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Revision as of 04:41, 12 September 2012
The following report presents the technological landscape in the water purification market. The report uses financial deals and patent data to identify major technologies in water purification. In this process, major companies, startups and universities in each technology in water purification are also identified. Some companies have been profiled for their financials and their work in water purification market. Some of the research going on in major universities in the field of water purification has also been detailed out.
Contents
- 1 Objective of the Report
- 2 Research Methodology
- 3 Scope of the Report
- 4 Introduction to Water Purification
- 5 Technical Classification
- 6 Technology-wise Financial Activities
- 7 Nanotechnology in Water Purification
- 7.1 Market Size
- 7.2 Startups
- 7.3 Universities/Institutes
- 7.3.1 IIT Madras
- 7.3.2 Department of Environmental Geosciences, University of Vienna
- 7.3.3 National Nanotechnology Center, NANOTEC, Thailand
- 7.3.4 LEITAT Technological Center, Spain
- 7.3.5 Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS, Germany
- 7.3.6 Division of Materials Science, Lulea University of Technology, Sweden
- 7.3.7 Harvard University, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
- 7.3.8 Penn Engineering, University of Pennsylvania
- 7.3.9 Wright State University, United States
- 8 References
Objective of the Report
The objective of the report is to
- identify major technologies in water purification market using financial market activities
- understand the investment landscape in water purification
- identify major companies, start-ups and university research in the Nanofiltration segment of water purification
Research Methodology
The methodology followed to achieve the above listed objectives is given below:
Scope of the Report
The report covers financial market activity only in the last 3 years (2009-2012)
Introduction to Water Purification
Water purification is the process of removing contaminants from surface water or groundwater to make it fit for specific purposes. The contaminants may be particulate matter, dissolved minerals or microorganisms. Technologies commonly employed to purify water are distillation, ion exchange, adsorption, filtration, membrane filtration, ultraviolet (UV) radiation or a combination of more than one of these. The technologies most applied currently are membrane filtration and UV radiation. Nanotechnology is significantly advancing water purification technologies, especially in membrane processes.
Technical Classification
The following technical classification has been arrived at, based on its commercial usage and popularity.
Note: Please note that the classification is only an indicative of the water purification market. It is not an exhaustive classification of water purification techniques.
Pre Filtration
The technical classification for pre-filtration techniques is as follows:
Source: European Patent Office
Filtration (by process)
The technical classification for filtration techniques by process-type is as follows:
Source: European Patent Office
Filtration (by medium)
The technical classification for filtration techniques by medium is as follows:
Source: European Patent Office
Post Filtration
The technical classification for post-filtration techniques is as follows:
Source: European Patent Office
From here on, the report will focus only on Filtration techniques.
Technology-wise Financial Activities
Membrane Separation
Venture Capital Investments
| Investor Company | Description | Invested company | Invested technology | Invested Amount | Sources |
| Dow Chemical Company | With annual sales of $54 billion and 46,000 employees worldwide, Dow is a diversified chemical company that combines the power of science and technology with the " Human Element " to constantly improve what is essential to human progress. The Company delivers a broad range of products and services to customers in around 160 countries, connecting chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help provide everything from fresh water, food and pharmaceuticals to paints, packaging and personal care products. |
WaterHealth International, Inc | UV light disinfection, multi-stage filtration (multimedia filter, advanced carbon filter & cartridge filter), reverse osmosis | $20 million (joint investment by Dow and SAIL) | Waterhealth |
| Sail Venture Partners (SAIL) | SAIL Venture Partners, L.P. is a national venture capital firm with offices in Southern California and Washington, D.C., investing in early-stage companies primarily in the Energy/Cleantech sector. The SAIL partners invest through two primary funds, which focus on clean technologies in the areas of alternative energy, water, agriculture and materials. |
WaterHealth International, Inc | UV light disinfection, multi-stage filtration (multimedia filter, advanced carbon filter & cartridge filter), reverse osmosis | $20 million (joint investment by Dow and SAIL) | Waterhealth |
| International Finance Corporation (IFC) | International Finance Corporation is a private equity and venture capital arm of World Bank specializing in both direct and fund investments. It seeks to invest in early stage companies. | WaterHealth International, Inc | UV light disinfection, multi-stage filtration (multimedia filter, advanced carbon filter & cartridge filter), reverse osmosis | $15 million | Waterhealth |
| Liberation Capital | Liberation Capital is a Global Private Equity Fund providing finance for small renewable energy, water and waste water projects. Their investment model centers on strategic partnerships with CleanTech technology firms and project developers with multi-project/multi-year investment horizons. | Desalitech, Ltd | Reverse osmosis (Closed Circuit Desalination technology) | $6.25 million | Businesswire |
| One Equity Partners LLC | One Equity Partners makes private investments in a variety of industries including chemicals, healthcare, technology, travel and manufacturing | Sud-Chemie AG | Reverse osmosis (NITREA process and PAni technology | $1433.5 million | Sud-chemie |
| Danish Business Innovation Fund | The Business Innovation Fund is an official government initiative established in autumn 2009 under the Danish Ministry of Economic and Business Affairs. The aim is to develop innovative commercial products and services that can meet the increasing global demand for green solutions and welfare as well as generate growth and employment in Denmark. | Aquaporin A/S | Membrane technology | $1.39 million | Aquaporin |
| SAS Investors | SAS Investors targets companies that provide solutions based on technology emerging out of tech transfer centers, universities, and/or corporate labs in which a subject matter expert has developed unique IP that is particularly relevant to industry pain points | HydroGlobe. Inc | Arsenic & lead removal technology, Ion exchange, Crossflow membranes, liquid process filters | $1.1 million | Poodyglitz |
Private Equity Funding
| Company | Technology focus | Deal type | Funder/Company | Technology invested in | Funding Amount | Geography | Other Details |
| WaterHealth International, Inc | WaterHealth International, Inc. is a provider of water treatment solutions based on water purification and disinfection technology. Its products include household systems, community water systems, and emergency relief units. | Funding | Undisclosed Investors | UV light disinfection, multi-stage filtration (multimedia filter, advanced carbon filter & cartridge filter), reverse osmosis | $22.5 million | United States | Received in the 1st Quarter of 2012 |
| WaterHealth International, Inc | WaterHealth International, Inc. is a provider of water treatment solutions based on water purification and disinfection technology. Its products include household systems, community water systems, and emergency relief units. | Funding | Dow Venture Capital (Dow) and Sail Venture Partners (SAIL) | UV light disinfection, multi-stage filtration (multimedia filter, advanced carbon filter & cartridge filter), reverse osmosis | more than $10 million | United States | WHI has more than 600 installations of its water purification and disinfection systems in developing countries around the world. This additional funding further strengthens WHI and will allow for accelerated growth. |
| WaterHealth International, Inc | WaterHealth International, Inc. is a provider of water treatment solutions based on water purification and disinfection technology. Its products include household systems, community water systems, and emergency relief units. | Funding | International Finance Corporation (IFC) |
UV light disinfection, multi-stage filtration (multimedia filter, advanced carbon filter & cartridge filter), reverse osmosis | $15 million | United States | The facility is in the form of long term loans to help more than 600 communities in India fund the purchase of WaterHealth Centres over the next 18 months, with the capacity to serve more than three million people. |
| Desalitech, Ltd | Desalitech, Ltd. is engaged in the development and commercialization of closed circuit reverse osmosis desalination technologies for the applications of sea water desalination, brackish water desalination, industrial water upgrade, and wells water purification | Private Equity (Direct Investment) | Liberation Capital | Reverse osmosis (Closed Circuit Desalination technology) | $6.25 million | Israel | Desalitech will use the funding to expand its business and working capital |
| Sud-Chemie AG | Sud-Chemie AG is a Germany-based group engaged in the manufacture of specialty chemicals. It operates through two divisions: Catalysts and Adsorbents. The products manufactured by the Catalysts division offer solutions for water treatment, petrochemicals processing, energy storage and hydrogen production, as well as off-gas purification. The key markets served by its Adsorbents division include the consumer-goods, packaging and foundry industries, as well as the paper and plastics industries | Private Equity (Exit) | One Equity Partners LLC | Reverse osmosis (NITREA process and PAni technology | $1433.5 million | Switzerland | The transaction will enable Clariant to expand in chemical catalysts used in the oil and automotive industries |
