Membrion, a Seattle startup developing industrial wastewater treatment technology, raised $20 million in a fresh investment round, bringing total funding to $40 million since spinning out of the University of Washington in 2016.
Membrion sells modular treatment units using electrical fields and ceramic desalinization membranes to filter salt and heavy metals including lead, mercury, arsenic, and copper from contaminated wastewater. The membranes are produced using silica gel similar to material inside desiccant packets in new shoe boxes.
Membrion’s technology allows businesses to treat and recycle large quantities of dirty water onsite, avoiding costs and environmental impacts of trucking it away for cleaning. The technology can also recover valuable minerals from water.
Main customers are U.S.-based firms in sectors including microelectronics and semiconductors, automotive, food and beverage, and oil and gas.
Membrion has rolled out three commercial deployments to date and targets 25 deployments in North America over the next two years. The company has 30 employees.
Series B1 round investors include Pangaea Ventures, PureTerra Ventures, Ecolab Inc., W. L. Gore & Associates, The Lewis Family Office, Safar Partners, Lam Research, Indico Ventures, and Giantleap Capital.
“With each deployment, Membrion reduces water consumption, chemical waste, and energy use while delivering tangible ROI for their customers,” Sarah Applebaum, Pangaea partner, said in a statement.
Membrion is led by founder and CEO Greg Newbloom, who founded the company after working on filtering technology for fuel cells and water desalination systems.
The funding reflects growing investor interest in industrial water treatment solutions as businesses face increasing pressure to reduce water consumption and environmental impact while managing rising costs for water and waste disposal.
Membrion’s University of Washington origins highlight the institution’s role in commercializing research into viable businesses addressing environmental challenges.
