing product – specialty craft beer – and make it even more ‘special’ by customizing everything from the beer right down to the packaging. “You’ll be able to order your very own beer from us, pick only the ingredients you like, and even design your own label for the bottles,” Yorick Bosch explains. “One month later, you will get your crate of custom beers delivered to your doorstep. Over the course of the brewing process, we’ll send updates, so you can work up interest among your friends. This is why we’re calling it Hops & Grains: The Personal Brewing Company.”

@Novel-T

The Startup Accelerator Program devised by Novel-T will help them through their company’s early stages. This program provides startups with the opportunity to meet with a team of business developers each month to pitch their plans and ask questions. “Novel-T’s support certainly won’t go amiss,” says Yorick. “The help with legal matters, for instance, is greatly appreciated – and of course things like the many contacts business developers can put us in touch with.”

Do you have the ambition to start your own company and do you have an innovative idea for it? Take a look at our possibilities to develop your startup idea.