Key Takeaways:
- Funding Secured: OceanWell raised $11 million in Series A funding to scale its modular deep-sea water farm technology.
- Innovative Water Solution: The company’s pods use natural hydrostatic pressure at 400-meter depths for energy-efficient reverse osmosis desalination, producing up to 1 million gallons of potable water daily.
- Pilot Launch: OceanWell’s first water farm pilot will launch in partnership with Las Virgenes Municipal Water District (LVMWD) in California.
- Environmental Benefits: OceanWell technology reduces energy consumption by up to 40% compared to traditional desalination and avoids harm to marine life and toxic brine disposal.
- Global Ambitions: OceanWell aims to build 15 water farms worldwide, addressing the growing water scarcity crisis.
OceanWell, a water technology company, announced $11 million in Series A funding to advance its next-generation modular deep-sea water farms and support the launch of California’s first pilot project in collaboration with the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District (LVMWD). The funding round included investments from Kubota Corporation, a leader in water infrastructure manufacturing, Jon Hemingway, the family office principal of Carrix Ports, and Charles McGarraugh, former head of metals trading at Goldman Sachs.
A Breakthrough in Desalination
OceanWell’s innovative water farms consist of modular pods that operate at 400-meter depths, leveraging natural hydrostatic pressure to perform reverse osmosis desalination with significantly lower energy usage. Each pod can produce up to 1 million gallons of potable water daily while ensuring ultra-clean water by removing salts, bacteria, viruses, pesticides, and PFAS. Unlike traditional desalination methods, OceanWell’s solution minimizes energy consumption by up to 40%, avoids marine life disruption, and eliminates toxic brine disposal.
“At OceanWell, we’ve developed a new technology to rehydrate a drying world,” said Robert Bergstrom, Founder and CEO of OceanWell. “Our goal is to provide utility-scale, reliable, and sustainable freshwater solutions to communities worldwide. We’re grateful to our investors whose expertise will be invaluable as we scale operations.”
Tackling Global Water Scarcity
Global water scarcity is an escalating crisis, with experts predicting that 5 billion people may lack access to clean drinking water by 2050. Rising demand in agriculture, industry, and manufacturing, coupled with climate change impacts like droughts and flooding, has led to a 50% drop in global water supply since 1970. OceanWell aims to address this challenge with its scalable water farm technology, starting with its pilot project in California.
“One of Kubota’s goals is to provide comprehensive solutions for the entire water circulation loop,” said Eiji Yoshioka, Director and GM of the Water and Environment Infrastructure Consolidated Division of Kubota. “OceanWell’s technology is indispensable for achieving a stable long-term potable water supply in water-scarce regions.”
California Water Farm and Future Plans
The first water farm pilot with LVMWD is part of a larger plan to develop 15 water farms globally. OceanWell’s technology has already undergone successful prototype testing at the U.S. Navy’s Deep Ocean Simulation Facility and is supported by a working group of 24 state water authorities in California.
OceanWell’s California water farm will serve a region recovering from years of record-breaking drought, providing a sustainable freshwater supply while setting the foundation for global deployment.
