S11E2 - How Aclarity Bootstrapped its Journey from B2C to PFAS Destruction

👋 SOCIAL MEDIA 👋

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/antoinewalter1/

🙋 QUESTION: What would you like me to cover next?

⏰ TIME CODES ⏰

00:00 In This Week's Episode

02:18 Why is Aclarity a Water Tech "Cool Kid"?

04:22 Are we doomed with PFAS?

05:35 If PFAS is in 98% of people's blood, is it really dangerous?

06:43 Aclarity's elevator pitch

08:06 is Aclarity competing with Ion Exchange and Activated Carbon?

09:55 is Aclarity 10-50x better than competition?

11:40 Aclarity's founder story

14:09 The hints that nudged Julie to create Aclarity

15:30 Turning academic research into a business

16:48 Delegating your "baby" as a water tech founder

18:53 Key Learnings from the first 3 Years in Business

19:45 Aclarity's first prototype

23:33 How to pick your niche

26:27 How to partner with Big Groups

27:46 How did big water companies find Aclarity?

29:29 Working with Xylem vs Working with De Nora

31:15 Bootstrapped by design?

32:57 How to survive 6 years with $2 Million

34:45 Handling a first VC as a Water Tech Start Up

38:28 How a Seed Investor accepts next funding rounds

41:15 Does company valuation matter for a water tech founder?

44:15 What's next in the PFAS Removal landscape?

46:30 How much does it cost to remove PFAS?

47:55 Aclarity's Business Model

48:57 Does Aclarity solve all kinds of PFAS?

53:42 What will the EPA regulation on PFAS change?

58:35 Could Aclarity be acquired? By whom?

01:01:38 Rapid Fire Questions

01:05:31 7 Insights to Act On (right now!)

#WaterTech #WaterUnicorn #WaterEntrepreneurship

About this Podcast: Welcome to the (don't) Waste Water podcast! In each episode, Antoine Walter from DWW Media shares water, wastewater & water entrepreneurship stories. This show will teach you the water industry like you've never seen it. If you're asking how the water sector will overcome the water crises ahead, this video is for you.

About (don't) Waste Water! | Water Tech to Solve the World

❓ Ever wondered how the #WaterIndustry was reacting to our World's Water Challenges? Water Scarcity? #SDG6? PFAS? Climate Change? Circular Economy? Digitization and Smart Water?

💪 Get the Water Market pulse for free. In one hour per week, while you do the dishes!

📈 We talk water investment, water tech, water entrepreneurship and water market with entrepreneurs, thought leaders, book authors, scientists, investment funds, VCs, and C-Level experts from water majors.

➡️ Leverage their insights, advice & experience and ensure to stay on top of best practices

🗓️ Tune in every Wednesday (don't miss out! 😅)

🌐 Find all the detailed episode notes, interviews, infographics, and more at http://dww.show

Currently in its 10th Season, the "(don't) Waste Water" podcast has already welcomed around 250 guests from Water Majors (SUEZ, Veolia, Jacobs, Xylem, Kemira, Evoqua, Aquatech, SKion Water...), Scale-Ups (Cambrian Innovation, Epic Cleantec, Gradiant, Liqtech, 374Water, Gingko Bioworks...), Start-Ups (Puraffinity, KETOS, 120Water, ZwitterCo, Membrion, Source...), Universities (Berkeley, the Columbia Water Center), Investment Funds (Sciens Water, Mazarine, Burnt Island Ventures...), Business Accelerators (Imagine H2O, Elemental...), Book Authors (Seth Siegel, David Sedlak, David Lloyd Owen...) or Market Intelligence Companies (BlueTech Research, Global Water Intelligence, World Bank, OECD, Isle Utilities...). Or simply water legends like Gary White, Mina Guli or Andrew Benedek!

On the "(don't) Waste Water" podcast, I strive to make the Water Industry easy to understand for everyone, starting with water professionals, executives, and investors. Hence, he opens the microphone to seasoned, inspirational water experts to discuss their field of excellence.

No one can claim an all-around in-depth understanding of a matter as complex as Water. But piece by piece, you can rebuild the puzzle. With curiosity, patience, and passion, Antoine Walter explores topics such as Advanced Treatment Technologies, Water-Energy Nexus (Hydrogen, Lithium...), PFAS removal, Nature-Based Solutions, Wastewater Reuse, Distributed Water Treatments, Water Finance, and Water Entrepreneurship.

I actually firmly believe that regular listeners of the "(don't) Waste Water" podcast may, in the end, claim a "Water MBA!"