| Aquaporin A/S | Developer of technology for water purification and desalination of seawater | Venture Financing | Danish Business Innovation Fund | Membrane technology | $1.39 million | Denmark | The main strategy is to develop the Aquaporin Inside™ technology capable of separating and purifying water from all other compounds. Primary market focus includes ultra pure water (UPW) used in extreme applications such as medico, biotech, in the production of semiconductors and flat panels and other industrial purposes. Secondary market focus includes desalination of seawater and pressure retarded osmosis applications. |
| HydroGlobe. Inc | HydroGlobe manufactures products that remove heavy metals including arsenic from water. It is a supplier of innovative and affordable water-purification technology to municipalities and consumers | Venture Financing | SAS Investors, New Product Development Consortium, Stevens Institute of Technology | Arsenic & lead removal technology, Ion exchange, Crossflow membranes, liquid process filters | $1.1 million | United States | The funds raised would facilitate Hydroglobe to build a market presence for MetSorb, its new filter media for Arsenic removal, and to hire the work force needed to sell and implement its equipment solutions. |
Mergers and Acquisitions
| Acquirer | Technology focus of acquirer | Deal type | Acquired Company | Technology invested in | Funding Amount | Geography | Other Details |
| Graver Technologies | Designs, develops, and manufactures products that facilitate and enhance separation, purification, and process filtration | Acquisition | HydroGlobe, Inc | Arsenic & lead removal technology, Ion exchange, Crossflow membranes, liquid process filters | Undisclosed | United States | HydroGlobe manufactures products that remove heavy metals including arsenic from water. It is a supplier of innovative and affordable water-purification technology to municipalities and consumers |
| Grundfos Holding A/S | Grundfos Holding A/S is a manufacturer of pumps. The company’s products include circulator, submersible, and centrifugal pumps. It serves agriculture, automotive, biofuel, food, agricultural water distribution, agricultural water treatment, beverage, commercial buildings, and HVAC OEM sectors | Acquisition | Enaqua | Microfiltration (MF), Ultrafiltration (UF), Nanofiltration (NF), Reverse Osmosis (RO), UV disinfection | Undisclosed | United States | The acquisition will allow Grundfos to obtain new technology and competence as a strong supplement to its existing business and enable to deliver new solutions for water treatment with strengthened focus on sustainability. Enaqua is a provider of an environmentally friendly advanced purification solutions. The company has developed ultraviolet disinfection equipment based on Activated Fluoropolymer Technology (AFP™). It manufactures non-contact disinfection systems and membrane systems. |
| Undisclosed | An investor group, has acquired an equity stake in excess of 5% in WaterHealth International, Inc., a provider of water treatment solutions based on water purification and disinfection technology. Both the entities are based in the US | Acquisition | WaterHealth International, Inc | UV light disinfection, multi-stage filtration (multimedia filter, advanced carbon filter & cartridge filter), reverse osmosis | 5% stake | United States | WaterHealth International, Inc. is a provider of water treatment solutions based on water purification and disinfection technology. Its products include household systems, community water systems, and emergency relief units |
| Pentair, Inc | Diversified industrial manufacturing company | Acquisition | Clean Process Technologies (CPT) division on Norit Holdings B V | Activated carbon, Membrane Filtration, | $716.4 million | Netherlands | CPT is a provider of membrane solutions and clean process technologies for water and beverage filtration and separation segments CPT provides components, systems, and services that are expected to broaden and deepen Pentair’s capabilities in desalination, water reuse and high efficiency industrial applications and enable Pentair to provide more integrated solutions to its customers. The acquisition is also expected to strengthen Pentair in the food and beverage sector and in fast growth regions, including China, Latin America and the Middle East |
| Salcon Berhad | Malaysia-based designer, constructor, operator and maintainer of water treatment plants and water works | Acquisition | Darco Environmental Pte., Ltd | membrane and ion-exchange technologies (organic and inorganic treatments, membrane filtration and separation, electro-winning, chemical precipitation and vacuum degasification) | $15.17 million | Singapore | Darco Water Technologies (Darco) is involved in designing, fabricating, assembling, installing and commissioning engineered water purification and wastewater treatment systems. The group also provides water management services like maintenance of filters; maintenance of ion exchange resin columns; and operation and maintenance of engineered water systems. The group operates in Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Taiwan and China. It is headquartered in Singapore City, Singapore.The group recorded revenues of S$69.7 million (approximately $51.2 million) in the fiscal year ended December 2010. Its net profit was S$1.3 million (approximately $1 million) in fiscal 2010. |
| Siemens Industry Automation Division | Siemens Industry Automation Division is a provider of a complete and integrated line of products, systems, and solutions for production and process automation for manufacturing industries, process and basics industries, and research, development, and training centers | Acquisition | Cambridge Water Technology, Inc | CoMag, a solid and precipitated particulate removal process based on the process of coagulation, flocculation, and clarification that produces effluent equivalent to ultra-filtration; and BioMag, a retrofit application that enhances the performance of biological treatment systems, increases capacity, catalyzes biological productivity, and produces effluent for activated sludge plants needing treatment capacity or enhanced nutrient removal capability | Undisclosed | United States | The acquisition will strengthen the Siemens product portfolio with technologies for advanced water and wastewater treatment Cambridge Water Technology, Inc. is engaged in providing municipal and industrial wastewater treatment facilities. |
| Pall Corporation | Supplier of integrated filtration, separation and purification technologies | Acquisition | Engefiltro | Absolute filtration, microfiltration, ultrafiltration, Reverse Osmosis, Coalescers Liquid / Liquid | Undisclosed | Brazil | The transaction will strengthen Pall’s regional capabilities in the design, construction and servicing of sophisticated fluid management systems for customers in the life sciences and industrial markets throughout Latin America. Engefiltro is a distributor of mining, oil and gas, chemical and petrochemical, power generation, food processing and pharmaceutical products |
| Seprotech Systems Incorporated | Seprotech Systems is an environmental technology company engaged in the manufacture and sale of water and wastewater treatment systems. The company offers packaged systems including industrial membrane systems, mobile response package plants, purification equipment, rotating biological contactors, wastewater treatment and water treatment equipment. In addition, it offers industrial solutions such as microfiltration, nano filtration, reverse osmosis, ultra filtration; and water and wastewater treatment solutions. The company primarily operates in Canada, where it is headquartered in Ottawa. | Acquisition | WESA Group | Aerobic and anaerobic biological, Physical / chemical treatment, Dissolved air flotation, Media Filtration, Activate carbon adsorption, Enhanced Oxidation, Dewatering and sludge handling, Ion exchange, Reverse osmosis, Ultrafiltration and microfiltration, Evaporation | $2.03 million | Canada | With this acquisition, Seprotech will become a major provider of earth sciences, water resources and environmental engineering services, and wastewater/water treatment systems. The combined entities will be able to provide their clients with a much broader spectrum of professional services and complete systems to solve their problems and WESA will have a platform for much more rapid growth. |
| Tri-Tech Holding, Inc.’s subsidiaries Tri-Tech International Investment, Inc. and Tri-Tech Infrastructure, LLC | Tri-Tech Holding is a China-based designer of customized sewage treatment and odor control systems | Acquisition | J&Y International, Inc | Evaporators, reverse osmosis, filtration, ion exchange, biological, physical and chemical methods | $1.5 million in cash and Tri-Tech stock | United States | With this acquisition, Tri-Tech will have the technology to expand into the markets for seawater desalination, water reuse, and zero liquid discharge (ZLD), driven by increased scarcity of water resources. Tri-Tech combined with J&Y’s superior technology will result in synergies that will enhance Tri-Tech’s overall competitive advantage The operating assets belong to J&Y International, Inc., a designer and manufacturer of water purification and wastewater treatment systems. |
| Clean TeQ Holdings Limited | Developing, commercializing and selling air purification, metal recovery and water purification technologies | Investment | Aqua Guardian Group | Continuous Ionic Filtration, Desalination, Membrane Pre-Treatment, Zero Liquid Dischange, UV Disinfection, Clean Air Strippers | $0.5 million | Australia | Clean TeQ Holdings Limited announced that Aqua Guardian Group Limited has an interest of 32,624,708 ordinary shares, which represents 22.7% of voting power in the Company. |
