Operator-led AgTech & Deep-Tech Advisory
Hands-on advisory from a founder who has built, funded and exited four deep-tech companies. Fundraising readiness, fractional CCO, regulatory readiness and Europe entry for AgTech and robotics, scoped to a measurable outcome, not a slide deck.
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Quick Facts
- What is AgTech consulting?
- Strategic advisory for AgTech and deep-tech founders covering fundraising, IP, go-to-market and fractional commercial leadership.
- Who runs AixPoint?
- Dirk Vandenhirtz, 25+ years in deep-tech, 4 successful exits (LemnaTec, Zasso, crop.zone, Tielsa), 60+ patents filed.
- Where is AixPoint based?
- Aachen, Germany. Engagements across the EU, US and APAC.
- What stages do you work with?
- Pre-seed to Series B AgTech, deep-tech, robotics, biologicals, regenerative agriculture.
- How are engagements structured?
- 2 days per week, 6-12 month commitment, success metrics agreed up front.
- Pricing model?
- Retainer or capital-raised percentage; book a free 30-min intro to discuss.
Six services, one operator
Each engagement is scoped to a single measurable outcome and a written proposal, no retainers in search of a problem.
Fundraising readiness
Investor narrative, financial model stress-test, target list and dry-run grilling so you walk into every Seed-Series B meeting already past the hard questions.
How we run fundraising sprints
Go-to-market execution
ICP, pricing, channel architecture and design-partner programs built for long AgTech and hardware sales cycles, not a SaaS template.
Go-to-market for hardware-first founders
Fractional CCO
Two days a week as your acting commercial lead: own the pipeline number, close pilots, hire and coach the first sales hires before you commit to a full-time CCO.
Regulatory readiness
Investor and commercial preparation for regulated crop-input markets: data packages, EFSA and EPA timelines and a registration roadmap that holds up in due diligence.
Regulatory readiness for crop inputs
IP portfolio strategy
Drawing on 60+ filed patents, what to file, what to defend, what to cross-license. Patents that move term sheets, not legal invoices.
Robotics launch Europe
CE marking pathway, EU distributor network, demo-farm partners and EIC funding routes for ag-robotics and hardware companies entering the European market.
Who this is for
AixPoint engagements are deliberately narrow. If you are in one of these four buckets, the conversation is short.
Seed to Series B AgTech founders
Working prototype or first paying customers, raising or about to raise. Need a senior operator to compress the learning curve before the next round.
Robotics and hardware startups entering Europe
US, APAC or Israeli teams who need CE, distribution, demo farms and EU funding routes, without learning each one the expensive way.
VCs needing operator-led due diligence
Funds and family offices who want a written investment memo from someone who has actually shipped product, hired sales teams and signed term sheets.
Corporate innovation teams commercialising deep-tech
Strategics and corporate venture units turning lab IP into a P&L line, pricing, go-to-market and the politics of a first paying internal customer.
Typical outcomes in 30 days
What clients usually walk away with after the first month, concrete artefacts, not a presentation.
- Investor narrative sharpened: one paragraph, one slide, one minute
- Customer segmentation clarified: ICP, anti-ICP and the next 25 names
- Pilot pipeline structured: stages, owners, decision criteria
- Data room gaps identified: written punch-list before any DD
- Partner / investor shortlist created, named, ranked, intro-ready
Learn more: IP portfolio · Go-to-market strategy · Robotics launch in Europe · Deal flow · About Dirk
What is AgTech consulting?
AgTech consulting is strategic advisory work for companies building hardware, software, biology or AI for agriculture and food systems. Unlike generic management consulting, AgTech advisory blends deep technology fluency with category-specific market knowledge, long sales cycles, regulatory friction, capex-heavy customers, and a buyer base that judges every claim against muddy field conditions. At AixPoint we operate as a hands-on partner: not a slide deck, not a quarterly check-in, but an embedded operator who sits next to founders during the decisions that compound.