A particular field of interest is how innovation forms, grows and gets widely adopted in a complex and conservative field like the Water Industry. This may be one of the keys to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal n°6 - #SDG6.

Oh, and in short, about me: I'm a water engineer turned avid student of the water business, market, finance, and tech. I'm married, a happy father of three, and I'm French (nobody's perfect 😅).

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

About (don't) Waste Water! | Water Tech to Solve the World

❓ Ever wondered how the #WaterIndustry was reacting to our World's Water Challenges? Water Scarcity? #SDG6? PFAS? Climate Change? Circular Economy? Digitization and Smart Water?

💪 Get the Water Market pulse for free. In one hour per week, while you do the dishes!

➡️ Leverage their insights, advice & experience and ensure to stay on top of best practices

🗓️ Tune in every Wednesday (don't miss out! 😅)

🌐 Find all the detailed episode notes, interviews, infographics, and more at http://dww.show

I actually firmly believe that regular listeners of the "(don't) Waste Water" podcast may, in the end, claim a "Water MBA!"

Oh, and in short, about me: I'm a water engineer turned avid student of the water business, market, finance, and tech. I'm married, a happy father of three, and I'm French (nobody's perfect 😅).

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Description

More #water insights? Connect with me on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/antoinewalter1/

#️⃣ All the Links Mentioned in this Episode #️⃣

Aclarity's website https://www.aclaritywater.com/

Julie Bliss Mullen's LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/julieblissmullen/

Julie's Email julie.mullen@aclaritywater.com

My conversation with Sivan Zamir (Xylem Innovation Labs) https://dww.show/passing-the-baton-how-to-bring-innovation-to-market-faster-more-reliably/

My conversation with Max Storto (Xylem Innovation Labs) https://dww.show/growing-10-wonder-kids-from-5-to-50-clients-with-0-equity-xylems-weirdest-move/

Tom Ferguson on my mic (aka Julie's VC) https://dww.show/the-secret-formula-for-profit-in-water-tech-venture-capital/

Another take on PFAS Removal with SuperCritical Water Oxidation (374Water) https://dww.show/is-supercritical-water-oxidation-a-solution-for-pfas-energy-more/

Electrochemical removal of PFAS and more with Axine Water https://dww.show/the-best-industrial-wastewater-treatment-system-is-the-one-you-forget/

An early take on this mic' on Micropollutant removal with Oxyle https://dww.show/how-to-solve-a-global-challenge-in-an-easy-affordable-innovative-and-efficient-way/

Julie's independent Board Member, Wayne Byrne (on my mic', of course!) https://dww.show/four-successful-exits-and-counting-whats-next-disrupting-uv-disinfection/

Full blog article: https://dww.show/how-aclarity-bootstrapped-its-journey-from-b2c-to-pfas-destruction/

🎙️ Subscribe and Listen to the Don't Waste Water Podcast HERE 🎙️

Podcast Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@dwwpodcast

Main Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@AntoineWalterDWW

Smartlink: https://smartlink.ausha.co/dont-waste-water

👋 SOCIAL MEDIA 👋

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/antoinewalter1/

🙋 QUESTION: What would you like me to cover next?

⏰ TIME CODES ⏰

00:00 In This Week's Episode

02:18 Why is Aclarity a Water Tech "Cool Kid"?

04:22 Are we doomed with PFAS?

05:35 If PFAS is in 98% of people's blood, is it really dangerous?

06:43 Aclarity's elevator pitch

08:06 is Aclarity competing with Ion Exchange and Activated Carbon?

09:55 is Aclarity 10-50x better than competition?

11:40 Aclarity's founder story

14:09 The hints that nudged Julie to create Aclarity

15:30 Turning academic research into a business

16:48 Delegating your "baby" as a water tech founder

18:53 Key Learnings from the first 3 Years in Business

19:45 Aclarity's first prototype

23:33 How to pick your niche

26:27 How to partner with Big Groups

27:46 How did big water companies find Aclarity?

29:29 Working with Xylem vs Working with De Nora

31:15 Bootstrapped by design?

32:57 How to survive 6 years with $2 Million

34:45 Handling a first VC as a Water Tech Start Up

38:28 How a Seed Investor accepts next funding rounds

41:15 Does company valuation matter for a water tech founder?

44:15 What's next in the PFAS Removal landscape?

46:30 How much does it cost to remove PFAS?

47:55 Aclarity's Business Model

48:57 Does Aclarity solve all kinds of PFAS?

53:42 What will the EPA regulation on PFAS change?

