Aprisium battles global water crisis in real time

The company does not need a lab because it detects water contaminants on-site.

Singapore start-up Aprisium is helping companies and governments respond quickly to water and solid waste contamination at the first sign of trouble using tech that also helps industries go green whilst boosting profit.

“We address the inefficiency in environmental monitoring and we're helping industries improve their process efficiencies, reduce their waste, and achieve sustainability goals while enhancing profitability,” Raghav Narayan, founder and CEO at Aprisium, told Singapore Business Review.

The startup’s internet of things (IoT)-enabled analyzers monitor contaminants in water and solid waste across municipal, industrial, commercial, and agricultural sectors, using artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms that process data in real-time.

The machine learning models of the company, which was set up in 2021 to help address the global water crisis and worsening environmental pollution, also analyze historical data to predict future contamination risks or water quality issues.

Aprisium’s proprietary technology in electrochemistry can detect organic pollutants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), which are used in industrial and commercial products.

The startup, founded in 2021, can detect extremely complex and hazardous contaminants like per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which are nearly indestructible due to their carbon-fluorine bonds. These man-made chemicals are used in products like nonstick cookware, grease-resistant food packaging, and waterproof clothing.

“We are one of the first companies in the world to deliver an analyzer which can detect PFAS at source in 40 minutes, as against weeks, months, and so on,” Narayan said. “We just filed a patent [for this analyzer] last week in Singapore, and we are talking to multiple water treatment companies who are dealing with PFAS to deliver our analyzers.”

Instead of lab testing, which is time-consuming and costly, Aprisium operates on-site, providing first-hand insights into the situation and deploying its AI-enabled analysers to test contaminated water.

Aprisium’s technology is useful in aquaculture, where 30% of fish die before they can be harvested because of water contaminants like dissolved ammonium and nitrates, Narayan said. “We also monitor other parameters such as pH in real-time and provide real-time insights so that immediate action can be taken before the fish die."

The tech can also be used in data centers, where water cooling systems get corroded and clogged by bacteria, as well as in wastewater treatment facilities and semiconductor plants.

Narayan said the company is also working with electric vehicle battery plants to provide real-time detection of lithium in their brine. “So yes, we're working across a multitude of segments and serving a wide range of customers. Wherever water is involved, we're there.”

Whilst Aprisium mainly serves customers in Singapore, it has also gained traction in other countries like the Philippines, South Korea, Japan, Australia, and Nordic territories such as Denmark, Sweden, and Norway.

“We're choosing our go-to market, and we’re going for markets that have a huge desire for, No. 1, environmental awareness,” Narayan said. “Number 2, they want to save money, and No. 3, the openness to new ideas and new techniques, a kind of entrepreneurial spirit.”

“And last but not the least, a genuine desire for circularity. And when we look at these parameters [these countries] tick all the boxes,” he added.

In August, the startup raised $9.4m (US$7m) in a seed funding round led by Deep-Tech Venture Partners and Cocoon Capital. The funds will be used for Aprisium’s expansion to Europe, the US, and across Southeast Asia.

“We're working on multiple products. We're also doing geographic expansion and we're going to the Philippines or the Nordics, so the money is basically being used for our R&D capabilities,” Narayan said.
The company is also working on another product for real-time detection of contaminants in soil, biochar, and insulated ash, he said.

“We are breaking all the rules,” the CEO said. “We’re innovating, we're disrupting, and we're doing a lot of great things. We're gaining tremendous traction in the business. We're always looking for strategic partners, and we're not just looking for money because we are well-funded.”