HULO.ai
HULO.ai provides AI-powered leak detection and sensor placement optimization software to enterprise water utilities. Its Prophesy and Observe platforms detect, size, and localize leaks within minutes using existing sensor infrastructure.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersLeeuwarden, Netherlands
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What HULO.ai does
HULO.ai is a Dutch WaterTech company, founded in 2021 and headquartered in Leeuwarden, Netherlands, that sells AI-powered software to municipal and private water utilities for real-time leak detection, sizing, and localization in water distribution networks. The company's platform comprises two core modules: HULO Prophesy, which detects, classifies, sizes, and localizes leaks within minutes by combining AI with physics-based hydraulic models using existing pressure and flow sensors (minimum one flow meter and three pressure sensors, with only eight days of training data required); and HULO Observe, which optimizes sensor placement to reduce hardware investment by up to 50% relative to traditional District Metered Area (DMA) approaches. HULO claims 3x better leak detection accuracy versus traditional algorithms and asserts its technology could save the equivalent of more than four million Olympic-sized swimming pools of water annually by 2030.
HULO sells primarily through an enterprise field-sales motion directly to water utilities, with custom annual subscription pricing tied to network size and scope. Named enterprise customers include Vitens, Brabant Water, and WML in the Netherlands, alongside Nama Water Services, VEI, and the National Water and Sewerage Corporation internationally. The go-to-market is being extended through dedicated country-level account executives, with a Brazil-based AE seeded in 2025 as part of a Latin American push alongside broader European expansion.
HULO has raised approximately €3.1M in external funding to date (€800K pre-seed in November 2023 from LUMO Labs and the NEW Fund, followed by a €2.3M seed in October 2025 led by VP Capital and co-led by LUMO Labs, with Vanagon, Rabobank, FOM, and NEW-ttt participating). The technology rests on research collaborations with Wetsus, Wageningen University, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, and TU Eindhoven, and the company is ISO 27001 certified. Ecosystem relationships with SWAN, Water Alliance, Isle Utilities, PartnersVoorWater, NWP, and Water Positive provide channel visibility in the water utility market.
HULO.ai firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- HULO.ai
- Legal name
- HULO
- Website
- https://hulo.ai
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- HULO.ai provides AI-powered leak detection and sensor placement optimization software to enterprise water utilities. Its Prophesy and Observe platforms detect, size, and localize leaks within minutes using existing sensor infrastructure.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
HULO.ai industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Water Infrastructure Analytics Software
- NAICS
- Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213)
- SIC
- Measuring & Controlling Devices, Nec (3829), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Real-Time Leak Alarms & Event Management (Analytics Platforms, Workflows) (EUANAKAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) & Smart Meter Analytics (Meter Data for NRW) (EUANAKAC), Water & Wastewater Utility IoT (SCADA, Leak/Quality Monitoring) (EUADAPAK), SCADA/HMI Platforms (IMAGABAB)
Keywords
Where HULO.ai is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Leeuwarden
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
HULO.ai business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- AI-Powered Leak Detection Platform: Subscription-based SaaS model providing real-time leak detection, sizing, and localization services to water utilities. Works with existing sensor infrastructure without requiring additional hardware investments.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Custom enterprise pricing based on network size and requirements |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
HULO.ai product offering
Product offeringCore offering
HULO.ai provides a modular AI-powered SaaS platform for water utilities that detects, sizes, and localizes leaks in real time using existing pressure and flow sensors (HULO Prophesy), combined with a sensor placement optimization module (HULO Observe). The platform employs AI and physics-based models trained on as little as 8 days of data and a minimum of one flow meter and three pressure sensors, eliminating the need for traditional District Metered Areas (DMAs). It is sold on an annual subscription basis to municipal and private water utilities to reduce non-revenue water.
Product overview
HULO offers a modular AI-powered platform for water infrastructure leak detection. The core product, HULO Prophesy, detects, sizes, and localizes leaks within minutes using AI and physics-based models with existing sensor infrastructure. The platform does not require DMAs (District Metered Areas) or hundreds of sensors, distinguishing it from traditional solutions. The companion module HULO Observe provides sensor placement optimization, helping utilities decide where to place sensors efficiently. The four-step approach includes anomaly detection, anomaly classification, leak sizing, and leak localization.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- HULO Prophesy AI-powered leak detection module that detects, sizes, and localizes new leaks within minutes using existing pressure and flow sensors. Combines AI and physics-based models to provide accurate leak alarms with localization, suitable for water utilities of varying sizes.
- HULO Observe Sensor placement optimization module that helps water utilities determine optimal sensor locations without requiring small DMAs or hundreds of sensors. Uses algorithms and expert knowledge to maximize coverage while minimizing investment costs.
Quantifiable outcome
- 3x better leak detection results compared to traditional algorithms
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use HULO.ai
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
HULO.ai technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability3 records
Feature5 records
HULO.ai partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- SWANminorEcosystem partner. Smart Water Networks forum member providing industry connections and water technology ecosystem participation.
- Water AllianceminorEcosystem partner. Dutch water technology cluster providing networking and collaboration opportunities within the water sector.
- Isle UtilitiesminorEcosystem partner. International water technology advisory providing industry connections and market access.