58:35 Could Aclarity be acquired? By whom?

01:01:38 Rapid Fire Questions

01:05:31 7 Insights to Act On (right now!)

#WaterTech #WaterUnicorn #WaterEntrepreneurship

About (don't) Waste Water! | Water Tech to Solve the World

❓ Ever wondered how the #WaterIndustry was reacting to our World's Water Challenges? Water Scarcity? #SDG6? PFAS? Climate Change? Circular Economy? Digitization and Smart Water?

💪 Get the Water Market pulse for free. In one hour per week, while you do the dishes!

➡️ Leverage their insights, advice & experience and ensure to stay on top of best practices

🗓️ Tune in every Wednesday (don't miss out! 😅)

🌐 Find all the detailed episode notes, interviews, infographics, and more at http://dww.show

I actually firmly believe that regular listeners of the "(don't) Waste Water" podcast may, in the end, claim a "Water MBA!"

Oh, and in short, about me: I'm a water engineer turned avid student of the water business, market, finance, and tech. I'm married, a happy father of three, and I'm French (nobody's perfect 😅).

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

About (don't) Waste Water! | Water Tech to Solve the World

❓ Ever wondered how the #WaterIndustry was reacting to our World's Water Challenges? Water Scarcity? #SDG6? PFAS? Climate Change? Circular Economy? Digitization and Smart Water?

💪 Get the Water Market pulse for free. In one hour per week, while you do the dishes!

➡️ Leverage their insights, advice & experience and ensure to stay on top of best practices

🗓️ Tune in every Wednesday (don't miss out! 😅)

🌐 Find all the detailed episode notes, interviews, infographics, and more at http://dww.show

I actually firmly believe that regular listeners of the "(don't) Waste Water" podcast may, in the end, claim a "Water MBA!"

Oh, and in short, about me: I'm a water engineer turned avid student of the water business, market, finance, and tech. I'm married, a happy father of three, and I'm French (nobody's perfect 😅).

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

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Description

More #water insights? Connect with me on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/antoinewalter1/

#️⃣ All the Links Mentioned in this Episode #️⃣

Aclarity's website https://www.aclaritywater.com/

Julie Bliss Mullen's LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/julieblissmullen/

Julie's Email julie.mullen@aclaritywater.com

My conversation with Sivan Zamir (Xylem Innovation Labs) https://dww.show/passing-the-baton-how-to-bring-innovation-to-market-faster-more-reliably/

My conversation with Max Storto (Xylem Innovation Labs) https://dww.show/growing-10-wonder-kids-from-5-to-50-clients-with-0-equity-xylems-weirdest-move/

Tom Ferguson on my mic (aka Julie's VC) https://dww.show/the-secret-formula-for-profit-in-water-tech-venture-capital/

Another take on PFAS Removal with SuperCritical Water Oxidation (374Water) https://dww.show/is-supercritical-water-oxidation-a-solution-for-pfas-energy-more/

Electrochemical removal of PFAS and more with Axine Water https://dww.show/the-best-industrial-wastewater-treatment-system-is-the-one-you-forget/

An early take on this mic' on Micropollutant removal with Oxyle https://dww.show/how-to-solve-a-global-challenge-in-an-easy-affordable-innovative-and-efficient-way/

Julie's independent Board Member, Wayne Byrne (on my mic', of course!) https://dww.show/four-successful-exits-and-counting-whats-next-disrupting-uv-disinfection/

Full blog article: https://dww.show/how-aclarity-bootstrapped-its-journey-from-b2c-to-pfas-destruction/

🎙️ Subscribe and Listen to the Don't Waste Water Podcast HERE 🎙️

Podcast Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@dwwpodcast

Main Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@AntoineWalterDWW

Smartlink: https://smartlink.ausha.co/dont-waste-water

👋 SOCIAL MEDIA 👋

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/antoinewalter1/

🙋 QUESTION: What would you like me to cover next?

⏰ TIME CODES ⏰

00:00 In This Week's Episode

02:18 Why is Aclarity a Water Tech "Cool Kid"?

04:22 Are we doomed with PFAS?

05:35 If PFAS is in 98% of people's blood, is it really dangerous?

06:43 Aclarity's elevator pitch

08:06 is Aclarity competing with Ion Exchange and Activated Carbon?

09:55 is Aclarity 10-50x better than competition?

11:40 Aclarity's founder story

14:09 The hints that nudged Julie to create Aclarity

15:30 Turning academic research into a business

16:48 Delegating your "baby" as a water tech founder

18:53 Key Learnings from the first 3 Years in Business

19:45 Aclarity's first prototype

23:33 How to pick your niche

26:27 How to partner with Big Groups

27:46 How did big water companies find Aclarity?

