VitalFluid raises €17.2 million for sustainable crop protection rollout

VitalFluid, an Eindhoven-based startup, has secured €17.2 million in a Series A funding round to facilitate the international rollout of its sustainable crop protection technology. The investment round was co-led by Invest-NL, with participation from existing shareholders including VDL, Future Food Fund, and BOM, as well as new investors like Alder Tree Investments. The funding also includes a €2.7 million innovation credit from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO).

The company’s technology uses a high-tech plasma reactor to create an anti-fungal agent using only air, water, and electricity. Inspired by the effects of thunderstorms, this method provides temporary antimicrobial action and eventually transforms into a nutrient absorbed by the plant, leaving no harmful chemical residues.

VitalFluid is already utilizing the technology in strawberry cultivation in the United Kingdom. The new capital will be used to scale operations in the UK and expand into the United States market. The company claims its solution is scalable and can be applied using existing agricultural spraying equipment at a cost competitive with traditional chemical pesticides.