Waterise provides modular subsea reverse‑osmosis desalination units that operate on the seafloor, using ambient hydrostatic pressure to cut energy consumption by up to 50 % compared with land‑based plants. The unmanned, fully automated modules deliver up to 50,000 m³ of fresh water per day with minimal pre‑treatment, no coastal land footprint, and no brine discharge, offering municipal utilities, industrial users, and large agricultural operators a low‑cost, environmentally friendly water supply.
Funding
$4.5M raised to dateRaised to date based on public sources. This may differ from the amount the company actually raised and is based only on what is publicly available on the internet.
Founders
Product
Problem
Many water‑stressed regions lack access to affordable, reliable fresh water because traditional land‑based reverse‑osmosis desalination plants require large coastal land areas, high energy consumption, extensive pre‑treatment, and can harm marine ecosystems through brine discharge.
Solution
Waterise delivers desalinated water using modular subsea reverse‑osmosis units that operate at depth, where natural hydrostatic pressure provides part of the driving force for the RO process. By placing the plant on the seafloor, the system reduces energy demand by up to 50 % and eliminates the need for extensive surface intake and brine discharge infrastructure, lowering both operational costs and environmental impact. The standardized 50,000 m³‑per‑day modules are fully automated, unmanned, and can be scaled by adding additional units at a single site. Waterise typically finances, builds, operates, and maintains the facility under a long‑term Build‑Own‑Operate contract, delivering a steady supply of fresh water to customers without requiring them to invest in plant ownership.
Target Audience
Primary customers are municipal water utilities, industrial water users, and large‑scale agricultural operators in coastal or island regions facing chronic water scarcity.
Features
- Subsea reverse‑osmosis modules that exploit ambient hydrostatic pressure, cutting energy use by roughly half compared with land‑based plants
- Compact, land‑free footprint achieved by locating the plant on the seafloor, reducing site acquisition and coastal land costs
- Minimal pre‑treatment needs because deep‑sea intake water has low organic content and stable quality year‑round
- Fully automated, unmanned operation with remote monitoring, delivering high reliability and low staffing requirements
- Scalable modular design (50,000 m³ /day per unit) allowing capacity expansion by deploying additional modules at the same location
- Integrated environmental safeguards that avoid brine discharge into coastal waters, reducing marine impact and emissions