BASF Venture Capital Invests $7.5 million in NanoH2O

Based on breakthrough nanostructured materials and industry-proven polymer technology, NanoH2O’s QuantumFlux membranes dramatically improve desalination energy efficiency and productivity.

30 April 2012 --- BASF Venture Capital GmbH has invested $7.5 million in the technology company NanoH2O, Inc. The investment is part of a $40 million equity round co-led by BASF Venture Capital together with other investors. NanoH2O develops, produces and sells reverse osmosis membranes for seawater desalination.

“There is a great demand worldwide for innovative technologies to produce drinking water from seawater,” said Dirk Nachtigal, Managing Director, BASF Venture Capital. “NanoH2O has developed special nanostructured polymer-based membranes for seawater desalination which are particularly effective in removing the salt from seawater in a highly energy efficient way,” explained Nachtigal. The membranes from NanoH2O use the reverse osmosis principle and currently deliver the highest flux and the highest salt rejection of any seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) membrane on the market. They fit easily into new and existing desalination plants.
 
NanoH2O will use the investment further expand its global business activities. “This investment will accelerate existing plans to expand our manufacturing capabilities and product development initiatives,” said Jeff Green, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of NanoH2O. “Along with our new partnership with BASF, we now have increasingly strong resources as NanoH2O strives to become the market leader for seawater desalination membranes.”
 
NanoH2O, Inc., headquartered in El Segundo, California, designs, develops, manufactures and markets reverse osmosis (RO) mem¬branes that lower the cost of desalination. Based on breakthrough nanostructured materials and industry-proven polymer technology, NanoH2O’s QuantumFlux membranes dramatically improve desalination energy efficiency and productivity. QuantumFlux seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) membranes, Standard 61 certified by NSF International for the production of drinking water, deliver the highest flux and the highest salt rejection of any SWRO membrane on the market. QuantumFlux membranes are available in standard 8-inch (20 cm) diameter elements that fit easily into new and existing desalination plants, purifying water from a broad range of sources with improved productivity and water quality. NanoH2O is the 2011 Aquatech Innovation Award Winner in the Water Supply category.