The Dutch startup’s platform detects and localizes leaks using existing utility data, no sensors, no DMAs, just AI and physics.
HULO, a Netherlands-based WaterTech startup using AI to detect leaks in water networks, has raised €2.3 million in seed funding to accelerate global expansion and advance its platform.
The round was led by VP Capital and LUMO Labs, with participation from Vanagon, Rabobank, the FOM, and the Netherlands Enabling Water Technology fund (NEW). The company’s SaaS-based solution analyzes pressure and flow data from existing infrastructure to detect, localize, and prioritize leaks, without installing new hardware or creating district metered areas (DMAs).
“Water scarcity is emerging as one of the world’s most pressing constraints, with around 30% of treated water lost globally,” said Erica van Eeghen, Senior Manager Ventures at VP Capital. “HULO’s ability to detect leaks early, using advanced AI rather than expensive sensors, is exactly the kind of scalable innovation that delivers measurable impact.”
Founded within Wetsus, the Dutch institute for sustainable water technology, HULO combines AI and physics-based models to understand each network’s unique dynamics. By leveraging data utilities already collect, the system delivers fast, cost-effective leak detection and continuous monitoring, turning raw data into actionable insights.
Co-founder Robbert Lodewijks explained: “The future of water infrastructure requires digital innovation that integrates with the operational reality of today’s networks. We’re building solutions that are both powerful and practical, enabling utilities to act without overhauling their systems.”
The company is active in the Netherlands, EU, and UK, and is expanding into Latin America. It aims to help utilities worldwide reduce non-revenue water and secure sustainable supplies. According to Dagmar van Ravenswaay Claasen of LUMO Labs, HULO is on track to help save the equivalent of 4 million Olympic swimming pools of water annually by 2030.
Vanagon General Partner Axel Roitzsch called the technology critical to Europe’s infrastructure resilience: “With 30% of drinking water lost through leakage, AI-powered monitoring is essential to transparency and rapid response. HULO is a strong example of digital DeepTech applied to real-world sustainability.”
With global water demand and infrastructure pressures rising, HULO’s combination of AI, physics, and data science positions it as a model for pragmatic innovation in environmental technology.