| Liqtech USA, Inc. (LUSA) | LUSA is a US-based cleantech company engaged in developing and providing of technologies for gas and liquid purification using ceramic silicon carbide filters, particularly, for the control of soot exhaust particles from diesel engines and for water filtration | Private Placement | Blue Moose Media | Silicon Carbide Ceramic Membranes Filtration (MF and UF membranes) | $6.3 million | United States | Liqtech USA, Inc. is a cleantech company that developes and provides technologies for gas and liquid purification using ceramic silicon carbide filters, particularly, highly specialized filters for the control of soot exhaust particles from diesel engines and for water filtration. |
Joint Ventures, Licensing and IPO
| Company | Technology focus | Technology | Deal type | Funder/Company | Funding Amount | Geography | Other Details |
| Tianjin MOTIMO Membrane Technology Co., Ltd | Tianjin MOTIMO Membrane Technology Co., Ltd. is a manufacture of membrane module and equipment. The company provides hollow fiber membrane module, technical guidance and the after-sale service.The company’s products include column hollow fiber, FP membrane module, SMF membrane module, and drinking water purification device | Membrane technology, Microfiltration, Ultrafiltration | IPO | NA | $77.19 million | China | NA |
| Eureka Forbes, Ltd. | Eureka Forbes, Ltd. is a manufacturer of water purification systems, vacuum cleaners, and air purifiers. The company also offers security solutions, including home security systems, intrusion alarm systems, access control systems, fire alarm systems, and surveillance systems. In addition, it offers industrial solutions, such as industrial water purifiers, commercial and industrial vacuum cleaners, hard floor cleaning and maintenance machines, high pressure cleaners, and cleaning and hygiene products | E-boiling, UV filtration, Reverse Osmosis, Ultra Filtration, SMP technologies, Chemical purification based on iodinated resin | Partnership & licensing | Water Security Corporation, Inc | NA | India | Eureka Forbes, Ltd. has entered into a partnership and licensing agreement with Water Security Corporation, Inc. (WSC), to launch a low-cost water purification system called Aquasure Galaxy, based on WSC’s technology originally developed to be used by NASA in space, which is certified by the US EPA (Environment Protection Agency). Water Security Corporation, Inc. (WAC) is a provider of water purifying technology that kills disease causing germs and provides drinking water at the point-of-use including homes, medical centers, schools, offices, and rural villages. The company licenses its purification technology to companies that manufacture and market consumer water purification products, portable water purifiers, and other point-of-use and point-of-entry water purification products. Additionally, WSC manufactures and sells rural village water purification systems through regional distributors. |
| Clean TeQ Holdings Limited | developing, commercializing and selling air purification, metal recovery and water purification technologies | Continuous ion exchange, Membrane processes | Partnership (Joint Venture) | Nippon Gas Co., Ltd | Nippon Gas will invest AUD4 million ($4.29 million) in the joint venture to hold 50% stake and Clean TeQ will provide an exclusive license to use its proprietary CIF(TM) technology in this industry in Australia | Australia | Clean TeQ Holdings Limited has formed a joint venture with Nippon Gas Co., Ltd., to provide water desalination facilities and services in the Australian coal seam gas industry. The joint venture is named as Associated Water Pty., Ltd. |
| ItN Nanovation AG | nanotechnology company that manufactures and markets ceramic products | Nanotechnology | Partnership (Joint Venture) | E.A. Juffali & Brothers | NA | Saudi Arabia | The products of the joint venture will be used in the area of prefiltration for reverse osmosis for the treatment of drinking water. The joint venture will improve market access for ItN Nanovation, thereby allowing it to better address a region that is one of the core markets for the treatment of drinking water using ceramic flat membranes. The joint venture also marks another milestone for ItN Nanovation by allowing the mass production of CFM systems as well as representing a further proof of concept of the performance and industrial applications of ItN technology in cooperation with external international partners. |
Irradiation
Venture Capital Investments
| Investor Company | Description | Invested company | Invested technology | Invested Amount | Sources |
| Dow Chemical Company | With annual sales of $54 billion and 46,000 employees worldwide, Dow is a diversified chemical company that combines the power of science and technology with the " Human Element " to constantly improve what is essential to human progress. The Company delivers a broad range of products and services to customers in around 160 countries, connecting chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help provide everything from fresh water, food and pharmaceuticals to paints, packaging and personal care products. |
WaterHealth International, Inc | UV light disinfection, multi-stage filtration (multimedia filter, advanced carbon filter & cartridge filter), reverse osmosis | $20 million (joint investment by Dow and SAIL) | Waterhealth |
| Sail Venture Partners (SAIL) | SAIL Venture Partners, L.P. is a national venture capital firm with offices in Southern California and Washington, D.C., investing in early-stage companies primarily in the Energy/Cleantech sector. The SAIL partners invest through two primary funds, which focus on clean technologies in the areas of alternative energy, water, agriculture and materials. |
WaterHealth International, Inc | UV light disinfection, multi-stage filtration (multimedia filter, advanced carbon filter & cartridge filter), reverse osmosis | $20 million (joint investment by Dow and SAIL) | Waterhealth |
| International Finance Corporation (IFC) | International Finance Corporation is a private equity and venture capital arm of World Bank specializing in both direct and fund investments. It seeks to invest in early stage companies. | WaterHealth International, Inc | UV light disinfection, multi-stage filtration (multimedia filter, advanced carbon filter & cartridge filter), reverse osmosis | $15 million | Waterhealth |
Private Equity Funding
| Company | Technology focus | Deal type | Funder/Company | Technology invested in | Funding Amount | Geography | Other Details |
| WaterHealth International, Inc | WaterHealth International, Inc. is a provider of water treatment solutions based on water purification and disinfection technology. Its products include household systems, community water systems, and emergency relief units. | Funding | Undisclosed Investors | UV light disinfection, multi-stage filtration (multimedia filter, advanced carbon filter & cartridge filter), reverse osmosis | $22.5 million | United States | Received in the 1st Quarter of 2012 |
| WaterHealth International, Inc | WaterHealth International, Inc. is a provider of water treatment solutions based on water purification and disinfection technology. Its products include household systems, community water systems, and emergency relief units. | Funding | Dow Venture Capital (Dow) and Sail Venture Partners (SAIL) | UV light disinfection, multi-stage filtration (multimedia filter, advanced carbon filter & cartridge filter), reverse osmosis | more than $10 million | United States | WHI has more than 600 installations of its water purification and disinfection systems in developing countries around the world. This additional funding further strengthens WHI and will allow for accelerated growth. |
| WaterHealth International, Inc | WaterHealth International, Inc. is a provider of water treatment solutions based on water purification and disinfection technology. Its products include household systems, community water systems, and emergency relief units. | Funding | International Finance Corporation (IFC) |
UV light disinfection, multi-stage filtration (multimedia filter, advanced carbon filter & cartridge filter), reverse osmosis | $15 million | United States | The facility is in the form of long term loans to help more than 600 communities in India fund the purchase of WaterHealth Centres over the next 18 months, with the capacity to serve more than three million people. |
Mergers and Acquisitions
| Acquirer | Technology focus of acquirer | Deal type | Acquired Company | Technology invested in | Funding Amount | Geography | Other Details |
| Grundfos Holding A/S | Grundfos Holding A/S is a manufacturer of pumps. The company’s products include circulator, submersible, and centrifugal pumps. It serves agriculture, automotive, biofuel, food, agricultural water distribution, agricultural water treatment, beverage, commercial buildings, and HVAC OEM sectors | Acquisition | Enaqua | Microfiltration (MF), Ultrafiltration (UF), Nanofiltration (NF), Reverse Osmosis (RO), UV disinfection | Undisclosed | United States | The acquisition will allow Grundfos to obtain new technology and competence as a strong supplement to its existing business and enable to deliver new solutions for water treatment with strengthened focus on sustainability. Enaqua is a provider of an environmentally friendly advanced purification solutions. The company has developed ultraviolet disinfection equipment based on Activated Fluoropolymer Technology (AFP™). It manufactures non-contact disinfection systems and membrane systems. |
| Undisclosed | An investor group, has acquired an equity stake in excess of 5% in WaterHealth International, Inc., a provider of water treatment solutions based on water purification and disinfection technology. Both the entities are based in the US | Acquisition | WaterHealth International, Inc | UV light disinfection, multi-stage filtration (multimedia filter, advanced carbon filter & cartridge filter), reverse osmosis | 5% stake | United States | WaterHealth International, Inc. is a provider of water treatment solutions based on water purification and disinfection technology. Its products include household systems, community water systems, and emergency relief units |
