Company Using Purdue, Notre Dame Tech Lands Funding
Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowA Massachusetts-based startup that uses technology developed at Purdue University and the University of Notre Dame has closed on a $1.1 million seed round of funding. The funding for Anfiro Inc., which develops water filtration membranes to reduce the cost of water treatment, comes from a variety of PRIME Coalition participants.
Purdue says the funding will further assist in the development of Anfiro’s water membranes which have shown to reduce the cost and energy of desalination by up to 35 percent. The technology will provide affordable fresh water in locations throughout the world, according to the university.
PRIME Coalition is a nonprofit also based in Massachusetts aimed at supporting solutions to climate change. Founder and Executive Director Sarah Kearny says the financing will enable Anfiro to produce full-scale membrane prototypes by 2018.
"When Anfiro achieves commercial scale, its solution will not only greatly reduce global greenhouse gas emissions through energy savings, but also increase access to affordable and clean freshwater in water-stressed communities," said Kearny. "PRIME’s philanthropic partners were enthused to learn that in addition to its climate benefits, Anfiro also promises large-scale health and poverty alleviation benefits, as a solution for communities that cannot afford conventional water infrastructure."
Purdue says Anfiro’s membranes can also be retrofitted into existing water treatment plants to boost their efficiency and output capacity. You can learn more about the technology by clicking here.