PureTerra, a venture aimed at funding “disruptive water technologies,” is pouring millions into Membrion to help Seattle startups mass-produce wastewater treatment technology .
Membrion claims its ceramic membrane can remove problematic heavy metals (No genre, but toxic ones like lead, arsenic, and lithium) at about 1/12th the cost of the evaporation process. Founder and CEO Greg Newbloom told TechCrunch that “we don’t recommend drinking the water we purify,” but the end result “can be reliably reused within industrial facilities.” said.
Membrion says its membranes can treat wastewater from a variety of industries, including fossil fuels, semiconductors, automotive, and food and beverage manufacturing. “When we talk about ‘harsh wastewater,’ we mean wastewater that literally burns your hands because of its pH and the presence of oxidants,” he explains Newbloom. “These types of wastewater cannot be treated with existing desalination membrane technology,” he added. As such, today’s facilities are stuck with “environmentally harmful alternatives” such as boiling wastewater and using “disposable materials” to filter harmful metals and salts.
The startup is pushing its Series B funding amid a drought caused by climate change. Even after the record storms that have hit California in recent weeks, much of the West is unusually dry or worsening.
Membrion says it has secured $7 million so far, with a goal of $10 million. PureTerra Ventures led the round, according to a press release, with participation from investors including Safar Partners, GiantLeap Capital and Freeflow.
“We are our [fundraising] Given the interest we have, we will reach our goal within the next few months,” Newbloom told TechCrunch.
