Finland’s Collo targets hidden dairy losses with real-time sensor technology

Invisible losses embedded deep inside processing pipes are quietly draining value from the global dairy industry, and a Finnish startup believes it has found a way to stop it. Collo, a technology company based in Finland, has developed an advanced sensor system designed to monitor liquid processing in real time, helping dairies and beverage producers sharply reduce product waste, water use, and operational inefficiencies.

The issue is far from marginal. Europe alone is home to roughly 12,000 dairies, producing an estimated 160 million tons of raw milk each year. On average, about 4% of that milk is lost due to inefficiencies during processing, cleaning, and product changeovers. According to industry benchmarks cited by Collo, best-in-class operators operate below 1% loss, while others exceed 7%. Even modest improvements, the company argues, can translate into massive economic and environmental gains.

As reported by AgFunderNews, Collo’s core innovation lies in electromagnetic field resonator sensors that are installed directly inside processing pipes. These sensors continuously generate radio frequencies within the liquid and analyze the response, allowing operators to measure liquid properties in real time without direct contact or optical exposure. Unlike traditional sensors, Collo’s technology is designed to avoid fouling, degradation, and frequent maintenance.

Collo CEO Jani Puroranta told AgFunderNews that if the average dairy reduced product loss from 4% to 3%, the savings across Europe alone would approach $1 billion annually. “You can basically start saving money from day one,” he said.

Beyond financial impact, the environmental implications are significant. Millions of tons of milk are discarded every year, requiring additional water, chemicals, and energy for cleaning processes. By keeping more product in the system, Collo’s technology also reduces chemical usage, wastewater generation, and associated CO₂ emissions, aligning with sustainability targets that are increasingly shaping procurement decisions across the food and beverage sector.

The roots of Collo’s technology trace back nearly a decade to Tampere University, where it began as a scientific research project aimed at solving long-standing instrumentation problems in liquid processing. Existing tools, Puroranta explained, suffered from three core limitations: they fouled quickly, lacked versatility across different stages of production, and required constant manual maintenance.

From those early prototypes, Collo evolved into a commercial company focused on liquid process intelligence, particularly for complex, water-based matrices such as milk. Milk, Puroranta noted, is among the most challenging liquids to analyze accurately due to its mix of salts, sugars, fats, proteins, and other compounds.

Unlike conductivity or optical sensors—which often fail in industrial environments—Collo’s system functions more like radar. By generating an electromagnetic field within the pipe and reading its interaction with the liquid, the sensor captures detailed process data without being exposed to contamination. Machine-learning algorithms then translate those signals into actionable automation inputs, enabling real-time process control.

According to AgFunderNews, the technology is particularly effective in two high-loss areas of dairy operations: clean-in-place (CIP) cycles and product changeovers, known as push-out processes. During these stages, large volumes of product are typically flushed from pipelines to avoid cross-contamination. Collo’s sensors allow operators to pinpoint exactly when milk ends and cleaning fluids begin, minimizing unnecessary waste.

An additional benefit lies in food safety and quality assurance. The system can detect residual cleaning chemicals in product flows, alerting operators before contamination occurs. This capability adds a layer of protection that conventional instruments often fail to provide.

While the technology has broad applicability across beverages and liquid foods, Collo is deliberately focusing its commercial rollout. Puroranta acknowledged that one of the company’s biggest challenges is not technical adoption, but customer enthusiasm. “Once customers see what the technology can do, they immediately start thinking of dozens of applications,” he told AgFunderNews. “Our challenge is helping them focus on the highest-impact use cases first.”

For now, Collo is prioritizing applications that offer immediate financial payback, allowing customers to validate the return on investment quickly. This strategy is central to the company’s scaling plan, particularly in an industry where capital expenditures are scrutinized closely.

Collo is currently in discussions with major European food and beverage companies and has several dozen pilot installations planned for the coming year. After spending recent years refining the technology for food-grade environments, the company is now shifting into a growth phase focused on deployment and expansion.

Puroranta brings experience in scaling industrial technologies. Prior to joining Collo, he served as chief digital officer at Metso, a global mining technology company, where he oversaw remote condition monitoring systems for complex processing plants. He also ran operations at a packaging materials facility, giving him firsthand exposure to the operational realities of liquid processing at scale.

That background, he said, reinforced the need for instruments that are reliable, maintenance-free, and capable of providing continuous insight. “Liquid processes have historically been a black box,” Puroranta told AgFunderNews. “We’re opening that box.”

As regulatory pressure, sustainability goals, and cost constraints intensify across the food system, technologies that reduce waste without disrupting production are gaining traction. Collo’s approach reflects a broader shift toward data-driven efficiency in food manufacturing, where incremental improvements can unlock outsized economic and environmental benefits.

If successful, Collo’s sensors could help redefine how dairies and beverage producers measure performance—by making the invisible visible, one pipeline at a time.