QING
QING is a Dutch AI-driven food automation specialist (founded 2013, Arnhem) selling Vision AI-powered inspection, sorting, and processing systems under its STAQ platform to enterprise food manufacturers, OEMs, and system integrators across bakery, fruit and vegetable, meat, and seafood verticals.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersArnhem, Netherlands
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What QING does
QING is a Dutch private company founded on April 30, 2013 and headquartered at Cleantech Park Arnhem, with 51–100 employees. It specializes in AI-driven automation systems for the food industry, targeting manufacturers facing labor shortages, rising costs, and quality-consistency challenges. The company operates an enterprise field-sales motion with direct consultation, in-house development lab feasibility studies, full system integration, and multi-year service contracts.
The company's core technology is the STAQ platform—an AI-driven control software branded 'See, Think, Act by QING' that combines 2D/3D/line-scan computer vision, cameras, sensors, and food-grade robotics (including Stäubli arms). STAQ powers three productized systems: Q-See for visual quality inspection (up to 1,500 products/minute, up to six cameras), Q-Sort for combined inspection and sorting (rejection up to 80 products/minute), and Q-Process for high-precision robotic cutting, coring, pitting, and positioning. The STAQ Technology Package extends the stack to OEMs and system integrators as a standardized bundle with PLC, MES, and SCADA integration. Underlying vision models leverage Robovision's AI platform combined with QING's proprietary per-vertical training data.
QING generates revenue through three streams: (1) custom automation system sales and on-site integration (hardware-led project revenue), (2) professional services including feasibility studies, AI model training, and ongoing support, and (3) STAQ Technology Package licensing to OEMs and system integrators, distributed in part through Stäubli's global channel. Named customers span bakery (Bolletje, AMF Bakery Systems), fruit and vegetables (Agrophoenix, Extractacore, Verbruggen Paddenstoelen), meat and seafood (Ekro/VanDrie, Van Loon Vlees, PROCEON), and adjacent industrial segments (Axxor paper honeycomb, Sanovo egg processing, Wageningen University). Geographic footprint is European (Netherlands, UK, Greece, Iceland via PROCEON) with active expansion via Stäubli's worldwide OEM network.
QING firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- QING
- Legal name
- QING Group
- Website
- https://qing.nl
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- QING is a Dutch AI-driven food automation specialist (founded 2013, Arnhem) selling Vision AI-powered inspection, sorting, and processing systems under its STAQ platform to enterprise food manufacturers, OEMs, and system integrators across bakery, fruit and vegetable, meat, and seafood verticals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
QING industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Food Processing Automation
- NAICS
- Food Product Machinery Manufacturing (333241), Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513)
- SIC
- Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Industrial Automation Software (SCADA, HMI, MES, Historian) (IMAHAHAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- End-to-End Enterprise AI Platforms (MLOps & Model Lifecycle Management) (HDAEANAA), Process & Batch Control Software (Recipe Management, ISA-88) (IMAGABAH)
Keywords
Where QING is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Arnhem
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
QING business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Automation Systems Sales & Integration: QING sells AI-driven food automation systems (Q-See, Q-Sort, Q-Process) and provides full-service integration from concept to on-site installation. Revenue is generated through custom automation solutions, system sales, and implementation services for food manufacturers.
- Professional Services: QING provides consulting, feasibility studies, AI model training, and ongoing support services. The company offers development roadmap consultations and training to ensure customers maximize value from the systems.
- STAQ Technology Package Licensing: Standardized AI technology packages sold to OEMs and system integrators for integration into their existing machines and production lines. Provides a scalable building block for third-party automation providers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom enterprise automation solutions |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
QING product offering
Product offeringCore offering
QING designs, builds, and integrates AI-driven automation systems for the food industry, built on its proprietary STAQ® (See, Think, Act) control software platform. Its portfolio comprises three named systems—Q-See for quality inspection, Q-Sort for sorting, and Q-Process for high-precision processing—combined with Vision AI, cameras, sensors, and robotics. QING also sells the STAQ® Technology Package as a standardized AI building block that OEMs and system integrators can integrate into their own machines and production lines.
