5 startups that protect water resources, chosen for World Water Day

Protecting water means many things:purify it, detect losses, bring it to those who need it most.These five startups take care of it.

• March 22 is World Water Day, established by the United Nations to raise awareness and promote the sustainable management of water resources.
• Global challenges such as water scarcity, contamination and climate change highlight the need for innovative and sustainable solutions.
• Let's delve deeper into five cutting-edge startups in the water sector:Microx, Wami, Aquaseek, Leakbot and The Circle.

The importance ofwaterfall on our planet is incalculable and crucial for the survival of all life forms.To promote awareness of this precious commodity, the United Nations in 1993 they established there World Water Day which is held every year on March 22.It is not only an opportunity to celebrate water and its fundamental role in our daily lives, but also a moment to highlight the problems related to water, including growing scarcity, contamination, waste and climate changes which threaten its availability for future generations.For this occasion, we have chosen five innovative startups who, with very different projects, are doing their part to protect water.

5 startups that deal with water

• Microx
• Wami
• Aquaseek
• Leakbot
• The Circle

Microx

Microx, based in Rovereto in the province of Trento, is dedicated to the design of engineered tiny devices to execute analysis and measurements of toxic substances in water, harmful to the environment and human health.Specializing in Lab on chip microfluidic technologies for the environmental and energy sector, Microx develops reliable, precise and portable micro-devices that allow the analysis and measurement of chemical, biological and environmental parameters on a microscopic scale.These devices, integrated with a microchip, return immediate results with a considerable savings economical compared to traditional laboratory analyses.

The digitization of data and information acquired through the micro-device helps to make water analysis faster and more effective, even in places and scenarios that are currently not easily accessible.Microx has already filed the first one patent which covers the technology and how it is used;an important milestone both for the growth of the company and because it demonstrates the innovative potential of technology.

Wami

The mission of Wami, a Milanese startup founded in 2016, is clear and simple:for each bottle or can purchased, the brand donate 100 liters of water to those who need it.The company, in fact, creates aqueducts in developing countries:each family involved gets a tap, connected to the aqueduct, which supplies over a million liters of drinking water.If 100 liters are donated for each Wami product, then less than 10 thousand are needed to finance the tap.Each Wami product has a unique code that allows consumers to track the beneficiary family.Wami, which is one B Corp, also engages in other sustainable practices, such as tree planting in Italy, the use of 100 percent rPET packaging, aluminum and recyclable glass.And it invites consumers to do their part by encouraging recycling of bottles and cans.

Aquaseek

Technology and innovation find surprising applications:like that of produce water from the air.The Turin startup Aquaseek has launched atmospheric water generators (known by the English acronym Awg), i.e. systems capable of generating water in liquid form starting from steam.These devices, created in collaboration with the American University of Princeton, leverage two different technologies.The Awgs based on the cooling they use mechanical vapor compression to cool a surface until moisture condenses, similar to an air conditioner.In the Awg ad absorption, Instead, absorbent and hydrophilic materials capture atmospheric water present in the air and release it when heated, just like a sponge.Aquaseek uses these innovations that operate at lower humidity levels with high efficiency.“At Aquaseek, our goal is to make clean water one renewable and sustainable resource available to everyone, everywhere on earth”, explain the founders.

LeakBot 

Technological developments can help solve another recurring problem:the water leaks which happen everywhere, in homes and in industries, up to shops and apartments.The London startup LeakBot is targeting insurers, promising to reduce water damage claims by up to 70 percent.This is done through an internet of things device that can be easily installed in the home and detects data water leaks, to then facilitate the management of repairs via an app.A more convenient and economical alternative to humidity sensors or traditional plumbing options.

TheCircle

If we talk more and more about aquaponics cultivation in Italy, it is also thanks to the Roman startup TheCircle.This technology allows fish farming and vegetable production in the same space:plants use fish waste as nutrients and, in doing so, contribute to water purification which is then returned to the aquariums.This method reduces land consumption, optimizes water use and offers a sustainable and efficient approach to food production.The Water conditions are carefully monitored and regulated to ensure an optimal environment for plant growth and fish well-being.

The startup, founded by biotechnologists Valerio Ciotola, Simone Cofini, Lorenzo Garreffa and by the marketer Thomas Marino, ha recently announced the construction of a new 5 thousand m2 semi-automated plant in Rome.“We do not produce any type of waste and even less pollution.Our structure is capable of going beyond the concept of organic and zero impact, becoming an added value for the environment", say the founders.