News Update Aug 2023
Waterwhelm’s innovation recognised by Ofwat in £4 million Water Discovery Challenge
04 July 2023
Waterwhelm has been selected by OFWAT as one of 20 finalists, out of 240 applications, to be a part of its £4 million Water Discovery Challenge. The Challenge recognises, and accelerates, bold and ingenious innovation to solve the water sectors biggest challenges. It is an 18-month competition that brings together highly innovative technology solutions, such as from Waterwhelm, with both financial and non-financial support packages. Through this exclusive competition Waterwhelm will have access to experts from the water sector, as well as business development experts. The Challenge also involves a sector-led mentoring programme that Waterwhelm will fully utilise to further embed itself within the water sector community.
Waterwhelm’s winning application enables its low grade heat project, titled; An innovative membrane technology for brackish and sea water desalination powered by low-grade waste heat. Waterwhelm has already established its high grade heat technology system at a major wastewater treatment site in Scotland. Now, through its forward osmosis engineering experience, it will apply its system design to a low grade heat system. This will facilitate adoption of Waterwhelm’s forward osmosis technology in the water sector, and across sectors, where there are large amounts of low grade heat available for use. The project aligns with several current water sector challenges, here, identified by OFWAT as; Delivering long-term operational resilience, Protecting & enhancing the environment, Responding and adapting to climate change, and Testing new ways of conducting core activities.
Funding awarded to unlock Waterwhelm’s potential in water supply for hydrogen production
18 May 2023
HyDesal is a project to explore the deployment of Waterwhelm’s desalination technology in combination with commercially-available renewable hydrogen production units using waste heat. Funded through the Emerging Energy Technologies Fund - Hydrogen Innovation Scheme (EETF-HIS), this project will be delivered in close collaboration with Waterwhelm’s partners in the water and energy sectors. The EETF-HIS scheme is focused on developing the technologies needed to support hydrogen production targets in which water plays a major part. Informed by previous work, Waterwhelm will optimise the integration of its desalination technology to fully utilise waste heat from hydrogen production as well as its conversion to ammonia and liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs). This project will facilitate deployment of the technology in upcoming demonstration and commercial scale units in order to supply water for hydrogen production without compromising local water supplies and relieving the increasing pressures on water networks.
Waterwhelm is awarded a place on TechX Accelerator
16 February 2023
The Net Zero Technology Centre has today announced its 2023 start-up cohort. Twelve clean energy start-ups, selected from over 200 applications spanning 43 countries, have gained a place on the award-winning TechX Clean Energy Accelerator programme, which begins in late February 2023. Each company will receive up to £100,000 funding, while benefitting from mentorship and access to NZTC’s global energy network, including support from the programme’s industry-leading partners: bp, Equinor and ADNOC. Waterwhelm is one of the 12 start-ups in the 2023 cohort and will use this opportunity to commercialise its game-changing desalination technology with a view to support hydrogen production globally.
Waterwhelm doubles workforce following a successful year in demonstrating its breakthrough technology
10 January 2023
Securing a number of funded projects, Waterwhelm has four new additional team members with substantial engineering and industrial experience aimed at scaling up and commercialising its game-changing forward osmosis technology for wastewater treatment and desalination.
- Dr Jamshid Zarkesh, a Senior Process Engineer with over 30 years of experience in the petrochemical and energy industries.
- Dr Richard Wood as R&D Engineer with an outstanding industrial research background who was previously a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Oxford.
- Reza Nikbakht, a Process Engineer with over 17 years of experience in design, commissioning, operation and maintenance of wastewater treatment and desalination plants.
Dr Jamshid Zarkesh Dr Richard Wood Reza Nikbakht
Chemical industry veteran joins Waterwhelm
01 December 2021
Steven Rogers has joined Waterwhelm as the Lead Process Engineer. With 29 years of experience in chemical/process engineering and innovative engineering design, Steven will oversee the design and development of Waterwhelm’s game-changing technology for commercial applications in wastewater treatment and desalination. Having worked with both large multinational engineering companies and early stage businesses in his career, Steven brings to the team expert knowledge of technology/product development, commercialisation based on client needs and technical expertise in retrofitting/integrating new technologies with existing infrastructure.
Waterwhelm included in Scotland’s Green Tech Power List
27 September 2021
Ahead of COP26, industry experts highlighted start-ups developing solutions to the climate emergency as the Green Tech Power List. Waterwhelm was selected for its technology enabling low-carbon wastewater treatment and desalination as well as the vision to make water available and affordable for all, regardless of location or climatic conditions.
