Dutch agtech startup VitalFluid has raised €17.2M to scale its plasma-activated water technology, a pesticide alternative the company calls lightning in a box.
Two investors ran point on the raise: Invest-NL and Alder Tree Investments. They were joined by Horticoop, Brabantse Ontwikkelings Maatschappij, Future Food Fund, Graduate Ventures, Innovation Industries, VDL Groep and Goeie Grutten Impact Fonds, along with a €2.7M innovation credit from RVO.
The Eindhoven University of Technology spin-out replicates the way lightning transforms water into plasma-activated water, isolating reactive nitrogen and oxygen components that protect plants from fungal disease without chemical residues. UK growers Hall Hunter Partnership, Angus Growers and EC Drummond have deployed the technology across more than 100 hectares of commercial strawberry production.
CEO Erik Hertel says the capital will accelerate commercial rollout in the UK, fund entry into the US market, and expand into crops such as apples and grapes. Founded in 2014 by Paul Leenders and Polo van Ooij, VitalFluid previously raised €5M in April 2024.
