In early July 2024, Karina Peña, CEO of FieldFactors, contacted us after being referred to Generous Minds by RVO. The mail and intake documents were picked up by Petra Benes , who emphasized that this is a unique, impactful enterprise that we should explore.

The intake documents revealed that despite their technological breakthrough and growing customer base, FieldFactors faced a critical challenge in mid-2024. Like many innovative companies scaling rapidly, they were facing the familiar tension between increasing order intake and the capital needed to fulfill those orders. The company needed urgent financial support to avoid operational disruption, while simultaneously preparing for large-scale expansion into key markets, including Mexico where they started their first projects with AmBev, potential growth in the United States, Latin America and Asia.

Watch the video below to learn more about FieldFactors' solution.

After Jos van der Meulen and Ronald Beuk met the founding team, it immediately became clear that this was an exceptional opportunity for both parties.

FieldFactors needed between €500,000 and €1 million to ensure business continuity and fulfil existing orders.

The strategy was two-fold: provide short-term bridge financing to address near-term cash flow challenges while simultaneously preparing for a larger financing round planned for 2025. This approach would stabilize operations and position the company for accelerated growth.

After a week of preparation by Jurek Hryniuk , Brian Kwakman and Ronald Beuk we pressed the button of the 'Generous Money funding machine'. With that we reached about 135 investment funds worldwide that were matched on their funding criteria. We were excited about what was to come!

Like all funding trajectories, despite the great interest, it was exciting whether we would be able to complete the puzzle within the desired timeline. The strong interest from investors led to 40 pitches, 20 investors interested in the current round and 20 investors interested in future rounds.

As a testament to both the strength of the business case and the efficiency of the Generous Minds investor network and Integrated Capital approach, the Water Innovation Fund initially stepped in with a €200,000 investment, adding credibility within the water innovation ecosystem. Shortly after, water-focused impact investor Connect the Drops followed with a €100,000 loan, providing the time needed for a more extensive due diligence.

In order to legally secure this loan, and in anticipation of the loan being part of a convertible loan agreement in a larger round, our steward-owner Paul Passenier from INC.LEGAL was consulted. This led to legal documents that not only secured the first €100K loan from Connect the Drops, but were also used as lead investor terms to align new investors in the round.

This first funding intervention proved to be the catalyst for a bigger success. After successfully completing the thorough due diligence, Connect the Drops increased their commitment to €650,000 in January. Great news for all of us!

Connect de Drops’ confidence as a respected water innovation investor has contributed to the fact that the additional investors we have been talking to since our early outreach were also enthusiastic about the financing round.

The final financing consortium represents a carefully orchestrated mix of strategic investors, each with unique value beyond capital.

The €1.8M+ round was structured to provide both operational stability and strategic market access:

• Connect the Drops led the round with €750,000 total investment, demonstrating their confidence in FieldFactors' technology and market potential.

• Water Innovation Fund contributed €200,000, adding credibility within the water innovation ecosystem.

• Striders invested €200,000, with specific expertise in Asian markets where FieldFactors sees significant expansion opportunities.

• Strategic geographic expansion was supported by Amplifica Capital 's €250,000 investment, leveraging their female led investment approach and Mexican market connections to facilitate FieldFactors' continued growth in Latin America.

• Tailwind 's €250,000 contribution provides crucial access to the US market and their extensive business network, positioning FieldFactors for North American expansion.

• A particularly significant component of the financing came from Paul Vanhauw as an experienced entrepreneur and steward-owner of Generous Minds.

Looking back from the introduction in early July 2024 to the successful financing about 6 months later, we realize again that great things happen when we partner with like-minded, impact-oriented and resilient entrepreneurs like FieldFactors who put their full trust in the Generous Minds support.

Now that the growth capital is secured, the FieldFactors and Generous Minds team with Gert-Jan Maasdam and Paul Vanhauw will build in 'valuable slowness' by making a deep dive using the Generous Minds Covesment Method. With this we determine together where possible Minds support is needed to de-risk challenges and seize opportunities in FieldFactors' next growth phase.

The successful financing round positions FieldFactors for rapid scale-up across multiple markets. The funds will be used strategically to expand the team and enhance the BlueBloqs solution for global adoption. With its proven technology, strong market validation and strategic investors, FieldFactors is well positioned to capture the growing demand for sustainable water management solutions.

The company’s expansion strategy focuses on markets where water scarcity coincides with supportive regulations for innovative solutions. Their established presence in Europe provides a solid foundation, while new partnerships facilitate access to fast-growing markets in Asia, Latin America and North America. Each market entry is supported by investors who bring local expertise and networks.

FieldFactors represents the type of transformative innovation that Generous Minds was founded to support in 2013: technology that addresses critical global challenges with a sustainable commercial business model.

As cities worldwide struggle with increasing water stress, FieldFactors' technology offers a scalable solution that turns environmental challenges into economic opportunities.

The partnership between FieldFactors and Generous Minds demonstrates how strategic and operational support can help visionary entrepreneurs navigate critical growth phases while staying focused on their core mission. We look forward to FieldFactors’ next steps and impact!