| Nubian Water Systems Pty., Ltd. | Nubian Water is a developer and distributor of sustainable water solutions | Acquisition | UV-Guard Australia Pty., Ltd | Disinfection solutions including Ultraviolet, Ozone and Advanced Oxidation processes | $1.36 million | Australia | Nubian Water Systems Pty., Ltd. has signed an agreement to acquire UV-Guard Australia Pty., Ltd., a designer and distributor of ultra violet disinfection products, from Clean TeQ Holdings Limited |
| Clean TeQ Holdings Limited | Developing, commercializing and selling air purification, metal recovery and water purification technologies | Investment | Aqua Guardian Group | Continuous Ionic Filtration, Desalination, Membrane Pre-Treatment, Zero Liquid Dischange, UV Disinfection, Clean Air Strippers | $0.5 million | Australia | Clean TeQ Holdings Limited announced that Aqua Guardian Group Limited has an interest of 32,624,708 ordinary shares, which represents 22.7% of voting power in the Company. |
Joint Ventures, Licensing and IPO
| Company | Technology focus | Technology | Deal type | Funder/Company | Funding Amount | Geography | Other Details |
| Eureka Forbes, Ltd. | Eureka Forbes, Ltd. is a manufacturer of water purification systems, vacuum cleaners, and air purifiers. The company also offers security solutions, including home security systems, intrusion alarm systems, access control systems, fire alarm systems, and surveillance systems. In addition, it offers industrial solutions, such as industrial water purifiers, commercial and industrial vacuum cleaners, hard floor cleaning and maintenance machines, high pressure cleaners, and cleaning and hygiene products | E-boiling, UV filtration, Reverse Osmosis, Ultra Filtration, SMP technologies, Chemical purification based on iodinated resin | Partnership & licensing | Water Security Corporation, Inc | NA | India | Eureka Forbes, Ltd. has entered into a partnership and licensing agreement with Water Security Corporation, Inc. (WSC), to launch a low-cost water purification system called Aquasure Galaxy, based on WSC’s technology originally developed to be used by NASA in space, which is certified by the US EPA (Environment Protection Agency). Water Security Corporation, Inc. (WAC) is a provider of water purifying technology that kills disease causing germs and provides drinking water at the point-of-use including homes, medical centers, schools, offices, and rural villages. The company licenses its purification technology to companies that manufacture and market consumer water purification products, portable water purifiers, and other point-of-use and point-of-entry water purification products. Additionally, WSC manufactures and sells rural village water purification systems through regional distributors. |
Ion Exchange
Venture Capital Investments
| Investor Company | Description | Invested company | Invested technology | Invested Amount | Sources |
| SAS Investors | SAS Investors targets companies that provide solutions based on technology emerging out of tech transfer centers, universities, and/or corporate labs in which a subject matter expert has developed unique IP that is particularly relevant to industry pain points | HydroGlobe. Inc | Arsenic & lead removal technology, Ion exchange, Crossflow membranes, liquid process filters | $1.1 million | Poodyglitz |
Private Equity Funding
| Company | Technology focus | Deal type | Funder/Company | Technology invested in | Funding Amount | Geography | Other Details |
| HydroGlobe. Inc | HydroGlobe manufactures products that remove heavy metals including arsenic from water. It is a supplier of innovative and affordable water-purification technology to municipalities and consumers | Venture Financing | SAS Investors, New Product Development Consortium, Stevens Institute of Technology | Arsenic & lead removal technology, Ion exchange, Crossflow membranes, liquid process filters | $1.1 million | United States | The funds raised would facilitate Hydroglobe to build a market presence for MetSorb, its new filter media for Arsenic removal, and to hire the work force needed to sell and implement its equipment solutions. |
Mergers and Acquisitions
| Acquirer | Technology focus of acquirer | Deal type | Acquired Company | Technology invested in | Funding Amount | Geography | Other Details |
| Graver Technologies | Designs, develops, and manufactures products that facilitate and enhance separation, purification, and process filtration | Acquisition | HydroGlobe, Inc | Arsenic & lead removal technology, Ion exchange, Crossflow membranes, liquid process filters | Undisclosed | United States | HydroGlobe manufactures products that remove heavy metals including arsenic from water. It is a supplier of innovative and affordable water-purification technology to municipalities and consumers |
| Seprotech Systems Incorporated | Seprotech Systems is an environmental technology company engaged in the manufacture and sale of water and wastewater treatment systems. The company offers packaged systems including industrial membrane systems, mobile response package plants, purification equipment, rotating biological contactors, wastewater treatment and water treatment equipment. In addition, it offers industrial solutions such as microfiltration, nano filtration, reverse osmosis, ultra filtration; and water and wastewater treatment solutions. The company primarily operates in Canada, where it is headquartered in Ottawa. | Acquisition | WESA Group | Aerobic and anaerobic biological, Physical / chemical treatment, Dissolved air flotation, Media Filtration, Activate carbon adsorption, Enhanced Oxidation, Dewatering and sludge handling, Ion exchange, Reverse osmosis, Ultrafiltration and microfiltration, Evaporation | $2.03 million | Canada | With this acquisition, Seprotech will become a major provider of earth sciences, water resources and environmental engineering services, and wastewater/water treatment systems. The combined entities will be able to provide their clients with a much broader spectrum of professional services and complete systems to solve their problems and WESA will have a platform for much more rapid growth. |
| Tri-Tech Holding, Inc.’s subsidiaries Tri-Tech International Investment, Inc. and Tri-Tech Infrastructure, LLC | Tri-Tech Holding is a China-based designer of customized sewage treatment and odor control systems | Acquisition | J&Y International, Inc | Evaporators, reverse osmosis, filtration, ion exchange, biological, physical and chemical methods | $1.5 million in cash and Tri-Tech stock | United States | With this acquisition, Tri-Tech will have the technology to expand into the markets for seawater desalination, water reuse, and zero liquid discharge (ZLD), driven by increased scarcity of water resources. Tri-Tech combined with J&Y’s superior technology will result in synergies that will enhance Tri-Tech’s overall competitive advantage The operating assets belong to J&Y International, Inc., a designer and manufacturer of water purification and wastewater treatment systems. |
| Clean TeQ Holdings Limited | Developing, commercializing and selling air purification, metal recovery and water purification technologies | Investment | Aqua Guardian Group | Continuous Ionic Filtration, Desalination, Membrane Pre-Treatment, Zero Liquid Dischange, UV Disinfection, Clean Air Strippers | $0.5 million | Australia | Clean TeQ Holdings Limited announced that Aqua Guardian Group Limited has an interest of 32,624,708 ordinary shares, which represents 22.7% of voting power in the Company. |
Joint Ventures, Licensing and IPO
| Company | Technology focus | Technology | Deal type | Funder/Company | Funding Amount | Geography | Other Details |
| Clean TeQ Holdings Limited | developing, commercializing and selling air purification, metal recovery and water purification technologies | Continuous ion exchange, Membrane processes | Partnership (Joint Venture) | Nippon Gas Co., Ltd | Nippon Gas will invest AUD4 million ($4.29 million) in the joint venture to hold 50% stake and Clean TeQ will provide an exclusive license to use its proprietary CIF(TM) technology in this industry in Australia | Australia | Clean TeQ Holdings Limited has formed a joint venture with Nippon Gas Co., Ltd., to provide water desalination facilities and services in the Australian coal seam gas industry. The joint venture is named as Associated Water Pty., Ltd. |
| Global Ecology Corporation | Global Ecology is a US-based company engaged in the development, production and marketing of advanced technologies that focuses on water purification systems, restoration of bodies of water and the decontamination of waste to create high grade soil additives | Ion exchange | Partnership (Joint Venture) | Esoft Informatics, Pvt., Ltd | NA | India | Esoft Informatics Private Limited is a software company that provides business intelligence and information technology solutions. Its technology services include enterprise-wide solutions and implementation, database management services- back office, internet andintranet, BPO and KPO, e-commerce solutions, software development, application development, and systems integration |
Distillation or Evaporation
Venture Capital Investments
| Investor Company | Description | Invested company | Invested technology | Invested Amount | Sources |
| Consol Energy | CONSOL Energy Inc. produces coal and natural gas for energy and raw material markets. The company is involved in the mining, preparation, and marketing steam coal primarily to electric power generation industry; and metallurgical coal to steel and coke producers. | Epiphany Solar Water Systems, LLC | Distilling water with concentrated solar energy | $0.5 million | Shalestuff |
Private Equity Funding
