Dutch Agtech Firm Secures €17.2 Million to Scale Chemical-Free Crop Protection
Eindhoven, Thursday 24 September 2026
Eindhoven-based VitalFluid has raised €17.2 million to expand its innovative water-and-electricity crop protection globally, offering farmers a viable, chemical-free alternative to traditional synthetic pesticides.
A Technical Breakthrough in Crop Protection
Chemical crop protection is facing unprecedented scrutiny as regulatory frameworks tighten, pest resistance increases, and public concern grows over biodiversity loss, water quality, and chemical residues on food [1]. In response to these pressing challenges, Eindhoven-based agtech innovator VitalFluid has developed a sustainable alternative [1]. By combining water, ambient air, and electricity, the company’s proprietary technology creates a plasma-activated liquid that effectively combats fungal diseases without leaving any synthetic chemical residues on crops [1][GPT].
Financial Backing for International Scale-up
To fuel its global expansion, VitalFluid has secured €17.2 million in a fresh funding round [1]. The investment was co-led by the Dutch state-backed impact investor Invest-NL, which committed €4 million to the round [1]. The financial package also includes a €2.7 million Innovation Credit (Innovatiekrediet) from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) [1]. The remaining balance of 10.5 million was raised from Alder Tree Investments and a strong cohort of existing shareholders, including Horticoop, BOM, Future Food Fund, Graduate Ventures, Innovation Industries, VDL, and Goeie Grutten [1].
From Dutch Lab to Global Fields
VitalFluid has already demonstrated that its technology is viable beyond controlled research environments [1]. In the United Kingdom, the company’s solutions are actively used in commercial agriculture [1]. Successful pilot phases have successfully transitioned into multi-year commercial contracts, with British strawberry growers now deploying the plasma-activated water technology across more than 100 hectares of cultivation [1].