NanoH2O secures $15M for desalination
It’s a testament to how much traction the once dormant water sector has gained that desalination, not long ago considered a risky, prohibitively expensive technology, is getting second looks from some high-profile investors. NanoH2O, a Los Angeles, Calif.-based developer of reverse-osmosis membranes, is the latest beneficiary of this trend, announcing earlier this week that it had raised $15.05 million in second round funding from Oak Investment Partners and Khosla Ventures.
The company, which was spun off from UCLA in 2005, will use the proceeds to ramp up its R&D and commercialization efforts. Its thin-film nanocomposite (TFN) technology improves on existing polymer-based membranes by giving engineers more control over key membrane properties — reducing the amount of energy needed to process different seawater chemistries (typically desalination’s main sticking point) and increasing their permeability.
NanoH2O claims its technology can easily be incorporated into existing facilities and that it fits within conventional desalination pressure vessels, helping to reduce operational costs. Even though desalination remains an expensive venture, with only a few firms willing to shoulder the substantial cost burden, growing water shortages around the world may force many to reconsider. The advent of cheaper, more efficient nano-based desalination and filtration technologies could ease this transition.
According to an industry analyst, the market for nano-based water and wastewater products could reach $6.6 billion in 2015. NanoH2O previously raised $5 million from Khosla Ventures in May 2007.
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About the Author, Jeremy Jacquot
Jeremy Jacquot is a doctoral student at the University of Southern California who is studying watershed management and global biogeochemical cycling. He previously studied marine biology at UCLA where he earned his B.S. in 2005; he is the Los Angeles correspondent for TreeHugger, where he focuses on science/technology and business news.