Start-Up Community

Founded in 2014 by Drs. Martin Gross and Zhiyou Wen at Iowa State University, Gross-Wen Technologies (GWT) is a leading company in algae-based wastewater treatment. Learn more in this month’s member profile.

Segura Water, based in London, won The Water Council’s spring Tech Challenge in the category of “lab on a chip” for water and wastewater applications. Learn more about Segura in an interview with Jose Castro, founder and CEO.

The Water Council recently announced the hiring of Katie Kollhoff Mouat, our new director of innovation programs. Katie’s background as an engineer and water tech entrepreneur is perfectly suited to this new role. Learn more about Katie in this interview.

Water and energy are inseparable – energy generation relies heavily on water, while water treatment is deeply dependent on energy. Through its BREW 2.0 Post-Accelerator, The Water Council supports start-ups worldwide that have uncovered new possibilities and are building purpose-driven businesses. One such example is GKinetic Energy, an Irish firm that has developed a flow-accelerating hydrokinetic turbine capable of producing clean energy from canals, rivers and tidal flows.

Welcome to another edition of our Where Are They Now? series. Today’s featured company is really making the most of the programs available through The Water Council. In 2021, BloomOptix participated in the first cohort of our BREW 2.0 Post-Accelerator and started a pilot project in Wisconsin and New York through our Pilot Program. Learn about how those programs benefited the company and what it has planned for the future in this interview with Igor Mrdjen, BloomOptix project and science lead.

Welcome to the next entry in our Where Are They Now? series. This time we’re featuring Fixed Earth Innovations. Fixed Earth won our fall 2020 Tech Challenge with its solution to remediate PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals.” Since then, the company has expanded into the U.S., brought in Cimbria Capital (a member of The Water Council) as a shareholder and more. President Timothy Repas also sat on the PFAS panel at our 2022 Water Leaders Summit. Check out our interview with Daniel Lanman, Fixed Earth executive vice president.

Welcome to a new series we’re working on at The Water Council called Where Are They Now? First up is PYDRO, a German startup providing eco-friendly monitoring and sensing solutions to water utilities and distribution networks. PYDRO won our Tech Challenge in spring 2020 and it made a big difference for the company.