29:29 Working with Xylem vs Working with De Nora

31:15 Bootstrapped by design?

32:57 How to survive 6 years with $2 Million

34:45 Handling a first VC as a Water Tech Start Up

38:28 How a Seed Investor accepts next funding rounds

41:15 Does company valuation matter for a water tech founder?

44:15 What's next in the PFAS Removal landscape?

46:30 How much does it cost to remove PFAS?

47:55 Aclarity's Business Model

48:57 Does Aclarity solve all kinds of PFAS?

53:42 What will the EPA regulation on PFAS change?

58:35 Could Aclarity be acquired? By whom?

01:01:38 Rapid Fire Questions

01:05:31 7 Insights to Act On (right now!)

#WaterTech #WaterUnicorn #WaterEntrepreneurship

About (don't) Waste Water! | Water Tech to Solve the World

❓ Ever wondered how the #WaterIndustry was reacting to our World's Water Challenges? Water Scarcity? #SDG6? PFAS? Climate Change? Circular Economy? Digitization and Smart Water?

💪 Get the Water Market pulse for free. In one hour per week, while you do the dishes!

➡️ Leverage their insights, advice & experience and ensure to stay on top of best practices

🗓️ Tune in every Wednesday (don't miss out! 😅)

🌐 Find all the detailed episode notes, interviews, infographics, and more at http://dww.show

I actually firmly believe that regular listeners of the "(don't) Waste Water" podcast may, in the end, claim a "Water MBA!"

Oh, and in short, about me: I'm a water engineer turned avid student of the water business, market, finance, and tech. I'm married, a happy father of three, and I'm French (nobody's perfect 😅).

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

About (don't) Waste Water! | Water Tech to Solve the World

❓ Ever wondered how the #WaterIndustry was reacting to our World's Water Challenges? Water Scarcity? #SDG6? PFAS? Climate Change? Circular Economy? Digitization and Smart Water?

💪 Get the Water Market pulse for free. In one hour per week, while you do the dishes!

➡️ Leverage their insights, advice & experience and ensure to stay on top of best practices

🗓️ Tune in every Wednesday (don't miss out! 😅)

🌐 Find all the detailed episode notes, interviews, infographics, and more at http://dww.show

I actually firmly believe that regular listeners of the "(don't) Waste Water" podcast may, in the end, claim a "Water MBA!"

Oh, and in short, about me: I'm a water engineer turned avid student of the water business, market, finance, and tech. I'm married, a happy father of three, and I'm French (nobody's perfect 😅).

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Description

More #water insights? Connect with me on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/antoinewalter1/

#️⃣ All the Links Mentioned in this Episode #️⃣

Aclarity's website https://www.aclaritywater.com/

Julie Bliss Mullen's LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/julieblissmullen/

Julie's Email julie.mullen@aclaritywater.com

My conversation with Sivan Zamir (Xylem Innovation Labs) https://dww.show/passing-the-baton-how-to-bring-innovation-to-market-faster-more-reliably/

My conversation with Max Storto (Xylem Innovation Labs) https://dww.show/growing-10-wonder-kids-from-5-to-50-clients-with-0-equity-xylems-weirdest-move/

Tom Ferguson on my mic (aka Julie's VC) https://dww.show/the-secret-formula-for-profit-in-water-tech-venture-capital/

Another take on PFAS Removal with SuperCritical Water Oxidation (374Water) https://dww.show/is-supercritical-water-oxidation-a-solution-for-pfas-energy-more/

Electrochemical removal of PFAS and more with Axine Water https://dww.show/the-best-industrial-wastewater-treatment-system-is-the-one-you-forget/

An early take on this mic' on Micropollutant removal with Oxyle https://dww.show/how-to-solve-a-global-challenge-in-an-easy-affordable-innovative-and-efficient-way/

Julie's independent Board Member, Wayne Byrne (on my mic', of course!) https://dww.show/four-successful-exits-and-counting-whats-next-disrupting-uv-disinfection/

Full blog article: https://dww.show/how-aclarity-bootstrapped-its-journey-from-b2c-to-pfas-destruction/

🎙️ Subscribe and Listen to the Don't Waste Water Podcast HERE 🎙️

Podcast Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@dwwpodcast

Main Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@AntoineWalterDWW

Smartlink: https://smartlink.ausha.co/dont-waste-water

👋 SOCIAL MEDIA 👋

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/antoinewalter1/