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It is time for a round of funding news. While the Dutch Internet of Things company Undagrid announces being funded by Innovation Industries and Mainport Innovation Fund, the investment fund ENERGIIQ announces the beginning of their funding rounds. Lastly, HR-startup Healthy Workers raises 500.000 euros during their investment round.
Undagrid
Let’s start with Undagrid. The company has been busy creating economical sensors for airlines all over the world since 2014. Their designs are based on unique communication techniques, which have been proven to be effective solutions to issues regarding important logistical processes. After the first rollout on Schiphol, the company has expanded successfully in the last three years. Worldwide, 11 airlines already have Undagrid’s sensors. Two other examples are Lufthansa and British Airways.
Innovative Technology
Undagrid helps companies fix current inefficiencies in the logistical processes significantly by improving the available information on goods and materials like the current status and location. The company offers a modular platform which uses machine learning, data analysis and sensor technology to optimize and visualize the use of these assets. Because of Undagrid’s platform, companies will also be able to optimize the use of their assets because of their better insight on processes like the loading and unloading of airplanes, cargo and the maintenance of the airplanes. Assets are being connected as part of a network by Undagrid’s innovative technology.
Investment round
On August 22th, Undagrid announced being funded by Innovation Industries and Mainport Innovation Fund. To date, “multiple” millions of euros have already been invested in the company. The investments will help Undagrid to expand their platform internationally and speed up their growth. Innovation Industries is a relatively new investment fund which has recently raised 75 million euros for early investments in startups. The fund has a unique collaboration with the technical universities of Twente and Eindhoven, Wageningen University & Research and TNO.
Schiphol
It is the fund’s goal to speed up the conversion of high-quality knowledge available on these technical universities and TNO into successful businesses. The fund also supports the growth of scale-ups. MIF (Mainport Innovation Fund) is a fund founded by Schiphol Group, KLM, TU Delft and Rabobank.
ENERGIIQ
Two months ago, It was announced at the launch of ENERGIIQ, “Energie-innovatiefonds Zuid-Holland, that the province Zuid-Holland will make 35 million euros available during the upcoming years for businesses which are active in the field of energy innovations. This was stated by Han Weber at the yearly event InnovationQuarter. ENERGIIQ was founded as part of Zuid-Holland’s “Watt anders”, their provincial agenda based on the transition of energy. ENERGIIQ also focuses on the commercialization of innovative technologies. However, these technologies also have to be proven to be successful. It is ENERGIIQ’s main goal to contribute to energy transition by investing in innovative technologies. The innovations have to eventually lead to a reduction of CO2 emissions, which can be assignable to Zuid-Holland.
Start investing
Starting September 1st, ENERGIIQ will start investing in companies directly with amounts of upward to 250.000 euros until several million euros. Other financial instruments like vendor finance and project finance will also be made available. Nienke Vledder, former team leader of Cleantech at InnovationQuarter Capital, will be in charge of the investment team.
Healthy Workers
Healthy Workers was founded in 2015 by Boy Lokhoff and B. Ventures of Ricardo van Loenen, Guus Meulendijks and Bas van Veggel (Timeless Investments). The HR-startup recently raised 500.000 euros during their investment round. The total sum originates from six different investors, which was lead by Cairn Real Estate, a real estate investor that owns around 800.000 square meters of office space. Healthy Workers enables big companies such as UWV and IBM to gain insight on the well being of the employees and the livability in the work offices. Companies can subsequently intervene when it is necessary.
HR-Tech
The platform of Healthy Workers uses data concerning well being and livability to enable these interventions. The HR-tech-startup calculates the well being and stress levels of employees by using ongoing, anonymized surveys. The results of these surveys are then displayed in a dashboard. At the same time, the startup checks a number of variables regarding the quality of life in work offices by using IoT-sensors. These are variables like temperature, humidity, CO2-content and harmful gases. After the summer it will also be possible to order other smart innovations of Healthy Workers regarding light, sound, movement, and nourishment.
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