Our agricultural technology consulting practice is built for Seed through Series B founders in AgTech, deep-tech, robotics, biologicals and adjacent climate-positive verticals. That means founders who already have a working prototype or first paying customers, are raising or about to raise, and need to convert technical breakthroughs into a defensible market position. We also work with venture-backed CEOs, technical co-founders moving into commercial roles, and corporate-spinout teams who need a seasoned operator to shorten the learning curve. Investors, VCs, family offices and corporate venture units, engage us when they need a second opinion on deep-tech consulting opportunities, a due diligence call or hands-on portfolio support.
Engagements typically combine four threads. Fundraising readiness, pitch narrative, financial model stress-tests, investor targeting, data room construction and dry-run grilling before each round. IP and patent portfolio strategy, mapping what to file, what to defend and what to cross-license, drawing on 60+ international patents prosecuted in-house. Go-to-market design, pricing, ICP, channel architecture, design-partner programs and the specific pilot-to-purchase mechanics that distinguish AgTech from SaaS. And fractional commercial leadership, stepping in as fractional CCO or interim go-to-market lead when a founder needs senior commercial firepower without a full hire. Most clients work across two or three of these threads at once because in deep-tech the levers are coupled: your IP shapes your pricing, your pricing shapes your raise, your raise shapes who you can hire.
What AgTech consulting at AixPoint is not: we are not lawyers, accountants, auditors or IT implementers. We do not deliver legal opinions, statutory audits, tax filings, system integration work or wet-lab research. When you need those, we recommend specialists from our network and stay focused on what we do uniquely well, strategy, execution and capital. The same discipline applies to deep-tech consulting more broadly: every engagement starts with a written scope and a measurable outcome, so you always know what you are paying for and what success looks like. If our advisory is not the right fit, we will say so on the first call.
Most engagements begin with a free 30-minute intro to pressure-test fit. From there we propose a 6-12 week diagnostic, a deep, time-bound look at the single biggest blocker on your roadmap, followed by an ongoing advisory retainer or project work, depending on what the diagnostic uncovers. The methodology has been refined across four exits, €120M+ raised for portfolio companies and twenty-five years operating in deep-tech markets where patience and precision matter more than pace. AgTech advisory done well is unglamorous, repetitive and quietly compounding, exactly like the science that makes AgTech worth building in the first place.
Why an operator-led model? Because in agricultural technology consulting the cost of bad advice is paid by the founder, not the consultant, a wrong pricing model can burn nine months of runway, a sloppy IP filing can cost a Series B. Dirk has run P&Ls in three deep-tech ventures, prosecuted patents in front of the EPO and USPTO, sat on both sides of the term sheet, and walked four companies to exit. Every recommendation we make has been pressure-tested against a real number on a real cap table. That is the difference between AgTech advisory and PowerPoint advisory, and it is the reason most clients renew at the end of the first diagnostic.
What's included: and what isn't
Included
- Fundraising strategy
- IP portfolio review
- GTM playbook
- Fractional CCO
- Board prep
- Deal-flow curation
- Due diligence support
Not included
- Legal services
- Financial audit
- Tax advisory
- IT implementation
- Lab work
Frequently asked questions
What does an AgTech consultant do?
How much does AgTech consulting cost?
What's the difference between AgTech consulting and a fractional CCO?
Do you work with pre-seed startups?
Do you work outside Europe?
How do we get started?
Book a free 30-minute intro call. We will pressure-test fit, scope the single biggest blocker on your roadmap, and either propose a diagnostic or recommend someone better suited. Four exits and €120M+ raised says we know when an engagement will compound, and when it won't.
Trusted by founders working with
John DeereCNH IndustrialGates FoundationARPA-EBayer CropScienceNufarm
Strategic Advisory
Data-driven insights for growth
Deep Tech
AI, robotics & IoT innovation
Innovation
Sustainable solutions for tomorrow
Core services
Core Services
Three pillars of AgTech consulting and deep-tech advisory, each with concrete deliverables backed by precision agriculture expertise and €120M+ raised across 4 exits.
Fundraising Strategy
Become investor-ready with materials that close rounds. From seed to Series B+, I help AgTech and deep-tech founders craft compelling narratives, target the right investors, and negotiate terms that work.