| Company | Technology focus | Deal type | Funder/Company | Technology invested in | Funding Amount | Geography | Other Details |
| Epiphany Solar Water Systems, LLC | specializing in concentrated solar energy technologies | Private Equity | Consol Energy | Distilling water with concentrated solar energy | $0.5 million | United States | Epiphany Solar Water Systems, LLC is a product development company specializing in concentrated solar energy technologies. The company manufactures solar powered water desalination and purification system which uses concentrated solar energy rather than fossil fuels to purify water from nearly any source |
Mergers and Acquisitions
| Acquirer | Technology focus of acquirer | Deal type | Acquired Company | Technology invested in | Funding Amount | Geography | Other Details |
| Seprotech Systems Incorporated | Seprotech Systems is an environmental technology company engaged in the manufacture and sale of water and wastewater treatment systems. The company offers packaged systems including industrial membrane systems, mobile response package plants, purification equipment, rotating biological contactors, wastewater treatment and water treatment equipment. In addition, it offers industrial solutions such as microfiltration, nano filtration, reverse osmosis, ultra filtration; and water and wastewater treatment solutions. The company primarily operates in Canada, where it is headquartered in Ottawa. | Acquisition | WESA Group | Aerobic and anaerobic biological, Physical / chemical treatment, Dissolved air flotation, Media Filtration, Activate carbon adsorption, Enhanced Oxidation, Dewatering and sludge handling, Ion exchange, Reverse osmosis, Ultrafiltration and microfiltration, Evaporation | $2.03 million | Canada | With this acquisition, Seprotech will become a major provider of earth sciences, water resources and environmental engineering services, and wastewater/water treatment systems. The combined entities will be able to provide their clients with a much broader spectrum of professional services and complete systems to solve their problems and WESA will have a platform for much more rapid growth. |
| Tri-Tech Holding, Inc.’s subsidiaries Tri-Tech International Investment, Inc. and Tri-Tech Infrastructure, LLC | Tri-Tech Holding is a China-based designer of customized sewage treatment and odor control systems | Acquisition | J&Y International, Inc | Evaporators, reverse osmosis, filtration, ion exchange, biological, physical and chemical methods | $1.5 million in cash and Tri-Tech stock | United States | With this acquisition, Tri-Tech will have the technology to expand into the markets for seawater desalination, water reuse, and zero liquid discharge (ZLD), driven by increased scarcity of water resources. Tri-Tech combined with J&Y’s superior technology will result in synergies that will enhance Tri-Tech’s overall competitive advantage The operating assets belong to J&Y International, Inc., a designer and manufacturer of water purification and wastewater treatment systems. |
Filtration by Metal
Venture Capital Investments
| Investor Company | Description | Invested company | Invested technology | Invested Amount | Sources |
| Dow Chemical Company | With annual sales of $54 billion and 46,000 employees worldwide, Dow is a diversified chemical company that combines the power of science and technology with the " Human Element " to constantly improve what is essential to human progress. The Company delivers a broad range of products and services to customers in around 160 countries, connecting chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help provide everything from fresh water, food and pharmaceuticals to paints, packaging and personal care products. |
WaterHealth International, Inc | UV light disinfection, multi-stage filtration (multimedia filter, advanced carbon filter & cartridge filter), reverse osmosis | $20 million (joint investment by Dow and SAIL) | Waterhealth |
| Sail Venture Partners (SAIL) | SAIL Venture Partners, L.P. is a national venture capital firm with offices in Southern California and Washington, D.C., investing in early-stage companies primarily in the Energy/Cleantech sector. The SAIL partners invest through two primary funds, which focus on clean technologies in the areas of alternative energy, water, agriculture and materials. |
WaterHealth International, Inc | UV light disinfection, multi-stage filtration (multimedia filter, advanced carbon filter & cartridge filter), reverse osmosis | $20 million (joint investment by Dow and SAIL) | Waterhealth |
| International Finance Corporation (IFC) | International Finance Corporation is a private equity and venture capital arm of World Bank specializing in both direct and fund investments. It seeks to invest in early stage companies. | WaterHealth International, Inc | UV light disinfection, multi-stage filtration (multimedia filter, advanced carbon filter & cartridge filter), reverse osmosis | $15 million | Waterhealth |
| Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC | Lincoln Park Capital. Chicago-based Investment Group and Asset Management Firm focused on opportunistic investing in public and private companies, real estate & high alpha money management strategies. | PURE Bioscience | Silver dihydrogen citrate molecule | $10 million | Reuters |
| Doughty Hanson & Co | Doughty Hanson targets companies that develop sophisticated and proprietary technologies and focuses on three industry sectors: internet software, mobile communications and clean energy technology | Norit NV | Activated carbon | $1100 million | Mergermarketgroup |
| Euroland Investments B.V. | Euroland Investments B.V. and its subsidiaries develop, manufacture, sell and service its products for all kind of water transport applications. | Norit NV | Activated carbon | $1100 million | Mergermarketgroup |
| SAS Investors | SAS Investors targets companies that provide solutions based on technology emerging out of tech transfer centers, universities, and/or corporate labs in which a subject matter expert has developed unique IP that is particularly relevant to industry pain points | HydroGlobe. Inc | Arsenic & lead removal technology, Ion exchange, Crossflow membranes, liquid process filters | $1.1 million | Poodyglitz |
Private Equity Funding
| Company | Technology focus | Deal type | Funder/Company | Technology invested in | Funding Amount | Geography | Other Details |
| WaterHealth International, Inc | WaterHealth International, Inc. is a provider of water treatment solutions based on water purification and disinfection technology. Its products include household systems, community water systems, and emergency relief units. | Funding | Undisclosed Investors | UV light disinfection, multi-stage filtration (multimedia filter, advanced carbon filter & cartridge filter), reverse osmosis | $22.5 million | United States | Received in the 1st Quarter of 2012 |
| WaterHealth International, Inc | WaterHealth International, Inc. is a provider of water treatment solutions based on water purification and disinfection technology. Its products include household systems, community water systems, and emergency relief units. | Funding | Dow Venture Capital (Dow) and Sail Venture Partners (SAIL) | UV light disinfection, multi-stage filtration (multimedia filter, advanced carbon filter & cartridge filter), reverse osmosis | more than $10 million | United States | WHI has more than 600 installations of its water purification and disinfection systems in developing countries around the world. This additional funding further strengthens WHI and will allow for accelerated growth. |
| WaterHealth International, Inc | WaterHealth International, Inc. is a provider of water treatment solutions based on water purification and disinfection technology. Its products include household systems, community water systems, and emergency relief units. | Funding | International Finance Corporation (IFC) |
UV light disinfection, multi-stage filtration (multimedia filter, advanced carbon filter & cartridge filter), reverse osmosis | $15 million | United States | The facility is in the form of long term loans to help more than 600 communities in India fund the purchase of WaterHealth Centres over the next 18 months, with the capacity to serve more than three million people. |
| PURE Bioscience | provider of pharmaceutical water purification products | Private Equity | Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC | Silver dihydrogen citrate molecule | $10 million | United States | Pure Bioscience provides pharmaceutical water purification products to the pharmacy market. The company develops and markets technology-based bioscience products that provide non-toxic solutions. The company’s proprietary toxicity bioscience technologies include its silver dihydrogen citrate-based antimicrobials and boric acid-based pesticides. Pure Bioscience develops pesticide technology, Triglycylboride that provides results without human toxicity and is an alternative to traditional poisons. |
| Norit NV | manufacturer and supplier of clean technologies and components for purification and filtration systems, to Cabot Corporation, a US-based specialty chemicals and performance materials company | Private Equity (Exit) | Doughty Hanson & Co V and Euroland Investments B.V. (PE Fund) | Activated carbon | $1100 million | Netherlands | Cabot Corporation bought Norit NV from Doughty Hanson & Co V and Euroland Investments B.V. |
| HydroGlobe. Inc | HydroGlobe manufactures products that remove heavy metals including arsenic from water. It is a supplier of innovative and affordable water-purification technology to municipalities and consumers | Venture Financing | SAS Investors, New Product Development Consortium, Stevens Institute of Technology | Arsenic & lead removal technology, Ion exchange, Crossflow membranes, liquid process filters | $1.1 million | United States | The funds raised would facilitate Hydroglobe to build a market presence for MetSorb, its new filter media for Arsenic removal, and to hire the work force needed to sell and implement its equipment solutions. |
