Comate Ventures Bv

08/24/2026 | Press release | Archived content

Fiberflux aims to make drinking water networks smarter worldwide with fiber optics inside pipelines

24 August 2026

Fiberflux aims to make drinking water networks smarter worldwide with fiber optics inside pipelines

Millions of liters of drinking water are lost every day around the world. Leaks and other potential pipeline defects often go unnoticed until the damage is already significant. Belgian deep-tech scale-up Fiberflux is tackling this challenge by transforming pipelines into real-time sensor networks, helping utilities reduce water loss and manage drinking water infrastructure more efficiently.

AT A GLANCE

  • Fiberflux is a spin-off of family-owned company Vigotec, a specialist in pipeline systems.
  • The company installs fiber optic cables inside existing drinking water pipelines and uses them as sensors.
  • It is the only company worldwide capable of implementing this technology in operational pipelines.
  • Following successful pilot projects, Fiberflux is now rolling out large-scale deployments.

Since 2021, Fiberflux has been developing technology that allows fiber optics to be installed inside existing pipelines and used as highly sensitive sensors. This technology lays the foundation for a new generation of intelligent infrastructure.


A technological breakthrough

Installing sensors in drinking water pipelines is far from straightforward. Pipelines are buried underground, operate under pressure, are difficult to access, and must remain in service at all times.
Fiberflux has developed a unique solution that enables fiber optic cables to be integrated into operational pipelines without interrupting service. To make this possible, the company created its own system of pipeline components and installation technology. The result is a virtual chain of sensors throughout the entire network, creating a dense monitoring system over long distances and delivering continuous insight into what is happening inside and around the pipeline.
To bridge the gap between innovation and real-world implementation, Fiberflux partnered with us. Comate supported the development of a robust system that turns an innovative concept into a practical solution for existing pipeline networks.


Real-time detection

The fiber optic cable acts as an extremely sensitive sensor, capable of detecting vibrations and anomalies. For this capability, Fiberflux collaborates with Fluves, a Ghent-based software and fiber optic sensing engineering company, under the DALI Pipeline Monitoring initiative.

Using machine learning algorithms, Fluves identifies and localizes acoustic events in real time with an accuracy of up to five meters. Leaks, damage, and disturbances can therefore be detected quickly and located precisely. This is where Fiberflux stands apart. Today, it is the only company in the world capable of applying this technology in operational pipelines.


Less water loss, greater insight

The benefits are clear. Leaks can be identified faster, reducing water loss and associated costs. Network operators gain deeper visibility into the condition of their infrastructure, allowing them to make more informed investment decisions.

The sustainability impact is equally significant. Fewer leaks mean less drinking water wasted and lower energy consumption for water production and transport. By replacing deteriorating pipelines at the right time and extending the lifespan of healthy assets, maintenance activities can be planned more efficiently. This reduces material consumption and limits disruptive excavation works.


Drinking water first

While the technology can also be applied in industrial networks and other critical infrastructure, Fiberflux is initially focused on drinking water systems. The need is greatest there, as water losses continue to be a major global challenge.

About DALI Pipeline Monitoring

DALI Pipeline Monitoring is a collaboration between Fiberflux and Fluves, a Ghent-based software and fiber optic sensing engineering company. Under the DALI Pipeline Monitoring banner, both partners combine their expertise to develop innovative solutions for monitoring pipeline infrastructure.

The combination of Fiberflux's industrial know-how and Fluves' technological expertise has resulted in a scalable platform focused on digitalization and advanced data analysis. Through this approach, DALI positions itself at the forefront of the transition toward more efficient and sustainable management of water and utility networks.

Solving a hard technical problem that has to work in the real world?

Fiberflux's fiber optic sensing technology is a good example of the kind of work Comate does: taking a genuinely difficult technical concept, in this case sensors that have to operate inside pressurized, always-in-service pipelines, and turning it into a system that works reliably in the field, not just in a lab. If you're developing an innovative sensing, monitoring, or infrastructure technology and need an engineering partner to take it from proof of concept to something operators can actually depend on, we'd like to hear about it.

Comate Ventures Bv published this content on August 24, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on September 11, 2026 at 09:55 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]