Stephen Van Gerven, CEO and co-founder of Nedcann, passed away on February 3, 2026.
© Nedcann
In a statement, Nedcann said: "It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of our CEO, Steve Van Gerven. Steve was not only a leader, he was a visionary, a mentor, and a friend — a man with a big heart, full of kindness and care for people. His belief in the transformative power of medicinal cannabis, together with his strong commitment to science, quality, and integrity, laid the groundwork and set the standards upon which we proudly stand today.
He carried a big dream for Nedcann and leaves behind not only a strong foundation and clear direction, but also countless beautiful memories of working together, learning from him, sharing moments, and growing as a team. Steve's legacy will continue to live on through our mission, our values, and our people. We will continue walking the path he set for us, carrying his dream forward and honoring the future he worked so passionately to build. He will be remembered forever and will always remain a part of our work, our values, and in our hearts."
Van Gerven co-founded Nedcann in North Macedonia, bringing Dutch cultivation expertise to build one of Europe's largest indoor medical cannabis facilities. He focused on manual cultivation techniques to maintain high quality and consistency. In a past interview, he explained: "Our goal has always been to provide high quality cannabis and have a consistent production, which is important for the medicinal cannabis market. No matter what the weather is like, we can be assured that the indoor climate is optimal for high quality production."
He also highlighted the company's approach to scale and collaboration: "Building a facility for indoor production of medical cannabis is a complex process and implies having knowledge in different fields. There is no textbook on how to do it. We are pioneers in this industry, so being able to work closely with the guys that supply the technical solutions is an added value to the product we want to get on the market."
The company concluded their statement: "Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with his family, friends, and everyone whose life he touched."
For more information:
Nedcann
www.nedcann.com