Mergers and Acquisitions
| Acquirer | Technology focus of acquirer | Deal type | Acquired Company | Technology invested in | Funding Amount | Geography | Other Details |
| Graver Technologies | Designs, develops, and manufactures products that facilitate and enhance separation, purification, and process filtration | Acquisition | HydroGlobe, Inc | Arsenic & lead removal technology, Ion exchange, Crossflow membranes, liquid process filters | Undisclosed | United States | HydroGlobe manufactures products that remove heavy metals including arsenic from water. It is a supplier of innovative and affordable water-purification technology to municipalities and consumers |
| Undisclosed | An investor group, has acquired an equity stake in excess of 5% in WaterHealth International, Inc., a provider of water treatment solutions based on water purification and disinfection technology. Both the entities are based in the US | Acquisition | WaterHealth International, Inc | UV light disinfection, multi-stage filtration (multimedia filter, advanced carbon filter & cartridge filter), reverse osmosis | 5% stake | United States | WaterHealth International, Inc. is a provider of water treatment solutions based on water purification and disinfection technology. Its products include household systems, community water systems, and emergency relief units |
| Pentair, Inc | Diversified industrial manufacturing company | Acquisition | Clean Process Technologies (CPT) division on Norit Holdings B V | Activated carbon, Membrane Filtration, | $716.4 million | Netherlands | CPT is a provider of membrane solutions and clean process technologies for water and beverage filtration and separation segments CPT provides components, systems, and services that are expected to broaden and deepen Pentair’s capabilities in desalination, water reuse and high efficiency industrial applications and enable Pentair to provide more integrated solutions to its customers. The acquisition is also expected to strengthen Pentair in the food and beverage sector and in fast growth regions, including China, Latin America and the Middle East |
Joint Ventures, Licensing and IPO
| Company | Technology focus | Technology | Deal type | Funder/Company | Funding Amount | Geography | Other Details |
| FSI Energy Services, Inc | FSI Energy Services, Inc (Formerly known as Baden Technologies Inc.) manufactures, markets and installs filtration and filtration-related products. The company’s product line include filter vessels and filter media, salt brine blending plants, chemical blending plants, polymer blending plants, water injection packages, carbon absorbing vessels, mole drill cuttings cleaning systems, and aquashield water removal filters. | Electrocoagulation, carbon absorbing vessels | Partnership (Joint Venture) | Powell Water (Canada), Inc. | NA | Canada | FSI-Powell Water, Inc. is a joint venture company between FSI Energy Services, Inc. and Powell Water (Canada), Inc. The company provides comprehensive design, manufacturing, sales and service for state-of-the-art produced-water treatment FSI-Powell will combine FSI’s filtration and purification expertise with Powell Water’s technologies that will enable the JV to provide SAGD clients with efficient and cost- effective purification of their produced water. |
| Latitude Solutions, Inc | Latitude Solutions, Inc. is a holding company. The company, through its subsidiaries, offers products, processes and solutions for contaminated water applications; wireless telemetry/live video streaming security products to mobile assets and people; and marketing capabilities for both government and commercial sectors. | Electro Precipitation, Coalescing Oil & Polishing | Partnership (Licensing Agreement) | Separatech Canada, Inc. | NA | Canada | Separatech Canada, Inc. designs, manufactures, and distributes the COP-System, a proprietary brand of oily water separator used in oil and gas, groundwater remediation, industrial wastewater, shipping bilge water and oil spills industries |
Filtration by Microbes
Mergers and Acquisitions
| Acquirer | Technology focus of acquirer | Deal type | Acquired Company | Technology invested in | Funding Amount | Geography | Other Details |
| Ozone Water Systems, Inc. | distributor and installer of ozone water purification systems | Acquisition | Purfresh, Inc | Disinfection using Ozone generator | Undisclosed | United States | The acquisition will enable OWS to offer both equipment and application support for a solid ozone equipment line. The divestment will allow Purfresh to focus more of its resources on the food industry. Purfresh’s water treatment systems deliver purification and disinfection for use in industrial, high-purity water applications, including beverage bottling, pharmaceutical, and personal care products. |
| Nubian Water Systems Pty., Ltd. | Nubian Water is a developer and distributor of sustainable water solutions | Acquisition | UV-Guard Australia Pty., Ltd | Disinfection solutions including Ultraviolet, Ozone and Advanced Oxidation processes | $1.36 million | Australia | Nubian Water Systems Pty., Ltd. has signed an agreement to acquire UV-Guard Australia Pty., Ltd., a designer and distributor of ultra violet disinfection products, from Clean TeQ Holdings Limited |
| Siemens Industry Automation Division | Siemens Industry Automation Division is a provider of a complete and integrated line of products, systems, and solutions for production and process automation for manufacturing industries, process and basics industries, and research, development, and training centers | Acquisition | Cambridge Water Technology, Inc | CoMag, a solid and precipitated particulate removal process based on the process of coagulation, flocculation, and clarification that produces effluent equivalent to ultra-filtration; and BioMag, a retrofit application that enhances the performance of biological treatment systems, increases capacity, catalyzes biological productivity, and produces effluent for activated sludge plants needing treatment capacity or enhanced nutrient removal capability | Undisclosed | United States | The acquisition will strengthen the Siemens product portfolio with technologies for advanced water and wastewater treatment Cambridge Water Technology, Inc. is engaged in providing municipal and industrial wastewater treatment facilities. |
| Seprotech Systems Incorporated | Seprotech Systems is an environmental technology company engaged in the manufacture and sale of water and wastewater treatment systems. The company offers packaged systems including industrial membrane systems, mobile response package plants, purification equipment, rotating biological contactors, wastewater treatment and water treatment equipment. In addition, it offers industrial solutions such as microfiltration, nano filtration, reverse osmosis, ultra filtration; and water and wastewater treatment solutions. The company primarily operates in Canada, where it is headquartered in Ottawa. | Acquisition | WESA Group | Aerobic and anaerobic biological, Physical / chemical treatment, Dissolved air flotation, Media Filtration, Activate carbon adsorption, Enhanced Oxidation, Dewatering and sludge handling, Ion exchange, Reverse osmosis, Ultrafiltration and microfiltration, Evaporation | $2.03 million | Canada | With this acquisition, Seprotech will become a major provider of earth sciences, water resources and environmental engineering services, and wastewater/water treatment systems. The combined entities will be able to provide their clients with a much broader spectrum of professional services and complete systems to solve their problems and WESA will have a platform for much more rapid growth. |
| Tri-Tech Holding, Inc.’s subsidiaries Tri-Tech International Investment, Inc. and Tri-Tech Infrastructure, LLC | Tri-Tech Holding is a China-based designer of customized sewage treatment and odor control systems | Acquisition | J&Y International, Inc | Evaporators, reverse osmosis, filtration, ion exchange, biological, physical and chemical methods | $1.5 million in cash and Tri-Tech stock | United States | With this acquisition, Tri-Tech will have the technology to expand into the markets for seawater desalination, water reuse, and zero liquid discharge (ZLD), driven by increased scarcity of water resources. Tri-Tech combined with J&Y’s superior technology will result in synergies that will enhance Tri-Tech’s overall competitive advantage The operating assets belong to J&Y International, Inc., a designer and manufacturer of water purification and wastewater treatment systems. |
Joint Ventures, Licensing and IPO
| Company | Technology focus | Technology | Deal type | Funder/Company | Funding Amount | Geography | Other Details |
| Ecosphere Technologies, Inc. | Ecosphere Energy Services, LLC is a provider of proprietary water purification and management services to the energy industry. The company manufactures water purification and management units, using Ozonix(TM) technology. | Advanced Oxidation Technology which uses Ozone, Hydrodynamic Cavitation, Acoustic Cavitation, and Electro-Oxidation | Partnership (Licensing Agreement) | Hydrozonix, LLC | $44 million | United States | Ecosphere Technologies, Inc. and its majority owned subsidiary Ecosphere Energy Services, LLC, have signed an exclusive technology licensing agreement with Hydrozonix, LLC to deploy its patented Ecosphere Ozonix technology in the US oil and gas exploration and production industry Ecosphere Technologies, Inc. is a provider of water filtration expertise, water recycling technologies, and services to energy companies. The company develops clean technological applications and solutions to the industrial waste market. |
Nanotechnology in Water Purification
Market Size
- The global market for nanotechnology products used in water treatment was worth an estimated $1.4 billion in 2010
- The market will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.7% during the next 5 years to reach a value of $2.2 billion in 2015.
