Desalination company gets $5 million
NanoH2O, a desalination company that grew out of research at UCLA, has raised $5 million.
The company is trying to commercialize a membrane that consists of a matrix of porous polymer sheets embedded with specially designed nanoparticles. The nanoparticles attract water molecules and repel other particles. In reverse osmosis, seawater passes through porous membranes. The pores allow water to pass, but are too small for salt and other particles, thereby purifying the water.
Because they attract water and repel other substances through their inherent chemical properties, the particles cut in half the amount of energy required to pump the water through the membrane.
You can see a picture of their poster presentation at the Cleantech Venture Forum here.
Investors include Khosla Ventures. The funding came in April, but the company didn?t publicize it too much.
