MILWAUKEE (June 25, 2019) – The Water Council’s BREW Accelerator winners unveiled their innovative freshwater technologies to water industry leaders, investors, community and corporate partners at the annual BREW Demo Day.
The BREW (Business – Research – Entrepreneurship – in Water) program is the world’s foremost freshwater business accelerator that fast-tracks early freshwater technology startups and prepares them to enter the global water industry market successfully. With financial support from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, selected participants receive funding, hands-on business training, available office space in Milwaukee’s Global Water Center for one year, executive level mentors and corporate R&D resources. BREW participants receive a lifetime membership to the Global Accelerator Network (GAN) and access to the BREW Alumni Network after the program has ended.
“This has been a very promising group of entrepreneurs,” stated Steve Glynn, director of entrepreneurship at The Water Council. “I look forward to watching these companies grow and ‘disrupt’ the water technology industry with their cutting-edge innovations.”
This event was not only an opportunity for these companies to pitch their technologies, but also continue to build their mentorship support and, more importantly, to expand their network with potential investors.
The following BREW participants made their pitch at Demo Day:
Gen3Bio – Indiana – Gen3Bio proprietary technology extracts cellular content from algae produced by wastewater treatment technologies and creates specialty chemicals at a fraction of the cost of conventional methods.
Latitude Power – Illinois – Latitude Power has developed a micro-hydroelectric generator that converts lost energy into electricity.
P4 Infrastructure – Wisconsin – P4 Infrastructure combines civil, mechanical and electrical engineering in pursuit of technology-driven products creating connected and sustainable infrastructure.
Rapid Radicals Technology – Wisconsin – Rapid Radicals Technology (RRTech) developed an efficient and advanced wastewater treatment process for use during heavy precipitation events to eliminate sewer overflows and reduce untreated discharges into lakes and rivers.
Watersurplus – Illinois – A winner of the BREW Corporate Accelerator powered by A. O. Smith Corporation, the Watersurplus team has developed and is currently pilot testing a bio-inspired, low-fouling coating that significantly improves RO membrane performance from hard-to-treat water.
“A. O. Smith is proud to partner with The Water Council on such a valuable program and to be able to assist researchers and forward-thinkers in bringing their proposed ideas to life,” said Dr. Robert Heideman, chief technology officer at A. O. Smith Corporation. “Each year, it is exciting to see how the BREW participants grow and evolve over the course of the program.”
“The BREW is a great example of how to leverage industry strength to support startup companies,” stated Aaron Hagar, vice president of entrepreneurship and innovation at the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. “The BREW not only supports the startups, it provides value to the established industry by bringing in new innovations and talent that keep Wisconsin at the leading edge of water technology.”
The BREW Accelerator program began on April 1, 2019 with a series of tours and networking events – BREW Week – to give a warm introduction to Milwaukee.
The BREW Accelerator Demo Day took place at the Northwestern Mutual building in downtown Milwaukee before The Water Council’s 12th annual Water Leaders Summit at the Harley-Davidson Museum®.
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About The Water Council
Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA next to the world’s largest freshwater system and home to one of the most influential freshwater technology hubs in the world, The Water Council (TWC) is recognized as a global center for advancing water technologies and stewardship. At its heart, TWC is a non-profit, membership organization that connects, convenes and showcases the hub comprised of more than 238 water technology businesses and the diverse water leadership network of 200 members it is linked to from around the world. While TWC’s mission is centered on driving economic development, attracting and connecting world-class talent and supporting water-focused technology innovation, its larger goal is to help secure freshwater resources for the world by driving solutions to the numerous industries that need and use a large amount of water. www.thewatercouncil.com
About A. O. Smith Corporation
A.O. Smith Corporation, with headquarters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is a global leader applying innovative technology and energy-efficient solutions to products manufactured and marketed worldwide. Listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), the company is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of residential and commercial water heating equipment and boilers, as well as a manufacturer of water treatment and air purification products. For more information, visit www.aosmith.com.
About BREW Accelerator
The Water Council’s BREW (Business – Research – Entrepreneurship – in Water) is the world’s leading freshwater business seed accelerator. Designed to advance the commercialization of innovation-driven startups in the global water industry, the BREW connects early stage technology ventures with the resources they need to fast track the creation and deployment of real-world solutions to freshwater challenges. The BREW is a three and a half month program focused on startups with technological concepts that address a specific area such as nutrient runoff and other novel solutions. The curriculum uses customer discovery to lead participants through the process of refining their value proposition and understanding their future customers. www.thewatercouncil.com/brew
About the BREW Corporate Accelerator
BREW Corporate is an expansion of the BREW Accelerator program developed by The Water Council (TWC). BREW Corporate offers participants the same framework, funding and access to resources as the BREW but with pre-existing interest and committed funding from a corporate partner. BREW Corporate is designed to solicit viable technical solutions for specific real-world challenges that have been identified and outlined by the funding corporation. The funding corporation, along with coaches and technical advisors, will help optimize each winners’ business model, speed up its technology’s commercialization and directly support the startup’s entry into the marketplace. www.thewatercouncil.com/brew-corporate