Waterwhelm awarded as top start-up amongst science, technology and engineering focused business in Scotland
26 May 2021
As the UK's biggest business funding competition, Scottish EDGE is aimed at identifying and supporting Scotland’s up-and-coming, innovative, high-growth entrepreneurial talent. Waterwhelm was the winner of the Higgs Edge Award for science, technology and engineering focused businesses. The award is a major endorsement of the game-changing technology developed by Waterwhelm and its commercial prospective and unlocks the company’s potential to reach further significant milestones.
Waterwhelm selected for Unlocking Ambition Accelerator
28 October 2020
“Forty of Scotland’s most talented, innovative and ambitious entrepreneurs are joining Scotland’s flagship entrepreneurial development programme, Unlocking Ambition.” Waterwhelm is proud to be awarded a place on this Accelerator where the businesses participating will contribute to Scotland’s economic recovery from COVID-19 and Scotland’s journey towards a net zero economy. Over the next six months, the group of 40 entrepreneurs participating in Unlocking Ambition will be linked with established and accomplished business people to learn, make connections and explore new opportunities. Previous Unlocking Ambition contributors included senior leaders from LinkedIn, Netflix, Survey Monkey, Apple and Facebook as well as a range of Global Scots. Each company will receive access to a £25,000 development grant plus business advice, mentoring and in-kind support.
Waterwhelm receives a Demonstrate Impact Innovate UK grant
24 February 2020
Waterwhelm has been awarded a prestigious grant to demonstrate the viability of its technology for wastewater treatment and desalination in the Middle East. The competitive Innovate UK grant enables Waterwhelm to establish partnerships in the most water-scarce areas of the Middle East. The project constitutes a collaborative programme of work between Waterwhelm, University of Edinburgh and two local NGOs.
Another award for Waterwhelm at Scottish EDGE round 15
05 December 2019
Waterwhelm has been awarded at Scottish EDGE round 15. Scottish EDGE is the UK’s biggest funding competition for potential high growth businesses, it supports Scotland’s early-stage businesses in cash and provides a business support packages that include mentoring, support and signposting to alternative finance.
Waterwhelm Founder awarded prestigious Fellowship at the Royal Academy of Engineering
18 November 2019
Low carbon technology entrepreneur and founder of Waterwhelm Dr. Alireza Abbassi Monjezi has been awarded a prestigious Royal Academy of Engineering Enterprise Fellowship. The highly competitive programme focuses on equipping the UK's most talented and successful engineers with the confidence, skills, experience and networks of expert advisors needed to develop their innovations. Waterwhelm Founding Director Alireza Abbassi Monjezi - previously a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Edinburgh - said: "I am delighted to receive the Fellowship. It will help us accelerate the commercialisation of our patent-pending technology."
Waterwhelm commences the development of its first plant
01 October 2019
Supported by a £100k grant from Scottish Enterprise matched by an investment, Waterwhelm has begun the development of its first plant at an industrial site based in Edinburgh. Designed by Waterwhelm’s engineers and scientists, the plant will be used to validate the patent-pending process for applications in wastewater treatment, water treatment, desalination and sludge dewatering.
Waterwhelm makes it to the Climate KIC Accelerator
19 June 2019
The EIT Climate-KIC Accelerator programme offers early stage entrepreneurs access to up to €30,000 grant funding, business coaching with experienced professionals, a range of masterclasses and free workspace at ECCI’s vibrant Edinburgh hub.
Waterwhelm Founder and CEO is awarded as the top young business leader in Scotland
Date: 14 June 2019
Scottish EDGE is a competition aimed at identifying and supporting Scotland's up-and-coming, innovative, high-growth potential entrepreneurial talent. Dr. Alireza Abbassi Monjezi has won the Young category of the competition as Scotland’s top business leader under the age of 30 amongst 80 entries across the country.
Waterwhelm awarded as the top enterprise at the University of Edinburgh
Date: 06 June 2019
Inspire Launch Grow, the annual competition for entrepreneurial staff, students and recent graduates, was run and hosted by Edinburgh Innovations in the Playfair Library, Old College at the University of Edinburgh. Waterwhelm was awarded as the “Enterprise of the Year” in this year’s competition.
Waterwhelm is awarded as the top early-stage business in Scotland
Date: 16 March 2019
Converge KickStart Award is the early stage ideas platform that forms part of Converge, Scotland’s leading company creation programme which acts as a springboard for the next generation of entrepreneurs. Waterwhelm has won the 2019 KickStart competition amongst 139 early-stage businesses in Scotland.
