A Dutch agricultural technology company says it has found a way to protect crops from disease without spraying them with chemicals, using little more than electrified water. VitalFluid, based in Eindhoven, has raised €17.2 million ($19.9 million) in a Series A funding round to scale up the approach.

The round was co-led by Invest-NL, the Dutch state investment fund, and Alder Tree Investments. Existing shareholders also took part, including Horticoop, the Brabantse Ontwikkelings Maatschappij (BOM), Future Food Fund, Graduate Ventures, Innovation Industries, VDL Groep and Goeie Grutten Impact Fonds. The financing also includes a €2.7 million innovation credit from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency, a government body that supports research-intensive companies.

How ‘lightning in a box’ works

VitalFluid’s core product is plasma-activated water, sometimes described as ‘lightning in a box’. Plasma, an electrically charged gas, is used to treat ordinary water, altering its chemistry so it can be applied to crops as a fungicide substitute. The company markets it as a residue-free alternative to conventional chemical crop protection products, meaning growers can treat plants without leaving chemical traces behind.

The technology was developed at Eindhoven University of Technology, where VitalFluid was spun out roughly a decade ago under founder Paul Leenders. Erik Hertel, previously the company’s Commercial Director, has since taken over as chief executive.

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“Their long-term vision, extensive knowledge in both deep tech and agriculture and strong network perfectly fit our ambition to make PAW a game-changer in food production,” Hertel added, according to Silicon Canals.

Backing from investors and the greenhouse sector

Vincent Kamphorst, Investment Director at Innovation Industries, said the appeal lies in the technology’s flexibility. “VitalFluid’s plasma solution is unique in its applicability across a large variety of crops and its robust and predictable performance,” he said, as reported by Global AgInvesting.

Horticoop, one of the returning investors, represents roughly 300 horticultural businesses. Its Investments Director, Wilco Schoonderbeek, said the firm actively backs companies contributing to the future of horticulture. “VitalFluid’s innovation dovetails seamlessly with that aim,” he said.

VitalFluid had previously raised a €5 million seed round from many of the same backers, alongside €1.45 million in grants from the European Innovation Council and €2 million from BOM and VDL Group, according to Dealroom figures cited by Silicon Canals. The company says it now plans to expand deployment of its technology in greenhouse growing programmes across the United States, Europe and Africa.

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