Remco Zeevat
Founder & CEO
Connected to nature and driven to make management smarter and ready for the future.
LinkedIn profile ↗Who we are
Nature as our starting point.
Innovation as our tool.
Everything for a healthy ecosystem, preserving biodiversity now and in the future.
Why HeathClean exists
A morning on the heath.
A question that stayed with us.
As a beekeeper living in the Veluwe, Remco Zeevat saw young trees increasingly taking over open heathland.
Through his beekeeping association, he helped remove saplings. That morning, a ranger explained the growing management challenge: more work, the same budgets and fewer volunteers.
That conversation stayed with him. During a bike ride across the heath, he wondered: could technology help us do this work more effectively?
HeathClean grew from that belief. It started with a solution for saplings, then expanded to combine mapping, vegetation analysis and practical work. Technology is a tool to support land managers and improve ecological quality.
Founded on the belief that nature deserves better.
Built to give land managers new options, even where management is difficult.”
HeathClean · Our mission
The team
Different expertise.
The same belief.
Hiljan de Leeuw
Founder & CTO
Connects biology, robotics and drones to turn ideas into practical solutions.
LinkedIn profile ↗
Max Reerink
Mechatronics engineer
Combines software, automation and mechanical design into practical solutions.
LinkedIn profile ↗
Johan Hogendoorn
Electronics engineer
Builds the electrical systems that prepare our technology for field use and growth.
LinkedIn profile ↗
Ramon van der Heijden
Mechatronics engineer / drone operator
Works on the technology and drone operations.
LinkedIn profile ↗Our journey
From the first idea
to the next step.
We develop from practical experience. Every test, assignment and collaboration helps us move forward. Future steps are marked as plans or ambitions.
November 2024
It starts with a conversation.
While volunteering on the heath near Nunspeet, Remco hears how the management challenge is growing while budgets and available people lag behind. The idea emerges to do this work more effectively.
First exploration
Test, learn and look ahead.
Field tests with a robotic dog provide the first insights. The search remains focused on a practical, scalable solution.
May 2025
Moving forward together, with drones.
Hiljan joins the business. Development shifts towards removing saplings with a drone.
November 2025
The first tranche from Oost NL.
The first tranche from the Startupfonds Overijssel provides financial room to develop our solution further.
March 2026
A new technical direction.
The initial clipping concept proves unfeasible because of weight, complexity and safe landing requirements. We switch to the current cutting solution.
August 2026
Room for further development.
The Rabo Innovation Loan enables development to continue.
30 September 2026
The MVP milestone is reached.
Cutting down and removing young trees are demonstrated in the field. The MVP milestone for the second SFO tranche is reached.
November 2026Planned
Delivering pilot projects.
We begin the planned pilots and use practical experience to improve further.
March 2027Planned
One fully operational team.
Four drones working simultaneously and an off-road drone station independent of mains electricity. Target capacity is 2,000 trees and around 4 hectares per day.
2027Planned
Growing and broadening our scope.
From July, we aim to scale up delivery further. We are also developing a solution for young broadleaf growth.
Towards 2030 and beyondAmbition
Reaching more open habitats.
Further growth, followed by international expansion.
Supported by
Together, we make
development possible.
Rabobank
Supports further development with the Rabo Innovation Loan.
Oost NL
Supports our development through the Startupfonds Overijssel.
ZWINC
Helps our business progress with guidance and an innovation network.
For delivery, material advice and the wool cycle, we work with specialist partners and local organisations. HeathClean remains your point of contact.
SBB · Recognised training company
Room for
tomorrow’s skilled professionals.
HeathClean is a recognised training company in the Netherlands. We help develop skilled professionals who connect technology with practical work.
We are always looking for interns who want to help develop innovative solutions for conservation management. With us, technology, drones and field work come together.
View our internship on Stagemarkt
Discover what is possible
Your site. Our approach.
Meet us at a presentation or see the solution during a live demonstration in the field.