Leiden-based Fluss, a Dutch company developing compact and affordable wastewater purification systems for recreational boats, has secured pre-seed funding from Graduate Entrepreneur. The amount, however, remains undisclosed.
Graduate Entrepreneur provides early-stage startup capital, a network of accomplished entrepreneurs, and mentorship to build companies driving positive societal change. The firm aims to foster a collaborative community where entrepreneurs learn and grow together.
Developing a compact, affordable wastewater treatment system
European waterways are facing significant environmental challenges due to untreated wastewater from recreational boating. Fluss addresses this issue with the FlussGuard, a compact and affordable wastewater purification system designed especially for recreational boats.
The problem was initially experienced by co-founder Gert Nutzel, who lives on a boat and noticed the lack of viable solutions for environmentally friendly wastewater disposal.
Nutzel raised this issue with TU Delft, where co-founder Lucas Veel developed the FlussGuard technology for his graduation project.
Graduate Entrepreneur mentions in a statement that untreated wastewater from boats harms water quality, leading to the closure of swimming locations, poses health risks to the public, and damages aquatic life. Only 17 per cent of Dutch inland waters currently meet European quality standards, underscoring the need for change.
Fluss’s solution, the FlussGuard, ‘disinfects’ toilet water to safely discharge wastewater overboard without harmful chemical byproducts. It’s energy-efficient, fully automatic, and requires no manual intervention from boat owners. This purification method ensures compliance with new regulations effectively.
Brief about FlussGuard
The FlussGuard is a compact wastewater purification system designed for boats, offering automatic operation without the need for land-based pumping stations.
It ensures compliance with regulations, allowing legal discharge into surface water while minimising environmental impact. FlussGuard integrates into existing boat setups, providing a cost-effective solution to improve water quality and enhance boating sustainability.
FlussGuard targets a market of over 160,000 boats (with a toilet) in the Netherlands alone, helping owners comply with EU regulations and reduce environmental impact.
The founders Nutzel and Veel’s backgrounds in environmental engineering, business development, and scientific research provide the expertise needed to bring their solution to market.
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