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
- Who Will Pay for PFAS Pollution? - Bennet Goldstein - Feb 27th, 2025
- Gov. Evers’ biennial state budget prioritizes clean water, clean energy, and public lands for Wisconsin - Wisconsin Conservation Voters - Feb 18th, 2025
- Gov. Evers Announces Comprehensive Plan to Ensure Clean Water for Kids and Families in 2025 Year of the Kid - Gov. Tony Evers - Feb 18th, 2025
- GOP Lawmakers Propose School Water Filters to Address PFAS, Lead - Danielle Kaeding - Feb 14th, 2025
- Wisconsin Conservation Voters thank Gov. Evers for prioritizing public health, urges bipartisan prioritization of baseline PFAS groundwater standards - Wisconsin Conservation Voters - Feb 5th, 2025
- Evers Announces $145 Million Plan to Address PFAS - Danielle Kaeding - Feb 4th, 2025
- Senator Jodi Habush Sinykin Praises Governor Evers’ Proactive Plan to Address PFAS in Our Water - State Sen. Jodi Habush Sinykin - Feb 4th, 2025
- Gov. Evers Announces New Plans to Combat PFAS, Protect Kids and Families from Harmful Contaminants, and Expand Access to Clean, Safe Drinking Water - Gov. Tony Evers - Feb 4th, 2025
- Gov. Evers Kicks Off 2025 Year of The Kid with Efforts to Ensure Kids and Families Have Access to Safe, Clean Drinking Water - Gov. Tony Evers - Jan 28th, 2025
- Wisconsin Supreme Court Hears Challenge to State Authority in PFAS Case - Danielle Kaeding - Jan 14th, 2025
Read more about PFAS Problem here
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