Chicago accelerator backs startups tackling lead contamination and water challenges
Chicago accelerator backs startups tackling lead contamination and water challenges
A new cohort of water technology startups is being launched in Chicago, with several focused on improving water quality and reducing contamination in industrial and public systems.
CHICAGO - A new Chicago-based accelerator is backing seven startups developing water technologies aimed at improving industrial efficiency and addressing contamination challenges, including lead exposure in aging infrastructure.
The backstory:
Current, the Chicago water innovation hub, and MHUB announced the Sustainable Water Tech Accelerator cohort on Tuesday, selecting companies from a pool of more than 300 applicants. The program focuses on solutions for water treatment, resource recovery and system efficiency.
Among the selected startups is a Chicago-based team developing automated flushing technology designed to reduce lead levels in drinking fountains, an issue that continues to impact Chicago Public Schools and older buildings built before lead pipes were banned in 1986.
Amplify Dynamics, Grapherry and Noah System are the three Chicago-based companies selected.
Chicago has one of the largest inventories of lead service lines in the country, and officials say full replacement could take decades. In the meantime, advocates and engineers are testing lower-cost interventions to reduce exposure risks, particularly for children, who are most vulnerable to the effects of lead.
The accelerator could have a direct impact on Chicago, and its public schools, where the city has more lead service lines than anywhere else in the country and replacing them could take decades.
One of the Chicago-based startups selected, Noah System, was created by a CPS engineer and uses automated flushing technology to reduce lead levels in drinking water without costly pipe replacement.
Program organizers say each company will receive funding, technical support and access to pilot opportunities as part of the six-month accelerator, which concludes with a Demo Day in April.