Arjan Jongkees

Most food and agtech organisations have AI tools sitting underutilised. The problem is rarely the technology.

It is that nobody inside the team knows which problems are actually worth solving with AI in their specific context, or how to build the habit of doing it repeatedly.

I founded Catalysing Potential to close that gap. The flagship offering is the AI Catalyst programme: a structured engagement where I work alongside R&D and innovation teams to identify high-value use cases, test them in practice, and document what works in a playbook the team owns and keeps using after the engagement ends.

What makes this different from generic AI training is the domain depth. I spent 15 years leading R&D and innovation at Kraft Heinz, Bundaberg Brewed Drinks, and Simplot Australia. I have built innovation pipelines worth €/$100M+, taken plant-based from concept to category leader in Australia, and led global teams of 55+ people through significant operational transformation. The use cases I bring are not hypothetical. They come from having worked inside food and agtech environments, with the same pressures and constraints my clients face.

The methodology reflects that. I do not come in with a standard curriculum. I start with discovery, work with the team on their actual context, and build from there. The goal is an organisation that can independently identify and implement new AI use cases long after I have left. I teach you how to fish rather than giving you the fish.

Outside of Catalysing Potential, I contribute to Startupbootcamp Australia as Programme Director for the food and agri track, working with early-stage founders on the translation from technical capability to commercial traction, and helping corporates engage meaningfully with the startup ecosystem.

If you are leading innovation or R&D in food or agtech and your team is not yet getting real value from AI, I would genuinely like to hear about your situation.