ZTI Smart Machines

What ZTI Smart Machines does

ZTI Smart Machines is a Dutch industrial equipment manufacturer headquartered in Tuitjenhorn, Netherlands, founded in 1989-1990. The company designs, develops, and assembles processing machines for fragile organic products across four verticals: fruit processing, vegetable processing, flower processing, and seed processing. Its core technology blends mechatronics, AI-powered vision systems, robotics with silicone grippers, and proprietary deep learning algorithms to handle produce of varying sizes, shapes, and colors without human intervention. The product portfolio spans standalone machines (Mango Peeler 20, Radish Top and Tailer, Cress Harvesting Machine, Citrus & Kiwi Peeler, Pineapple Peeler, Watermelon Wedger) and fully autonomous processing lines (notably the Bell Pepper Line, capable of 5,400 peppers per hour), supported by auxiliary equipment such as the Hopper and Weigher and Bucket Destacker.

ZTI generates revenue primarily through capital equipment sales of custom-configured industrial machines, with additional income from custom machine development and ongoing service and support through an international dealer network. Pricing is quote-based with multi-year contracts; no public pricing is disclosed. The company sells to enterprise customers in the food processing industry using a direct advisory sales model, supplemented by an international dealer network for geographic reach and local technical support. The company is privately held by co-owners Machiel Honig and Hans Keijzer, has 11-50 employees, and in 2025 secured over €1.2 million from the EU Just Transition Fund to develop new machine variations and retrain industry workers. ZTI markets through a multilingual website (Dutch, English, German, Spanish, French), social channels, whitepapers, and industry events such as Seed Meets Technology.

Name

ZTI Smart Machines

Legal name

ZTI Smart Machines

Website

https://zti.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ZTI Smart Machines is a Dutch industrial equipment manufacturer that designs and assembles AI-vision, robotics, and deep learning-enabled processing machines for fragile fruits, vegetables, flowers, and seeds, serving enterprise food processing customers globally through direct sales and an international dealer network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Food Processing Machinery

NAICS

Food Product Machinery Manufacturing (333241), Industrial Machinery Manufacturing (33324)

SIC

Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550), Special Industry Machinery, Nec (3559)

akta.pro primary industry

Factory Automation Cells & Integrated Systems (Assembly, Welding, Painting Lines) (IMAHAHAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial Vision & Quality Inspection (HDAAAEAG), Factory Automation & Control Systems (PLC/SCADA/DCS) (IMAIAMAA), Capping, Sealing & Closing Machines (IMAHAOAG)

Keywords

• Food processing machinery
• Fruit processing equipment
• Vegetable cutting machines
• Vision robotics automation
• Industrial peeling machines

Headquarters

HQ city

Tuitjenhorn

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Industrial Food Processing Machinery: ZTI designs, develops, and assembles industrial machines for processing fruits, vegetables, flowers, and seeds. Machines include peelers, cutters, sorters, destemmers, and complete processing lines. Revenue is generated through the sale of these capital equipment machines.
2. Custom Machine Development: ZTI offers custom machine development services, creating specialized solutions tailored to specific customer processing requirements. They develop bespoke machines for unique product processing needs.
3. Service and Support: The company provides ongoing service and technical support through their international dealer network, including maintenance, spare parts, and technical assistance for installed machines.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ZTI Smart Machines designs, develops, and assembles industrial processing machines for fragile organic products including fruits, vegetables, flowers, and seeds. Its equipment combines mechatronics, AI-powered vision technology, robotics, and proprietary deep learning algorithms to automate peeling, cutting, coring, destemming, sorting, weighing, and packing operations. The company also offers custom machine development and after-sales service through its international dealer network.

Product overview

ZTI Smart Machines is a Dutch industrial equipment manufacturer specializing in processing machines for fruits, vegetables, flowers, and seeds. The product portfolio centers on autonomous processing lines (notably the Bell Pepper Line with AI vision and robotics), standalone processing machines (Mango Peeler, Radish Top and Tailer, Cress Harvesting Machine), and supporting equipment (Hopper and Weigher, Bucket Destacker, Super Sealer). Process capabilities include peeling, cutting, pitting, coring, destemming, and sorting across produce types including mango, citrus, pineapple, kiwi, melon, bell pepper, radish, cabbage, pumpkin, broccoli, carrot, cucumber, and parsnip. The company also offers ZTI Smart Robotics as a dedicated robotics division, custom machine design services, and educational whitepapers on yield optimization, shelf life extension, and vision/robotics technology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ZTI Smart Robotics: A sub-brand focused on robotics, vision technology, and AI integration into processing machines.

