Optiflux, the Belgian agtech spin-off from KU Leuven, has closed a €2.5 million funding round to support its ambition of becoming a global leader in fruit quality management.
The investment round was backed by AIF, LAVA, LRM and the Gemma Frisius Fund. The new financing will enable the company to accelerate the international expansion of its AI-powered quality management platform, continue product development and strengthen its commercial presence in key fruit-producing regions worldwide.
From subjective inspections to data-driven quality decisions
The global fruit industry continues to face major challenges linked to quality, food waste, labour costs and sustainability. Today, many quality decisions are still based on limited sampling and subjective human assessments, which can lead to inconsistent quality, operational inefficiencies and avoidable losses across the supply chain.
Optiflux aims to transform this process by digitising, objectifying and standardising quality assessment through artificial intelligence, computer vision and predictive analytics.
The company’s technology enables growers, cooperatives, auctions, packers, storage operators and retailers to make faster, more consistent and data-driven decisions on product quality.
The approach also benefits local growers. Objective quality data increase transparency across the supply chain and improve product valuation, helping to strengthen the competitiveness of locally grown fruit and vegetables.
Predicting shelf life and reducing food waste
Optiflux’s technology also supports more accurate shelf-life prediction and optimised storage strategies. As a result, companies can reduce food waste, improve operational efficiency and make better-informed commercial and logistical decisions.
“Our ambition goes beyond developing software,” said Niels Bessemans, CEO and co-founder of Optiflux. “We are building the digital standard by which the global fruit industry measures, predicts and manages quality. Just as the global food industry relies on internationally recognised standards such as ISO 22000 to ensure food safety, we believe that quality data in the fruit industry also needs an international standard. This investment marks a significant step towards realising that ambition.”
Strong international growth
Since its creation, Optiflux has established a strong international presence. In 2025, the company quintupled its customer base, and its solutions are now used by growers, cooperatives, packers and storage companies across 16 countries in Europe, North America and South America.
This growth reflects rising demand for objective, data-driven quality assessment within the global fruit industry.
The technology is currently used across a wide range of fruit categories, including apples, pears, berries, citrus fruit, cherries and stone fruit. By making quality data available at scale, Optiflux helps the fresh produce supply chain improve product quality, reduce food waste and maximise the value of harvested produce.
Funding to support the next growth phase
The new funding will be used to expand Optiflux’s AI and software platform, develop new functionalities and reinforce its technological leadership.
The company also plans to grow its teams in product development, software engineering, artificial intelligence and business development.
“This investment enables us to accelerate the international deployment of our technology and further strengthen our position as an innovative partner for the global fruit industry,” said Bessemans. “The challenges surrounding quality, food waste and efficiency continue to grow worldwide. We believe that data-driven quality management will play a critical role in the future of the fresh produce supply chain.”
Nico Snoeck, Investment Manager at AIF, added: “Optiflux combines strong scientific expertise with a clearly validated market need. The company has demonstrated its ability to translate innovative technology into tangible value for the fruit industry. We look forward to supporting the team during this next stage of growth.”