Source: BCC Research
Startups
Company Profiles
NanoH2O
NanoH2O, Inc. designs, develops, manufactures and markets reverse osmosis (RO) membranes that lower the cost of desalination. Based on breakthrough nanostructured materials and industry-proven polymer technology, licensed original TFN technology from University of California, Los Angeles, NanoH2O’s QuantumFlux membranes dramatically improve desalination energy efficiency and productivity. QuantumFlux seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) membranes, Standard 61 certified by NSF International for the production of drinking water, deliver the highest flux and the highest salt rejection of any SWRO membrane on the market. QuantumFlux membranes are available in standard 8-inch (20 cm) diameter elements that fit easily into new and existing desalination plants, purifying water from a broad range of sources with improved productivity and water quality. NanoH2O is the 2011 Aquatech Innovation Award Winner in the Water Supply category. Quantum Flux membranes are installed in over 50 commercial sites across six continents, representing over 80,000 m3 per day (21 million gallons per day) in cumulative capacity.
The startup has developed its technology based on research from the University of California at Los Angeles. Its formula adds a nanomaterial to a conventional polymer membrane for desalination in order to alter its structure and make it easier for the water to pass through while it blocks out salt and other minerals. The water is potable afterward, but utilities sometimes add back some of the minerals that are filtered out before delivering the water to homes and businesses.
Company Snapshot
| Company Name | NanoH2O |
| Founded | 2005 |
| Technology Description | Membrane Technology (QuantumFlux) |
| Key People | Jeff Green (Founder & CEO) Bob Burk (Founder & CSO) |
| Revenue | $4.90 million |
| Employees | 26 |
| Address | 570 Westwood Plaza Suite 6532 Los Angeles, CA, 90095-7277 USA |
| Products | Quantum Flux membranes |
Corporate History
| Date | Activity |
| 2005 | Company founded by Jeff Green (Chief Executive Officer) and Robert Burk (Chief Scientific Officer) |
| 2006 | Filed first set of patents on nanocomposite membrane technology |
| 2008 | Achieved twice the flux of traditional polyamide membranes with >99.7% salt rejection on bench scale tests |
| 2009 | Successfully completed one year of long-term testing at U.S. Navy Desalination Testing Facility in Port Hueneme, California |
| 2010 | Commenced full-scale commercial manufacturing in El Segundo, California |
| 2011 | Introduced the highest flux SWRO membrane in the industry |
| 2012 | Introduced the highest rejection SWRO membrane on the market |
Investment Landscape
| Date | Investors | Funding Type | Amount |
| May, 2007 | Khosla Ventures | Venture | $5.00 million |
| Dec, 2011 | Khosla Ventures Oak Investment Partners |
Venture | $30.00 million |
| Apr, 2012 | BASF Venture Capital America Total Energy Ventures Keytone Ventures Khosla Ventures Oak Investment Partners PCG Clean Energy & Technology Fund Comerica Bank Lighthouse Capital Partners |
Venture | $60.50 million |
Source: CrunchBase, PrivCo
Puralytics
Founded in 2007, Puralytics has developed a cost efficient water purification system for distributed use. The company’s products, enabled by advances in semiconductors, optics, and nanotechnology, use natural or LED light to induce photochemical reactions to purify a given volume of water.
Puralytics’ purification technology uses only light energy to activate a photocatalyst nano coating. Water is purified by five simultaneous photochemical reactions, breaking down organic compounds, reducing and removing heavy metals and sterilizing microorganisms. There are no chemical additives and 100% of the water is purified.
Puralytics currently markets two product lines; the Shield and the SolarBag, both based upon Puralytics patent-pending technology. Electrically powered, the Shield is a LED based purification stand-alone system or system component. This unit has an extremely small footprint at 28"x19"x8" and provides 500 gallons per day of purified water. The SolarBag is a direct sunlight activated photochemical water purification bag, manufactured and distributed by channel partners, which can purify 3 liters of water when placed in sunlight for 2 - 4 hours. The SolarBag has promising applications in remote military, emergency response, and emerging markets.
Hydration Technologies’ humanitarian water division is helping Puralytics sell the SolarBag to nonprofits that will distribute it.
Company Snapshot
| Company Name | Puralytics |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Technology Description | Light-activated Nanotechnology |
| Key People | Mark Owen (President & CEO) Ed Kolasinski (COO) |
| Revenue | $0.70 million |
| Employees | 8 |
| Address | 15250 NW Greenbrier Pkwy Beaverton, OR 97006 USA |
| Products | SolarBag 3L, Shield |
Corporate History
| Date | Activity |
| 2007 | Mark Owen leaves Phoseon Technology and starts Puralytics |
| Apr, 2009 | Puralytics gets chosen by The Artemis Project as a Top 50 Global Water Technology Company competition winner |
| 2009 | Puralytics pioneers a new photochemical process for water purification and gets a grant from National Science Foundation (NSF) |
| 2010 | Puralytics wins the grand prize of the 2010 Cleantech Open business competition |
| 2011 | Puralytics included in the 2011 Global Cleantech 100 list |
| 2012 | Puralytics gets invited to Global Cleantech 100 Summit & Gala |
Investment Landscape
| Date | Investors | Funding Type | Amount |
| Oct, 2009 | National Science Foundation (NSF) | Grant | $148,796 |
| Mar, 2010 | Oregon Nanotechnologies and Microtechnologies Institute (ONAMI) | Grant | $0.25 million |
| 2009-2011 | Engmann Options LLC Steifel Foundation LLC 10 Angel Investors Management Team |
Venture | $0.83 million |
| 2012 | Currently Seeking | Private + Venture | $3.00 million |
Universities/Institutes
IIT Madras
Graphene from Sugar and its Application in Water Purification In Collaboration with: VIT Madras
This paper describes a green method for the synthesis of graphenic material from cane sugar, a common disaccharide. A suitable methodology was introduced to immobilize this material on sand without the need of any binder, resulting in a composite, referred to as graphene sand composite (GSC). Raman spectroscopy confirmed that the material is indeed graphenic in nature, having G and D bands at 1597 and 1338 cm–1, respectively. It effectively removes contaminants from water. Here, we use rhodamine 6G (R6G) as a model dye and chloropyrifos (CP) as a model pesticide to demonstrate this application. The spectroscopic and microscopic analyses coupled with adsorption experiments revealed that physical adsorption plays a dominant role in the adsorption process. Isotherm data in batch experiments show an adsorption capacity of 55 mg/g for R6G and 48 mg/g for CP, which are superior to that of activated carbon. The adsorbent can be easily regenerated using a suitable eluent. This quick and cost-effective technique for the into a commercial water filter with appropriate engineering.
