Fixed Earth Innovations wins Tech Challenge fall 2020 open innovation contest
Corporate program sponsors A. O. Smith, Badger Meter and Zurn Industries select PFAS-focused water technology startup as $10,000 winner from a field of 18 applications located in seven countries.
MILWAUKEE, Wis. (Jan. 5, 2021) – The Water Council today, along with corporate sponsors A. O. Smith, Badger Meter and Zurn Industries, announced Fixed Earth Innovations as the $10,000 winner of Tech Challenge, a semi-annual open innovation contest.
The Saskatoon-based, water technology startup was selected from a field of 18 applicants, six located outside North America, for its promising solution that uses custom microbes to break the carbon fluoride bond of PFAS, or poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances, which are considered forever-chemical contaminants in fresh water.
According to Karen Frost, The Water Council’s vice president of economic development and Tech Challenge program director, beyond matching sponsors to innovators, the program offers intangible side benefits for sponsors and applicants alike. She notes, “For sponsors, it’s been rewarding to also open idea flow for cutting-edge innovations because of what they learn from applicants during the interview process. And for applicants on their path to commercialization, the program provides a valuable opportunity for them to garner marketplace insights from world-class R&D teams.”
Launched in 2017 and held twice annually, Tech Challenge is an open innovation contest designed to connect program sponsors to those with novel solutions for emerging freshwater technologies with a high potential for commercialization. The fall 2020 challenge, which ran from Sept. 1 to Nov.1, sought innovative water technology solutions for water quality sensing and/or remediating specific to: heavy metals and industrial chemicals (such as lead, PFOA and PFAS) in water and wastewater; and microbiological organisms in water and remediation using alternative disinfection technologies (non-chlorine). In total, five finalists have been invited to continue to meet with the program sponsors.
Water technology companies can benefit from the Tech Challenge program by becoming a sponsor. “The primary objective of the Tech Challenge program is to deliver to our sponsors introductions to previously unknown companies and entrepreneurs that might have promising water technology solutions that can be incorporated into our sponsors’ innovation programs,” stated Dean Amhaus, president and CEO of The Water Council. “We were all elated that, in this latest round, over 90% of the applicants were entirely new to our sponsors.”
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
More about the PFAS Problem
- Lawmakers At Odds Over Releasing Health, PFAS Funds - Erik Gunn - Jun 6th, 2024
- Wisconsin Senate Votes to Override Governor’s Vetoes - Baylor Spears - May 15th, 2024
- Gov. Evers Sues Republican Legislators for Continued Obstruction of Investments Intended to Address Pressing Challenges Facing Wisconsin - Gov. Tony Evers - May 13th, 2024
- Legislators Agree on Opioid Plan, Still Withhold PFAS, Hospital Funds - Erik Gunn - May 8th, 2024
- Gov. Evers Again Calls Republican Lawmakers into Special Meeting to Urge Immediate Release of $140 Million to Fight PFAS Statewide, Respond to Hospital Closures in Western Wisconsin - Gov. Tony Evers - May 6th, 2024
- The State of Politics: Voters Worried About PFAS in Water - Steven Walters - Apr 22nd, 2024
- EPA Slaps Two PFAS Chemicals With Superfund Law Designation - Danielle Kaeding - Apr 19th, 2024
- DNR Responds To EPA’s Designation Of PFOA And PFOS As Hazardous Substances - Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources - Apr 19th, 2024
- Evers Won’t Rule Out Court Challenge to Force Release of PFAS Funds - Danielle Kaeding - Apr 16th, 2024
- Gov. Evers Vetoes PFAS Bill, Calls Special Meeting of Budget Committee - Baylor Spears - Apr 10th, 2024
Read more about PFAS Problem here