HULO secures 2.3 million euros in seed financing

Dutch WaterTech startup HULO.ai has closed a seed round of 2.3 million euros to drive its international expansion. The round was led by VP Capital and LUMO Labs, with participation from Vanagon, Rabobank, the FOM fund and the Netherlands Enabling Water Technology Fund (NEW).

AI against water loss worldwide

HULO.ai has developed a software platform (SaaS) that uses AI and physics-based models to detect, locate and prioritize leaks in water networks. The system uses existing pressure and flow data from supply networks - without the need for new hardware or measuring zones (DMAs). This enables water companies to monitor their infrastructure more efficiently and avoid costly water losses.

Water scarcity as a global challenge

According to VP Capital, around 30 percent of treated drinking water worldwide is lost due to leaking pipes. "HULO's approach of detecting leaks early and without expensive sensors stands for scalable and effective innovation," says Erica van Eeghen, Senior Manager Ventures at VP Capital.

Growth in Europe and Latin America

The startup is already active in the Netherlands, the EU and the UK and has launched its first projects in Latin America. With the new funding, HULO aims to expand its presence in these core markets and strengthen its expertise in AI, network analysis, cybersecurity and customer success.

This shows the measurable environmental impact that digital water technologies can already have today.

Dagmar van Ravenswaay Claasen, Senior Partner at LUMO Labs

According to LUMO Labs, HULO is on track to avoid the equivalent of over four million Olympic swimming pools in water loss annually by 2030.

European relevance and technological depth

Vanagon is the first German deep tech fund to invest in HULO.

Around 30 percent of drinking water in the EU is lost due to leaks - AI-supported monitoring is a key lever for greater resilience and efficiency here.

Axel Roitzsch, General Partner at Vanagon

HULO was developed at the Wetsus innovation center in Leeuwarden, an institute for sustainable water technologies. Supporters such as Rabobank and NEW-ttt emphasize HULO's contribution to global water security and to strengthening Dutch innovation.