Source: ACS
Understanding the Degradation Pathway of the Pesticide, Chlorpyrifos by Noble Metal Nanoparticles
Application of nanoparticles (NPs) in environmental remediation such as water purification requires a detailed understanding of the mechanistic aspects of the interaction between the species involved. Here, an attempt was made to understand the chemistry of noble metal nanoparticle–pesticide interaction, as these nanosystems are being used extensively for water purification. Our model pesticide, chlorpyrifos (CP), belonging to the organophosphorothioate group, is shown to decompose to 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCP) and diethyl thiophosphate at room temperature over Ag and Au NPs, in supported and unsupported forms. The degradation products were characterized by absorption spectroscopy and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI MS). These were further confirmed by ESI tandem mass spectrometry. The interaction of CP with NP surfaces was investigated using transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive analysis of X-rays, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). XPS reveals no change in the oxidation state of silver after the degradation of CP. It is proposed that the degradation of CP proceeds through the formation of AgNP–S surface complex, which is confirmed by Raman spectroscopy. In this complex, the P–O bond cleaves to yield a stable aromatic species, TCP. The rate of degradation of CP increases with increase of temperature and pH. Complete degradation of 10 mL of 2 ppm CP solution is achieved in 3 h using 100 mg of supported Ag@citrate NPs on neutral alumina at room temperature at a loading of 0.5 wt %. The effect of alumina and monolayer protection of NPs on the degradation of CP is also investigated. The rate of degradation of CP by Ag NPs is greater than that of Au NPs. The results have implications to the application of noble metal NPs for drinking water purification, as pesticide contamination is prevalent in many parts of the world. Study shows that supported Ag and Au NPs may be employed in sustainable environmental remediation, as they can be used at room temperature in aqueous solutions without the use of additional stimulus such as UV light.
Source: ACS
Department of Environmental Geosciences, University of Vienna
Measuring and Modeling Adsorption of PAHs to Carbon Nanotubes Over a Six Order of Magnitude Wide Concentration Range
Understanding the interactions between organic contaminants and carbon nanomaterials is essential for evaluating the materials’ potential environmental impact and their application as sorbent. Although a great deal of work has been published in the past years, data are still limited in terms of compounds, concentrations, and conditions investigated. We applied a passive sampling method employing polyoxymethylene (POM-SPE) to gain a better understanding of the interactions between polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) over a 6 orders of magnitude wide concentration range. In the low-concentration range (pg-ng L–1), sorption of phenanthrene and pyrene was linear on a nonlogarithmic scale. Here, sorption could thus be described using a single sorption coefficient. Isotherm fits over the entire concentration range showed that (i) monolayer sorption models described the data very well, and (ii) the CNTs sorption capacity was directly related to their surface area. Sorption coefficients for 13 PAHs (11 of which have not been reported to date) were also measured at environmentally relevant low concentrations. No competition seemed to occur in the low-concentration range and sorption affinity was directly related to the solubility of the subcooled liquid of the compounds.
Source: ACS, Medienportal
National Nanotechnology Center, NANOTEC, Thailand
"SOS water" mobile water purifier
Researchers at Thailand’s National Nanotechnology Center (NANOTEC) have build the first locally made prototype solar powered water purification unit "SOS water" which combined the use of antimicrobial nanocoating to ceramic filters. Compared to conventional ceramic filter, an antimicrobial nanocoating ceramic filter will increase an extra security by killing or incapacitating bacteria left in the water and preventing the growth of mold and algae in the body of the filter. The project was implemented as a result of the need to provide drinking water to communities affected by the 2011 mega flooding in Thailand.
The researchers adapted the antimicrobial nanocoating know-how for water filtration and assembled into in the production of mobile solar-operating system (SOS) water purification. The raw water goes through 6 filtration steps one of which is the antimicrobial nanocoating ceramic filtration unit. The quality of drinking water meets the 2010 guide standard of drinking water by Department of Health, Ministry of Public Health, Thailand. The SOS water system is capable of producing 200 liters of drinking water per hour and easily integrated into a pick-up, light truck, a trailer or a flat hull boat. The researchers have collaborated with the Thai Red Cross Society to do field testing of a prototype SOS water the result of which was outstanding. NANOTEC has donated the prototype SOS water to HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, Executive Vice President of the Thai Red Cross Society on June 28, 2012 for community relief effort.
Source: NANOTEC
LEITAT Technological Center, Spain
Ceramic and Polymeric Membranes for Water Purification of Heavy Metals and Hazardous Organic Compounds
To develop a new generation of nanostructured Low-Fouling and Self-Cleaning Membranes for Water Purification possessing several key properties such as:
- catalytic degradation of pharmaceuticals and organics
- removal of heavy metals
- scavenging of precious metals and rare earths
Source: Nano4water
Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS, Germany
Fouling resistant ceramic honeycomb nanofilters for efficient water treatment
Improve the efficiency of high performance water purification by ceramic membranes:
- strongly increase membrane area of ceramic NF membranes
- apply and test anti fouling layers to reduce fouling tendency
- develop process schemes for treatment of different waters
- Life cycle assessment, cost analysis, techno-economical evaluation
- Active participation of industrial partners: RKV (membrane manufacturer), VMW (end-user) and CYCLUS (OEM, end-user)
Source: Nano4water
Division of Materials Science, Lulea University of Technology, Sweden
Nanoenabled membranes based on bio-materials for water purification
- Development of bio-based nano-enhanced membranes for water treatment, with special focus on fertilizers, pesticides, heavy metal ions and mictobial contaminants relevant in Europe
- Use biobased nanomaterials like cellulose nanofibers and cellulose or chitin nanocrystals isolated from industrial residues and side-streams
- Tailored interaction with contaminants and low/anti fouling by surface functionalization
- The membranes and filters, possible compostable after use (eg. with recovered fertilizers)
- Prototype of membrane modules and scale up plan
Source: Nano4water
Harvard University, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
An Electrochemical Carbon Nanotube Filter for Water Treatment Applications
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have a number of unique physical chemical properties such as have high aspect ratios, high specific surface areas, mechanical strength, chemical stability, and are conducting or semiconducting. Thus, CNTs can be formed into mechanically-strong and electrically-conducting porous thin films or three-dimensional networks that have potential for many applications including water purification. Chad D. Vecitis of Harvard University designed and modified a filtration device to allow for in situ electrochemistry using a perforated stainless steel cathode and an electrochemically-active multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWNT) microfilter anode; 40 to 100 mm in height and pore diameter of 50 to 130 nm. The electrochemical carbon nanotube filter performance towards the removal and oxidation of aqueous dyes, anions, and microorganisms is evaluated. Electrochemical filtration at 2 V resulted in >98% oxidation of influent dye and >6-log removal and/or inactivation of influent bacteria and virus. Environmental applications of the electrochemical CNT filter are discussed.
Source: Harvard University, Carnegie Mellon
Penn Engineering, University of Pennsylvania
High Speed Water Sterilization System for Developing Countries
HydraVita is a high-speed water sterilization system designed for use in developing countries. To our knowledge, this is the first sterilization system to implement a silver nanowire/carbon nanotube-coated cotton filter (AgNW/CNT filter). The device’s main capabilities are inactivating bacteria and reducing the turbidity levels of water. In order to accomplish these objectives, HydraVita incorporates two main components: a turbidity-mesh cartridge that eliminates organic impurities and a AgNW/CNT filter cartridge that kills bacteria. In order to power the filter, the system is equipped with two 12V rechargeable batteries and a solar panel. This allows HydraVita to be used in remote locations with no connection to the power grid. Furthermore, the system is designed for modularity so that it can be easily disassembled for cleaning and maintenance in the field. The input and output water reservoirs are outfitted with standard NPT valves that give operational flexibility to the user, as it can be directly connected to a hose, water tank, or piping system. HydraVita’s novelty stems from its high-speed functionality, low manufacturing cost, modularity, and ease of maintenance.
Source: FINAL POSTER.pdf Penn Engineering
Wright State University, United States
Metal Nanoparticles on Hierarchical Carbon Structures: New Architecture for Robust Water Purifiers
A new architecture for robustand powerful water purification media has been investigated. It consists of carbon nanotubes (CNT) attached to porous microcellular substrates. This is similar to several elegant and multifunctional designs seen in nature where dendrites and capillaries are attached to larger organs increasing their surface area. For this application, palladium and silver nanoparticles are attached to these surfaces for catalytic and anti-microbial activities. Palladium is a powerful catalyst for several reactions. In this study, the kinetics of carbon tetrachloride removal form water using Pd-activated material has been measured, and found to be very high. Silver nanoparticles are useful as antimicrobial agents and as plasmonic sensors. The effectiveness of these structures to remove E-coli from water has been tested, and the rates compared to currently available nano-silver materials. Both nano-particles were seen to be strongly attached to the nanotubes which were in turn strongly attached to the substrate. Durability tests indicate that failure occurs by delamination of graphite inside the substrate, rather than removal of individual CNT or nanoparticles from CNT. This observation bodes well for future use of this architecture in robust and efficient water purification devices.
Source: TechConnect
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