For investors / entrepreneurs

Laser Cladding Venture specialises in laser cladding, a technology that uses a laser to melt metal powders onto an object, a so-called workpiece.

This way, you can apply high-quality coatings that make mechanical parts last much longer and perform 3D printing in a unique way.

In 2022, LCV was acquired by SKF, a Swedish company specialised in the development, design and production of bearings, seals and lubrication systems.

VITO spin-off UniFly is the world's leading developer and provider of air traffic control systems focused on drones. As a software developer, the company builds platforms that can also control and monitor drone flights. Such platforms are essential for drone flights to comply with applicable airspace regulations, and thus safely integrate unmanned and remotely piloted aircrafts into the system, resulting in a unified airspace (unifly).

Atmospheric plasma technology is used to apply functional coatings (surface layers) in a sustainable manner. Numerous applications are already implemented in plastic and textile industries, ranging from water- and dirt-repellent surfaces to improved adhesion of low-compatible materials.

In 2017, VITO completed a major technology transfer to its spin-off APEMCO (Atmospheric Plasma Equipment Manufacturing Company). Apemco became MolecularPlasmaGroup.

VITO developed a new technology, patented it, developed proto-types and from there the company Blue Foot Membranes was initiated.

Blue Foot provides the critical membrane component and integration know-how to reuse water in industrial and domestic wastewater treatment plants. With a new financial boost from its existing shareholders QBIC II, LRM, Innovation Fund and VITO, the company is entering the next phase. From VITO spin-off to scale-up and now ready to conquer the market.

Since its launch in 2017, iFLUX has been providing solutions to determine the dynamics of groundwater flow and contamination in the soil. The company does so based on innovative measurement technology combined with targeted data analysis. iFLUX developed - in addition to analog measurement systems - a unique real-time, on-site digital technology for groundwater and pollution monitoring.

This goes one step further and helps predict and even prevent groundwater pollution risks. This technology can also contribute to better wildlife management and drought forecasting and monitoring.

Sitemark offers companies a new way to collect, analyse and use data from aerial images, for single or multiple locations. Sitemark's aerial image data platform provides actionable site information to customers in the energy, construction and mining sectors.

What began in 2019 as a joint venture between VITO and industrial partner Servaco is coming to an end. Servaco Product Testing specialised in analysing the impact of all possible products and materials on indoor air quality. Any material or product used indoors can, in fact, emit harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs). After three challenging but successful years, the company Normec decided to fully acquire the shares in 2022.

This enabled VITO, through its Clean Vision Invest fund, to realise another successful exit of one of its spin-offs.

HITA - Icelandic for heat - is a young and ambitious company focused on developing deep geothermal energy. HITA aims to drill more than 1,000m deep in order to use the earth's natural heat for heat networks and electricity generation. HITA's business model allows municipalities and companies to enter into a deep geothermal project in a phased manner, always with limited risk.

Assessing the ecological footprint of building products usually takes a lot of time and effort. This is not the case with the software from Enperas, the latest digital solution from the spin-off programme through which VITO makes the Flemish economy sustainable and strengthens it.

Enperas stands for ENvironmental PERformance ASsessment - their core business. They carry out life cycle assessments (LCA), quantifying the environmental impact of products at each stage of the life cycle, from raw materials through production to disposal. The results of an LCA are communicated in an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD). An EPD is a standardised way of quantifying and reporting the environmental footprint of a construction product, process or system.

Artificial intelligence can significantly, speed up and facilitate the detection of serious eye conditions, MONA proves with its new eye screening method. The VITO KUL spin-off combines medical research from KU Leuven with state-of-the-art AI techniques developed at VITO.  The result: an eye test that is very reliable, gives immediate results and does not cause the slightest discomfort. MONA introduced its screening kiosk in Belgium and meanwhile cameras with software have been installed in several hospitals in Belgium.

Product separations today are often energy-intensive and not always optimised for efficiency. VITO and the University of Antwerp are commercialising spin-off A-membranes with an advanced technology for membrane separations in liquids. This is not only much more efficient, but also energy-saving and sustainable. Moreover, it can greatly reduce CO2 emissions from the chemical industry.