Products and services

• Bell Pepper Line Fully automated bell pepper processing system that uses AI vision, robotics, and deep learning for autonomous coring and slicing operations. Designed for industrial bell pepper processors.
• Radish Top and Tailer Automated radish trimming machine that uses vision technology and AI-driven robotic arms to cut both the growing tip and root of each radish at approximately 90 radishes per minute (±10%).
• Cress Harvesting Machine Micro-vegetable cutting machine co-developed with Van der Plas Sprouts to trim cress and sprouts to consistent lengths, replacing manual labor and increasing processing efficiency.
• Mango Peeler 20 Precision mango peeling machine engineered to peel mangoes with the same care as manual processing.
• Mango Peeler-de-Cheeker 20 Combined peeling and de-cheeking machine for mangoes, designed for industrial mango processors.
• Hopper and Weigher Automated crate filling system with weighing capability for accurate packaging of fruits and vegetables at 23 kg per crate capacity with better than 5% accuracy at 10 kg total weight.
• Super Sealer High-speed packing and sleeving machine for cut flowers, particularly designed for import roses.
• Sachet Emptying Machine Machine that opens filled sachets and empties contents into containers, designed for the seed processing industry.
• Bucket Destacker Combined destacker and filling machine for buckets, programmable for different sizes with a capacity of 600 buckets per hour.
• Fruit Cutter Bell Pepper E-line cutting machine for bell peppers offering a lower-cost alternative to the autonomous Bell Pepper Line.
• Stepper Machine that separates elongated vegetables such as cucumber, parsnip, and carrots for separated and oriented downstream processing.
• Long Product Cutter Robust industrial cutting machine for elongated produce such as carrots, parsnip, and cucumbers.
• Sorting Line Sorting and classification system for produce.
• Pineapple Peeler Machine for peeling pineapples.
• Watermelon Wedger Machine for cutting watermelons into wedges.
• Dicer Dicing machine for fruits and vegetables.
• Destemmer Machine for removing stems from produce.
• Zest Peeler Peeling machine for zesting applications.
• Strainer Straining equipment for processing applications.
• Citrus & Kiwi Peeler Peeling machine for citrus fruits and kiwis.
• Cabbage Corer & Wedger Combined coring and wedging machine for cabbage.
• Cabbage Corer Machine for coring cabbage.
• Fruit & Vegetable Wedger Wedging machine for various fruits and vegetables.
• Fruit Cutter e-line Efficient fruit cutting machine line.
• Fruit Cutter Citrus Cutting machine for citrus fruits.
• Mango Peeler Basic mango peeling machine.
• Custom Machines Custom-built machines tailored to specific customer processing requirements for fruits, vegetables, and other products.
• ZTI Smart Robotics Robotics division focused on advanced automation solutions integrating vision technology and AI for food and agricultural processing applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5400 peppers per hour processing capacity with autonomous bell pepper line
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Van der Plas SproutscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZTI collaborated with Van der Plas Sprouts to develop a specialized machine for cutting micro-vegetables. This partnership resulted in a new machine that replaced manual labor, increasing processing from 4 to 5 shelves per hour while reducing required workers from 2 to 0 for the cutting process. The collaboration demonstrates ZTI's ability to develop customized solutions for specific customer needs.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• JBT Corporation: Large global supplier of food processing and packaging equipment, including fresh-produce applications. Broad incumbent that competes with ZTI for larger processor accounts while serving many other food categories.
• Key Technology (Duravant): US-based manufacturer of digital sorting, conveying and processing equipment for food processing, including fruits and vegetables. Broader incumbent with vision-based sorters overlapping ZTI's quality and orientation inspection capability.

Direct peers

• GREEFA: Dutch manufacturer of sorting and grading machinery for fruits and vegetables using vision technology. Directly comparable on vision-based produce handling, with a longer track record in large packhouse installations.
• TOMRA: Norwegian global leader in sensor-based sorting, grading and peeling for fresh and processed produce. Directly comparable to ZTI in vision-guided fruit and vegetable processing, but at much larger scale and broader portfolio.
• Turatti Group: Italian manufacturer of machinery for washing, sorting, peeling and cutting fruits and vegetables. Comparable custom-built produce processing equipment serving similar fresh-cut and convenience food customers.
• Ellips: Netherlands-based supplier of AI-driven optical sorting and grading solutions for fresh produce. Directly comparable on computer-vision produce inspection and competes for the same packhouse customers.
• Wyma Solutions: New Zealand-based supplier of post-harvest vegetable processing equipment (washing, cutting, conveying). Comparable niche produce automation specialist with strong vegetable-processing focus and growing international dealer network.
• FTNON: Dutch supplier of processing lines for fresh-cut fruits and vegetables, including peeling, cutting and washing modules. Comparable Dutch-headquartered produce automation specialist competing in overlapping customer accounts.
• Sormac: Dutch maker of machines for cutting, washing, peeling and drying of fresh vegetables. Overlaps with ZTI's vegetable processing modules and shares the West-Friesland/Netherlands production automation ecosystem.

Emerging players

• Cambridge Industries: Vision-guided robotics and automation specialist with applications in food handling. Comparable in adopting AI-vision + robotics for variable organic products, but focused on different geographies and use cases than ZTI.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCOR4LQnLKWPgT_e3b9Svn7g
• Facebookfacebook.com/ZTI.smart.machines
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zti-smart-machines

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ZTI Smart Machines