2026 1.7

MONDAY October 26
TUESDAY October 27
WEDNESDAY October 28

1.7 From Blue Energy to Resource Recovery: the entrepreneurial journey of bipolar membranes

What started as research into generating electricity from salinity gradients has evolved into a platform technology with multiple applications and companies. Bipolar membrane technology is now being applied to recover valuable resources such as ammonia, lithium and carbon from water streams and has led to new ventures such as Redstack, SeaO2 and Ioniqs, each addressing different markets.

In this session we bring together these companies to share the story behind the technology and its evolution. An experienced entrepreneur and investor in water technology will introduce the broader perspective on building deep-tech companies and guide the discussion.

Together we will explore:

  • how the original concept of blue energy developed into multiple applications
  • the entrepreneurial journey from research to startup and scale-up
  • the different markets that have emerged (resource recovery, carbon removal, electrochemical water treatment)
  • the challenges of bringing deep-tech innovations from lab to market

Through short pitches and a moderated discussion, the session will highlight how breakthrough research can evolve into multiple companies and markets, and what it takes to turn water technology innovations into successful ventures.