Product overview
QING provides AI-driven food automation systems that combine scalable software and robotics. The core product is the STAQ platform, an AI-driven control software that stands for 'See, Think, Act by QING' and translates human observation, decision-making, and actions into intelligent technology using Vision AI, cameras, sensors, and robotics. The STAQ platform powers three main systems: Q-See (AI-driven inspection for quality control), Q-Sort (AI-driven sorting systems), and Q-Process (AI-driven processing systems). QING also offers the STAQ Technology Package, a standardized solution for OEMs and system integrators to integrate AI technology into existing machines and production lines. The systems target food manufacturers facing labor shortages, rising costs, and stricter quality requirements across bakery, fruit and vegetable, and meat and fish processing markets.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- STAQ®: AI-driven control software that stands for See, Think, Act by QING. It combines Vision AI, sensors, and robotics to translate human observation, decision-making, and actions into intelligent technology.
- Q-See System
- Q-Process System
- Q-Sort System
- STAQ® Technology Package
Products and services
- STAQ Food Automation Platform AI-driven control software platform (See, Think, Act by QING) that integrates Vision AI, cameras, sensors, and robotics to automate inspection, sorting, and processing in food manufacturing. Translates human observation, decision-making, and actions into intelligent technology and is licensed/sold as part of QING's automation systems to food manufacturers.
- STAQ Technology Package Pre-engineered AI building block for OEMs and system integrators that bundles cameras and lighting, IPC, HMI, STAQ software, robotics and Vision AI integration, and connectors to PLC, MES, and SCADA systems, enabling them to add AI-driven inspection, sorting, and processing to their own machines without complex internal development.
- Q-See System AI-driven quality inspection system that uses Vision AI, cameras, and sensors to analyze color, shape, size, and abnormalities in real time, supporting up to six cameras and inspection speeds of up to 1,500 products per minute. Targets food manufacturers that need objective, high-speed visual quality control.
- Q-Sort System AI-driven sorting and bin-picking system that combines quality control and sorting into one automated process, with up to six cameras, processing up to 1,500 products per minute, and rejection capacity up to 80 products per minute. Includes flexible grippers for delicate products and IP67/IP69K washdown options for hygienic food environments.
- Q-Process System AI-driven high-precision processing system that uses Vision AI for individual product analysis and food-grade 6-axis robotics to automate complex operations such as coring, pitting, positioning, and cutting of vegetables, fruits, meat, and dough products.
Quantifiable outcome
- Up to 90% waste reduction in vegetable processing (Extractacore)
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use QING
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
QING technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
AI capability3 records
Feature6 records
QING partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core, strategic and minor.
- Stäubli RoboticsflagshipGlobal partnership with Stäubli Robotics, a global leader in robotics for food and pharmaceutical applications. Collaboration focuses on accelerating worldwide adoption of QING's STAQ Technology Packages through Stäubli's global network of OEMs and system integrators. Stäubli provides hygienic robotics expertise while QING provides AI-driven control software.
- AMF Bakery SystemscorePartnership with AMF Bakery Systems Europe to integrate STAQ technology into AMF bakery lines. Initial results show improvements in efficiency, process stability, and waste reduction. AMF Innovation Center in Gorinchem features a fully operational Quality Inspection System.
- PROCEONstrategicStrategic partnership with PROCEON ehf, an Icelandic seafood technology company. Aims to bring scalable AI and robotics automation to the global seafood processing industry.
- ExtractacorestrategicStrategic partnership to redefine automation standards in the global fresh-cut processing industry. Extractacore uses QING's STAQ systems for vegetable processing automation.
- RobovisioncoreIntegration of Robovision's scalable AI software platform with STAQ. Robovision AI platform is used for Vision AI model development and deployment, enabling product segmentation and orientation detection in QING's automation systems.
- Wageningen University & ResearchcoreCollaboration with leading agricultural research university. Projects include development of timelapse systems for growth research of sprouts and roots.
- KU LeuvencoreAcademic partnership with KU Leuven, one of Europe's largest universities, for research and development in food automation technology.
