While many of us were relaxing around our yule fires or looking to escape the family chaos, Membrion was in the final lap of its own version of a Formula 1 race that was 2023. The year began at top speed, never stopped, and it was a sure win. Membrion completed our Series B funding round, expanded our board, and announced a strategic collaboration with W. L. Gore & Associates.
With so many milestones, people are looking to talk with our founder and CEO, Greg Newbloom, to learn more about Membrion’s novel way of recycling water. For those looking to fulfill some new year resolutions, pop in some headphones and listen to one of the podcast interviews of Greg. In the Don’t Waste Water Podcast, Greg said, “Give us your trickiest streams, usually something they are trucking offsite, thermally desalinating, using a resin, and usually a single resin process. Customers usually say, ‘This process is costing millions of dollars a year in OPEX.’ Membrion targets efficiency in these areas. The payback is usually less than 24 months, sometimes 18 months … If it does not work, you can still do what you are doing today.”
Here are some compelling stats from Membrion’s year:
- 96% – Highest % of water recovered while treating metal-laden wastewater
- 9 – Most contaminants found in a single water source
- 4 – Number of wastewater colors we encountered (orange, green, blue & white!)
- 2 – New pilot units added to the fleet (4 total!)
- 3 – Year-over-year revenue growth multiple
- 23,000 – Feet of membrane produced, enough to reach the top of Mount Denali!
- 9 – Additional people joined #TeamMembrion
- 48 – Pounds of coffee beans to keep this place running!
This past year also brought enormous talent into Membrion. Nic Pannekeet and Himanshu Sekhar joined the Board of Directors, and a visionary new leader, Wayne Byrne, was named chairman. All three individuals share strong technological acumen and successful track records in growing businesses on a global scale.
Membrion took our customer relationships to the next level in 2023 with increased complimentary bench testing and new sales leadership. On the industry relationships side, Membrion added Judith Hershell Cole, a respected water expert and ceramic technology specialist to provide the most positive experience to customers. Judith joined Greg at several conferences. The Membrion team, which grew by about 20% in 2023, had a strong presence at Aquatech, Ultrapure Micro, WEFTEC, and more.
The final lap of the year was a real winner! Membrion added Thomas Mitchell, PhD. as our new chief operating officer. He brings numerous experiences growing companies to successful and a strong academic background, earning a master’s and a doctorate in Materials Science and Engineering from Stanford University, as well as an M.B.A. in sustainability from the University of Colorado.
Our founder and CEO has firmly established himself as a thought leader and multiple industry publications interviewed him or asked him to write articles. In Environmental Science & Engineering, Greg wrote, “Sweet Relief: Expanding Capacity and Achieving Compliance for Industries with Harsh Metal Wastewater.” In this article, they dig into how new technology is making it possible to expand production capacity while meeting ever-more stringent effluent guidelines for industries that have harsh metal wastewater streams.
Among his many publications and features this year, these stand out: Smart Water Magazine featured an editorial by Greg on wastewater trucking. Silicon Semiconductor Magazine featured Membrion, as did Water Online, in “The Case for Reconsidering Legacy Approaches to Wastewater.”
The team also presented an interesting look at one of the most difficult challenges faced by industrial facilities: brine management. After numerous projects, Membrion concluded that although ESG is a common motivator, it is ROI that drives across the finish line. Membrion delivers a 1 to 3-year payback on most brine recovery projects. Greg said, “When we look at the costs of brine management, the greatest value comes from recycling brines using Membrion’s CeramIX® ceramic desalination membrane. The cost of water for micro-E facilities is $0.01/gal. The value of water for micro-E facilities is $1.00/gal, but the cost of recycling brines is often less than $0.05/gal.”
It is no secret that there is an insatiable demand for more and bigger semiconductor facilities, and in 2023, Membrion was there to help. Membrion’s solution is customizable and allowed numerous existing industrial facilities to expand capacity and recover nearly 100% of their wastewater. In new facilities, Membrion works with integrators to create the most efficient and sustainable solution from the beginning.
Thank you for being a part of a fantastic year! Our team will drive countless laps around a raceway or climb Mount Denali to serve you well. We wish you a happy new year and smooth driving on the road to sustainability.
