Meet the whānau team behind Holybees, one of 22 ventures participating in the Sprout Accelerator Spring26 Cohort.
We caught up with Dene Holyoake - Pioneer, Tohi Henry - co-founder, Tawa Holyoake co-founder, for a quick-fire five questions in five minutes to learn more about Holybees and what they hope to achieve from their time in the Sprout Accelerator.
1. Tell us about Holybees. What are you building?
Our story began in 2013, when it was noticed that hives in and around a particular native tree seemed to behave differently, despite Varroa mite pressure.
That observation led to Holybees and HBX-01, a plant-based Varroa treatment derived from native plant leaf extracts.
Our mission is to develop a natural, practical tool for beekeepers, backed by science that demonstrates its effectiveness, safety and consistency.
We’re starting with New Zealand commercial beekeepers, with a vision to reach Varroa-affected markets worldwide.
Holybees — turning one observation into a new solution to protect bees, strengthen pollination and safeguard our honey industry.
2. What problem are you working to solve?
Varroa mites are a worldwide problem affecting Honeybees, beekeepers and the pollination systems that support food production. In NZ, an estimated 7% of all living colonies entering winter were lost to suspected varroa in 2025.
A mite measured in millimetres threatens an agricultural economy measured in billions.
Image Source: https://www.mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/71680-2025-colony-loss-survey-infographic
3. How does your solution work?
We have taken something from our own environment, native tree extract, and combined it with science and beekeeping experience to develop HBX-01 to potentially give beekeepers another tool for managing varroa.
4. What is the next important milestone for your venture?
The next milestone for us is to achieve scientific validation so we can demonstrate commercial value by confirming market adoption and industry demand.
5. What are you hoping to get out of your time with Sprout?
We want Sprout to challenge our commercial thinking, help us test the market opportunity and connect us with industry partners and funders who can support the next stage of development.
Find out more: holybees.henare.co