- PartnersVoorWaterminorEcosystem partner. Dutch water sector collaboration platform supporting water innovation initiatives.
- NWPminorEcosystem partner. Netherlands Water Partnership connecting Dutch water expertise internationally.
- Water PositiveminorEcosystem partner focused on water sustainability and positive water impact initiatives.
- WetsuscoreResearch partner collaborating on fundamental research for water network monitoring technology. European centre of excellence for sustainable water technology.
- Wageningen UniversitycoreResearch partner contributing academic expertise to HULO's AI and hydroinformatics solutions. World-leading agricultural and environmental research university.
- Rijksuniversiteit GroningencoreResearch partner from the initial academic collaboration in 2017. One of the oldest universities in the Netherlands with strong research programs.
- TU EindhovencoreResearch partner contributing technical expertise to HULO's AI models and algorithms. Leading technical university in the Netherlands.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
HULO.ai competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- TaKaDu: TaKaDu provides a cloud-based analytics platform for water utilities that detects, classifies, and alerts on leaks, bursts, and network anomalies in real time using existing sensor/SCADA data. Direct overlap with HULO Prophesy on real-time leak event management and analytics workflows for municipal water utilities.
- FIDO AI: FIDO AI is an AI water leak detection platform that uses machine learning on existing sensor data to identify leaks in real time for water utilities. Direct head-to-head competitor to HULO on AI-driven, sensor-agnostic leak detection sold to municipal water networks.
- Gutermann: Gutermann is a long-established leak detection specialist supplying acoustic listening equipment, correlators, and zone monitoring hardware/software to water utilities globally. Comparable to HULO on the leak detection use case, though more hardware-centric and traditional rather than AI-first.
Broad incumbents
- Xylem (Visenti / Idrica): Xylem is a global water technology major that, through its Visenti and Idrica acquisitions, offers AI-driven leak detection and smart water network analytics alongside its broader pump, metering, and treatment portfolio. Represents the largest incumbent bundling analytics with hardware and services that HULO competes against.
- Itron: Itron is a global leader in smart water metering and AMI/AMR solutions, increasingly adding analytics for leak detection and NRW reduction to its offering. Overlaps with HULO on water utility analytics and AMR/AMI data sources, with much broader hardware-led footprint.
- Badger Meter: Badger Meter is a leading US-based manufacturer of flow metering and smart water solutions serving utilities with AMR/AMI and BEACON analytics. Comparable on the water utility analytics and metering data side, though not a direct AI leak detection competitor.
- Kamstrup: Kamstrup is a Danish smart metering company supplying heat, electricity, and water meters plus analytics platforms to utilities worldwide. Overlaps with HULO on the water utility customer base and metering/analytics data layer, though predominantly hardware-led.
- Sensus (a Xylem brand): Sensus (now part of Xylem) provides smart utility communications, AMI, and analytics for water, gas, and electric utilities. Comparable to HULO on serving water utilities with networked metering data and analytics for NRW reduction.
- Aclara (a Hubbell company): Aclara is a US provider of smart infrastructure solutions for electric, gas, and water utilities, including AMI and consumer analytics. Comparable to HULO on the water utility customer base and metering/analytics data layer.
Emerging players
- Pipe::Logix (Aquarius Logic): Pipe::Logix / Aquarius Logic is a smaller analytics provider for water utilities, focused on pressure and flow data analytics and leak detection support. Comparable to HULO on the AI/analytics-for-water-leak-detection use case, but smaller scale and more regionally concentrated.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
HULO.ai social profiles
Digital presenceHULO.ai compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
HULO.ai financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
HULO.ai leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
HULO.ai funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors6 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
HULO.ai M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about HULO.ai
What does HULO.ai do?
HULO.ai provides a modular AI-powered SaaS platform for water utilities that detects, sizes, and localizes leaks in real time using existing pressure and flow sensors (HULO Prophesy), combined with a sensor placement optimization module (HULO Observe). The platform employs AI and physics-based models trained on as little as 8 days of data and a minimum of one flow meter and three pressure sensors, eliminating the need for traditional District Metered Areas (DMAs). It is sold on an annual subscription basis to municipal and private water utilities to reduce non-revenue water.
Is HULO.ai a public or private company?
HULO.ai is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was HULO.ai founded?
HULO.ai was founded in 2021. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is HULO.ai based?
HULO.ai is headquartered in Leeuwarden, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does HULO.ai make money?
One revenue line is on record: AI-Powered Leak Detection Platform.
Who are HULO.ai's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are TaKaDu, FIDO AI and Gutermann. Broad incumbents are Xylem (Visenti / Idrica), Itron, Badger Meter, Kamstrup, Sensus (a Xylem brand) and Aclara (a Hubbell company). Pipe::Logix (Aquarius Logic) is listed as an emerging player.
Does HULO.ai have an API?
No public API is recorded for HULO.ai.
What industry is HULO.ai in?
HULO.ai's product category is Water Infrastructure Analytics Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUANAKAK, Real-Time Leak Alarms & Event Management (Analytics Platforms, Workflows), with a secondary code of EUANAKAC, Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) & Smart Meter Analytics (Meter Data for NRW). Its NAICS code is 2213 and its SIC code is 3829.