International roll out of Optiqua’s EventLab, boosted by investment of Demcon and Oost NL

Optiqua, Demcon and Oost NL announced  today that Demcon and Oost NL will invest in Optiqua and become shareholder in Optiqua B.V.. This investment allows Optiqua to speed up the international roll out of its real-time water quality monitoring system EventLab. In addition Optiqua will leverage Demcon’s renowned engineering and production capabilities for further industrialisation of the EventLab product.

EventLab: Monitoring Drinking water quality 24/7 in real-time
Optiqua’s EventLab system for real-time continuous water quality monitoring is being used by water companies around the world, with installations in distribution systems as well as at treatment facilities and water intake locations. The optical sensing technology provides EventLab the unique generic sensitivity for monitoring water quality changes and outperforms any traditional sensor technology for the purpose of overall water quality monitoring and contamination detection. The EventLab system is a complete solution consisting of sensor system, data transmission, processing and visualisation where data algorithms continuously analyse information from the sensors for abnormal water quality changes.

Optiqua, Demcon and Oost NL a perfect match
“The investment by Oost NL and Demcon enables us to speed up our marketing and sales efforts”, Jos-Willem Verhoef, managing director of Optiqua, states. “We are very excited about the industrial partnership with Demcon. This partnership covering production and engineering, allows us to focus on the international roll out of our products. Also the relationship with Oost NL is of great importance to us. The strong financial network of Oost NL can be of great value for our further expansion.”

Dennis Schipper, managing director of Demcon: “We have production capacity available for Optiqua’s systems and can take over responsibility for production and sourcing. In addition, we can add our entrepreneurship and experience in international markets to the equation. The partnership with Optiqua fits in with our efforts to deliver more products besides our innovation and engineering services. It is also in line with our ambitions in the field of corporate social responsibility, by contributing to solutions for the global clean drinking water challenge.”

As a regional development agency, Oost NL attaches particular value to social entrepreneurship, Marius Prins , CEO Oost NL, explains: “We help to bring valuable technology developed in the Eastern Netherlands to socially meaningful applications. Clean drinking water is of global importance, we believe in the potential impact of Optiqua’s technology. Our investment in Optiqua will also add to maintaining and promoting entrepreneurship and employment for the region. In addition, we bring in our extensive European network of funding agencies, to which Optiqua can appeal, if need be, for further expansion.”

About Optiqua

Optiqua develops innovative solutions for measurement of water quality. All Optiqua products utilise our patented and awarded lab-on-chip sensor technology. Applications of Optiqua’s products include real-time online monitoring of drinking water distribution networks, and protection of critical infrastructure. Optiqua helps water companies around the world safeguard the supply of wholesome drinking water.
www.optiqua.com

About Demcon

Demcon (600 employees) develops, produces and supplies technology and innovative products and systems that offer solutions for the technical and social challenges of customers and end users worldwide. The focus areas are high-tech systems, medical systems, industrial systems & vision, optomechatronic systems and robotic systems. Demcon has branches in Enschede, Best, Delft, Groningen, Oldenzaal (all in the Netherlands) and Münster (Germany).
www.demcon.nl

About Oost NL

Oost NL (East Netherlands Development Agency) is an agency that focuses its activities and projects on strengthening and stimulating the economy of the provinces of Gelderland and Overijssel, the Netherlands. Oost NL plays an important role in executing the economic policies of the Dutch government and the Provinces of Gelderland and Overijssel and its various city governments. Oost NL acts as a bridge between government, companies and knowledge institutes. Oost NL supports starting and growth-phase SMEs. We do this partly with risk capital from various revolving innovation funds, and partly through our knowledge, networks and personal contacts.
www.oostnl.nl

For more information please contact Demcon via +31 (0)88 – 115 20 00.