By Editor, Global AgInvesting Media

Agriculture worldwide is facing a pivotal turning point. Traditional chemical fungicides and crop protection products—long the industry standard for safeguarding harvests against fungal diseases—are subject to increasingly stringent regulatory bans, environmental scrutiny, and diminished efficacy due to growing chemical resistance.

In response, Dutch agricultural technology scale-up VitalFluid has introduced an innovative alternative: converting water, air, and electricity into an effective, residue-free crop protection solution. Following successful multi-year commercial trials with major European growers, the company is preparing for rapid global expansion behind a major capital injection.

€17.2 Million Series A Investment

VitalFluid recently finalized a €17.2 million Series A funding round to accelerate the international commercial rollout of its proprietary technology. The funding round was co-led by deep-tech investor Invest-NL and Alder Tree Investments, with Invest-NL contributing €4 million directly to the financing package.

A diverse syndicate of existing shareholders joined the equity raise, including Horticoop, Brabantse Ontwikkelings Maatschappij (BOM), Future Food Fund, Graduate Ventures, Innovation Industries, VDL Groep, and Goeie Grutten Impact Fonds. Complementing the private equity investment, the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) provided a €2.7 million innovation loan to support ongoing technical advancement.

The capital will fund the expansion of VitalFluid’s existing operations in the United Kingdom, support its initial entry into the United States market, and expand product applications beyond soft fruits into larger crop sectors such as apples and grapes.

Commenting on the milestone to High Tech Campus Eindhoven, Erik Hertel, CEO of VitalFluid, highlighted the significance of the financial backing: “This investment confirms the potential of our technology to make a fundamental contribution to a more sustainable and future-proof food system. It allows us to accelerate our commercial rollout and give more growers access to an effective alternative to chemical crop protection,” he said.

Institutional investors echoed this strategic outlook, noting that the investment aligns with broader structural shifts in agricultural production. Also in the HTC article, Daan Meijer and Florentine Beelaerts van Blokland of Invest-NL’s investment team, said, “With this investment, Invest-NL supports a company that contributes to the structural sustainability of agriculture. In this way, we help create a more future-proof food system.”

The Series A raise builds upon VitalFluid’s previous €5 million capital collection in April 2024, demonstrating consistent growth as commercial adoption scales across international markets.

Overall, the financing package brings together several key components:

• Total Capital: €17.2 million secured in Series A equity and non-dilutive funding.
• Lead Investors: Invest-NL (committing €4 million) and Alder Tree Investments acting as co-leads.
• Debt and Innovation Support: A €2.7 million innovation loan provided by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO).
• Participating Syndicate: Existing backers Horticoop, BOM, Future Food Fund, Graduate Ventures, Innovation Industries, VDL Groep, and Goeie Grutten Impact Fonds.
• Geographic Focus: Scaling operations across the United Kingdom, entering the United States, and targeting wider adoption throughout the European Union.

Company Philosophy and Core Approach

Spun out of Eindhoven University of Technology in 2014 by founders Paul Leenders and Polo van Ooij, VitalFluid operates on the principle that sustainable agriculture can rely on natural chemical processes rather than synthetic toxins.

The technical foundation of VitalFluid’s approach is Plasma Activated Water (PAW). The concept was inspired by a natural phenomenon: during a thunderstorm, lightning transforms surrounding air and rainwater into a temporary, highly-reactive fluid enriched with reactive oxygen and nitrogen compounds. VitalFluid replicates this process on-site using specialized equipment—essentially creating the equivalent to “lightning in a box.”

When applied to crops, PAW neutralizes harmful pathogens such as mildew, fusarium, and venturia. Once its antimicrobial action is complete, the reactive elements decompose into natural nitrogen, serving as a plant nutrient. Key elements of the company’s operational approach include:

• Zero Harmful Residues: Eliminates chemical runoff in soil and groundwater, assisting growers in meeting zero-residue food standards
• On-Demand On-Site Production: Systems require only ambient air, clean water, and electricity to generate PAW at the farm level
• Seamless Workflow Integration: The resulting fluid can be applied directly through standard commercial spraying and irrigation infrastructure without modifying established farming workflows
• Commercial Scalability: Proven across more than 100 hectares of commercial strawberry production in the UK (including deployments with growers such as Hall Hunter Partnership, Angus Growers, and EC Drummond), showing cost parity and operational compatibility with existing solutions.

Looking Ahead

As regulatory frameworks in Europe and North America continue to restrict conventional chemical pesticides, food producers require viable, scalable alternatives to maintain global yield demands. By raising €17.2 million, VitalFluid has secured the financial backing required to transition its plasma-activation technology from specialized regional installations to broad international adoption. Operating from its headquarters at High Tech Campus Eindhoven, the company remains positioned to scale its technology across key agricultural markets worldwide.

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