NWO Take‑off 1 grants: from an innovative “happy bar” to digitisation in insect farming
Five VU & UvA projects from Amsterdam have been awarded an NWO Take‑off grant in the 2025 autumn round. With this funding, the researchers will further explore the feasibility and commercial potential of their ideas. From cutting‑edge nutrition for mental health to innovative insect farming: keep reading to discover more about the selected projects.
Two grants for the University of Amsterdam
Astrid Groot: AI system for insect sex determination
Astrid Groot has developed a smart AI solution that largely automates the process of determining the sex of insects, reducing more than 90% of manual labour. This technology addresses the growing need for automation in sectors such as crop protection and insect farming. Building on an existing prototype, Groot is now working towards a system ready for market introduction.
Rick Quax and startup Causalix: open‑source LLMs for fast, reliable and affordable complex insights
Many organisations want to use AI to make complex systems easier to understand — with diagrams, explanations and references to research. However, strict data‑privacy regulations often prevent them from doing so. To address this, Rick Quax is developing Causalix, an open‑source AI model hosted in European clouds. Causalix is already being tested at ten organisations, including TNO and ING, with promising results.
Three grants for Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Imran Avci: HELIOS ultra‑sensitive microscopy
Imran Avci has developed a new ultra‑sensitive microscope, known as Stimulated Brillouin Microscopy (SBM), which requires far less light than existing systems. As a result, it can perform measurements on materials that normally absorb too much light. Commercial application of this technology would be a major advancement for research on the properties of cells and tissues.
Nienke van Atteveldt: Explore Your Brain
Explore Your Brain (EYB) is a unique innovation that gives secondary‑school students a remarkable look inside their own heads. Using an ultramodern headband — a portable EEG device — students can put on the headset and watch their own brain activity live, revealing the power of the organ inside their skull.
Fleur van Eeden: The Happy Bar
The Happy Bar is an innovative fermented functional food designed to support mood and behaviour through the gut–brain axis, using a scientifically selected probiotic strain. This new food product has the potential to help alleviate mental‑health complaints such as stress, anxiety and low mood.
IXA happily supports researchers in securing grants
At IXA, we see the NWO Take‑off grants as key instruments for valorisation. Our Business and Impact Developers actively scout for promising projects and support researchers throughout the application process.