- World Food ForumflagshipCollaboration with the World Food Forum, an initiative of FAO, supporting the organization's mission to transform agrifood systems.
- Next Tech Food FactoriescorePartnership with Next Tech Food Factories, a Dutch innovation initiative focused on next-generation food manufacturing technologies.
- The Chocolate FactoryminorPartnership with The Chocolate Factory, a food innovation ecosystem in the Netherlands.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
QING competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Keyence: Japanese machine-vision and sensor giant offering 2D/3D vision systems used in factory automation for inspection and quality control. Direct overlap on Vision AI inspection across food and adjacent manufacturing; broader in scope than food only.
- TOMRA: Global leader in sensor-based sorting and grading for food (and recycling), with deep installed base in fruit, vegetable and protein sorting. Directly comparable to QING's Q-Sort and Q-See applications, though TOMRA is much larger and serves many verticals.
- Rockwell Automation: Global industrial automation incumbent offering PLC, MES, SCADA, and increasingly AI-driven analytics. STAQ integrates with these platforms while Rockwell increasingly bundles vision and analytics into its own stack — partly partner, partly competitor.
- Cognex: Leading US machine-vision specialist whose AI-enabled inspection systems target industrial quality control across food and many other verticals. Competes with STAQ's Q-See vision inspection at the component layer.
- Bühler Group: Swiss family-owned industrial process and equipment supplier for food (grain, chocolate, nuts, meat) with growing digital and AI sortation offerings. Comparable in food-vertical focus, larger scale, deeper CPG relationships.
- Marel: Icelandic-headquartered global supplier of equipment and software for fish, meat and poultry processing. Overlaps with QING on meat/fish/seafood inspection and processing automation via partnerships/sales channels.
- JBT Marel (JBT Corporation / Marel): Combined post-merger entity providing food processing technology and equipment across protein, prepared foods, and bakery. Direct competitor for end-to-end food processing automation, including inspection and sorting.
Emerging players
- Robovision: Belgian AI vision platform that is QING's named AI infrastructure partner. Comparable in AI-for-industrial-vision space and could potentially compete downstream with STAQ if it expands into verticalised food apps. Currently partner, not direct competitor.
- Extract Technology / Ellab (food processing automation): British vegetable processing machinery supplier and QING strategic partner. Comparable in fresh-cut processing automation; uses QING STAQ inside its machines, making it both a customer and a route-to-market for STAQ Technology Package.
Others
- Stäubli Robotics: Global leader in hygienic robotics for food and pharma, and QING's flagship distribution / co-development partner. Comparable in the robotics-and-food-automation conversation; primarily serves as channel rather than direct competitor at present, but represents a strategic dependency.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
QING social profiles
Digital presenceQING financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
QING leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
QING funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
QING 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 QING
What does QING do?
QING designs, builds, and integrates AI-driven automation systems for the food industry, built on its proprietary STAQ® (See, Think, Act) control software platform. Its portfolio comprises three named systems—Q-See for quality inspection, Q-Sort for sorting, and Q-Process for high-precision processing—combined with Vision AI, cameras, sensors, and robotics. QING also sells the STAQ® Technology Package as a standardized AI building block that OEMs and system integrators can integrate into their own machines and production lines.
Is QING a public or private company?
QING is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was QING founded?
QING was founded in 2013. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is QING based?
QING is headquartered in Arnhem, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does QING make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Automation Systems Sales & Integration is the primary driver. The others are professional Services and STAQ Technology Package Licensing.
Who are QING's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Keyence, TOMRA, Rockwell Automation, Cognex, Bühler Group, Marel and JBT Marel (JBT Corporation / Marel). Emerging players are Robovision and Extract Technology / Ellab (food processing automation). Stäubli Robotics is listed as an others.
Does QING have an API?
No public API is recorded for QING.
What industry is QING in?
QING's product category is Food Processing Automation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAHAHAJ, Industrial Automation Software (SCADA, HMI, MES, Historian), with a secondary code of HDAEANAA, End-to-End Enterprise AI Platforms (MLOps & Model Lifecycle Management). Its NAICS code is 333241 and its SIC code is 3550.