Water is the source of life – it is imperative to take good care of its supply. Whether it involves cleaning up oil spills, recycling wastewater or analysing water quality, all of it matters.
Over the years, we have had 5 relevant start-ups – hailing from 4 separate countries spread over 2 continents – make their journey through our program. Today they are featured together in this start-up showcase.
BioMicroGel – Russian Federation
From the eastern geographical edge of Europe comes a Russian start-up with a mission. In Yekaterinburg, by the Ural mountain range they have developed a microgel that capsulates and separates any oil from water. This works with oil spills, wastewater treatment and any industrial oil or grease cleaning. But what is truly remarkable is what the gel is made of: humble apple waste. Yes, really. A microgel a day keeps the oil spill away!
Bio Raiser – Finland
Bio Raiser produces the line of Oilsorbio absorbants, which offer a green alternative for cleaning and recovery of oil spillage. One liter of Oilsorbio absorbs nine deciliters of oil – which can be then pressed out and reused. The products have been tested with third parties such as DNV and NCP. Moreover, remaining used absorbent can be recycled and after a simple bacterial treatment OilSorbio material can be used as soil fertilizer. Truly a circular solution.
Forward Water – Canada
Forward Water Technologies develops and commercialized proprietary forward osmosis draw solution & thermal draw solution regeneration technologies capable of reaching osmotic pressures above 200 bar. This commercial scale up of forward osmosis in industrial wastewater applications with challenging high total dissolved solids. Short term target sectors including industrial waste water, oil & gas, mining, and agriculture. Furthermore, the initial cleaning process does not utilize any heat or pressure, which makes the energy – and therefore cost – footprint miniscule.
The potential future ramifications are plain for everyone to see – there is a new way on the market to treat wastewater and not only is it effective, it is also cheap and with a low carbon footprint. This technology has worldwide applications, as being able to create clean, potable water is massive for many areas of the world where water shortages or water quality issues persist. Read more.
Ondavia – United States of America
The OndaVia analysis system consists of a small, transportable instrument, and disposable, chemical-specific cartridges. These two components improve analysis time from days to minutes, while providing laboratory-grade detection capabilities in the field.
OndaVia’s first innovation (UndEO™) replaces slow, cumbersome chromatography systems with a thumb-sized, microfluidic device. This patented separation technology is coupled with a compact Raman spectrometer for detection. To magnify the response signal, OndaVia uses a second, patented technology (eSERS™) to embed surface-enhanced, Raman-spectroscopy-active particles in the microfluidic device. The union of these two technologies enables quick and convenient chemical analysis.
Water Lens – United States of America
Water Lens is revolutionizing the $10B water testing industry with their system for real-time chemical analysis of water and other fluids. Their solution works on location and is relevant for industries that use large amounts of water (e.g., oil and gas, agriculture, power generation, coal mining, and food processing).
Recently they have released a three-pronged approach to monitor and detect COVID-19 in buildings, schools, and multi-tenant residences before outbreaks can occur. It combines inexpensive sewage and air monitoring with the ability to offer a fast, non-intrusive COVID-19 test for individuals as indicated by the monitoring results. Read more.
