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Aflabox, the Italian AgriTech startup operating across Italy and Africa from its Nairobi base, has closed a $1.54 million (€1.35 million) Seed round to scale its portable mycotoxin detection platform across African and European markets.
The round was completed through FoodSeed, the agrifood programme of CDP Venture Capital’s National Accelerator Network, managed by Eatable Adventures.
Farming Future, the National Agrifood Tech Transfer Hub promoted by CDP Venture Capital in partnership with ToSeed and Partners, also participated.
The funding will help Aflabox speed up its shift from testing technology to developing and selling its products. It will also help the company to finalise its device certification, expand its presence in Kenya, Nigeria and Italy.
This will improve a platform that makes it easier to test for mycotoxins, check the quality of goods, and monitor food safety right at the places where agricultural products are grown, bought, stored, processed, and shipped.
“Aflabox is a tangible example of how technology and innovation can help make agrifood supply chains safer, more efficient and more transparent. The team has developed a solution with significant growth and impact potential, capable of addressing a highly relevant need at an international level. We are delighted to support the company in this new phase of development and to contribute to its industrial and commercial growth,” said José Luis Cabañero, CEO and Founder of Eatable Adventures.
Part of the investment will also be used to enhance the artificial intelligence platform, improve detection accuracy, expand the distribution network across Africa and Europe, as well as build a micro-factory to produce Aflabox devices.
Aflabox has already supplied 20 devices to the World Food Programme in Kenya and began its commercial development by presenting the technology at the Cereal Millers Association Annual Technical Conference in April 2026.
Aflabox was founded in 2024 by Luca Alinovi and Fabrizio Cardillo, two professionals with complementary backgrounds combining scientific expertise, international development experience, entrepreneurial vision and first-hand knowledge of African markets.
Aflabox has built a portable platform that combines UV imaging, artificial intelligence, and geolocated data to detect mycotoxins and assess the commercial quality of grains directly in the field.
Mycotoxins are toxic substances produced by certain species of fungi and can contaminate maize, grains, flour, seeds, nuts and animal-derived products.
Among them, aflatoxins represent one of the major threats to global food safety, affecting human health, product quality, the commercial value of commodities and access to domestic and international markets.
“We created Aflabox in response to a tangible problem we observed directly in the field: when testing is distant, expensive and slow, too many decisions across the supply chain are made without reliable data,” said Fabrizio Cardillo and Luca Alinovi, founders of Aflabox
The system uses UV and white-light imaging to analyse samples. It processes this information with AI and produces digital results that can help various users, including farmers, trading companies, and international organisations.
Each scan produces a digital result in under 90 seconds, replacing laboratory tests that can take hours or days and require specialised equipment.
Farmers can check crop quality in the field. Collection centres and traders can use it for better purchasing and storage decisions. Food companies and exporters can improve quality control and traceability. The data collected can also aid governments and public organisations in planning food safety programs and tracking contamination risks.
Headquartered in Italy and operating from Nairobi through Aflazero Ltd, the company has also completed an initial validation phase for its artificial intelligence-based technology and filed a patent application covering its solution.