- Narrative & pitch deck
- Investor targeting list
- Term sheet readiness
Due Diligence Support
Structure data rooms that accelerate deals, not derail them. I prepare AgTech and deep-tech ventures for rigorous technical, commercial, and IP due diligence, so you answer questions before they're asked.
- Technical DD prep
- Commercial validation
- Risk assessment framework
Go-to-Market Strategy
Launch into your target market with a strategy built for deep-tech sales cycles. I help founders identify the right entry point, price their innovation correctly, and convert early adopters into referenceable customers.
- Market entry playbook
- Channel strategy
- Pricing architecture
What WeTackle Together
Eight core challenges that separate promising AgTech and deep-tech ventures from category leaders, drawn from 25+ years of precision agriculture consulting, agtech fundraising, and deep-tech commercialization.
01
Nail Product-Market Fit
Refine your value proposition, identify ideal customers, and lock in the fit that investors insist upon. Many deep-tech founders build impressive technology but struggle to articulate why the market needs it now, I help you close that gap with structured customer discovery and positioning frameworks.
02
Launch with Momentum
Build a go-to-market engine that converts early adopters into referenceable customers, the foundation of category leadership. For AgTech and deep-tech startups, I design channel strategies and sales motions that work within long hardware and regulatory cycles.
03
Raise Capital Efficiently
Craft investor narratives that resonate, structure deals that close, and connect with partners who understand deep-tech timelines. With €120M+ raised across four ventures, I know what specialized AgTech and climate-tech investors need to see before committing.
04
Ace Due Diligence
Structure data rooms that accelerate rather than derail deals. I help deep-tech founders anticipate hard technical, IP, and commercial questions, and prepare answers that build confidence rather than concern among investors and acquirers.
05
Expand Internationally
Negotiate cross-border partnerships and licensing arrangements that open new markets without the usual missteps. From EU regulatory frameworks to US and Asian market entry, I provide the network and playbooks for sustainable international growth.
06
Fortify Your IP
Build a patent portfolio that defends your competitive moat and becomes a strategic asset, not just a legal expense. With 60+ patents filed across precision agriculture, robotics, and biotech, I help founders design IP strategies that matter to investors and partners.
07
Assemble the Right Team
Recruit leaders who bridge deep-tech expertise and commercial reality, the talent that makes or breaks a venture at Series A and beyond. I help founders identify capability gaps, design compelling equity packages, and access networks of senior operators in AgTech and cleantech.
08
Navigate Technical Decisions
Make architecture choices that scale with your ambition, not against it. I help technical founders avoid over-engineering early stage and under-engineering for scale, and sidestep the costly full rewrite that often hits at Series B.
"The difference between strategy and tactics? Strategy is deciding which hill to take. Tactics is not stepping on the landmines along the way."
On Planning
Ways to work together
Engagement Models
Flexible engagement models for AgTech founders and deep-tech startups at every stage, from agtech fundraising sprint to interim leadership and precision agriculture consulting.
Advisory Retainer
Ongoing strategic partnership with regular touchpoints, ideal for founders navigating a funding round, market launch, or international expansion
- Weekly strategy calls
- Deal support
- Investor intros
- Board prep
Project-Based
Focused deep-tech consulting engagement scoped to a specific milestone with clear deliverables and timelines
- Fundraising sprints
- GTM launch
- Due diligence prep
- IP strategy
Interim Leadership
Hands-on interim CEO, CTO, or COO support for AgTech and deep-tech ventures navigating transitions, crises, or exit preparation
- Acting CTO/COO
- Crisis management
- Turnaround support
- Exit prep
Schedule Fundraising Strategy Session
Ready to Start?
Ready to Transform Your Vision into Market Leadership?
Book a strategy session to discuss your venture.
No obligation · A productive conversation · Response within one business day
info@aixpoint.de Book a Call30 minutes, no charge
+1 (650) 955-0919 | +49 172 877 2286
Explore More
Track Record & Exits €120M+ raised, 60+ patents, 4 successful exits Client Testimonials What deep-tech founders & investors say Reference Projects & Case Studies LemnaTec, Zasso, crop.zone & venture portfolio AgTech Deal Flow Europe Curated deep-tech investment pipeline AgTech News & Trends Daily precision agriculture intelligence