The POW! emPowering Opportunities in Water competition, introduced in 2015 by Veolia in North America, the Water Council and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), aims to encourage the emergence of new ideas focusing on sustainable development and resilience in the water sector. Three US companies were selected. They will receive financial support and assistance from Veolia and water experts in order to develop their innovations.
The three winning companies are:
- Nano Gas Technologies, Inc., in Deerfield, Illinois, has invented a technology that optimizes the water recycling process in the oil and gas industry with the use of nanobubbles of oxygen.
- Nutrient Recovery & Upcycling, LLC in Madison, Wisconsin, has developed a technology for recovering nutrients from wastewater.
- WAVVE flux Inc., in Houston, uses a biodegradable gel made from food waste to extract heavy metals and nutrients from the water.
“The driving force behind Pow! program is to connect the entrepreneurial ecosystem with the needs of society, the environment and our clients,” explained Philip Abraham, senior vice president of Veolia’s Research and Innovation. “By giving the winners access to markets, pilot sites, and experts, Veolia and its two partners can contribute to global improvements in how we manage water.”
”Veolia’s advancement of the new Pow! program demonstrates the company’s commitment to foster and strengthen innovative startups that are focused on speeding up the development of the next generation of water technology solutions,” said Dean Amhaus, president and CEO of The Water Council.
Mark Hogan, CEO of WEDC, concluded, “We look forward to working with these three competition winners to bring new innovations to market.”
