Irmo, SC, 07/29/2024 – WaterUS LLC has been awarded a U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant for $275,000 to conduct research and development (R&D) work on the Flow-cell Assisted Softening Technology (FAST), designed to address ubiquitous hard water issues in an eco-friendly and efficient manner.

The FAST technology utilizes stackable electrochemical flow cells to soften hard water with minimal electricity and water consumption, significantly reducing its environmental footprint compared to conventional water softening methods. This approach has the potential to benefit 85% of American households. The water softening market is expected to grow from $1.75 billion in 2022 to $2.63 billion by 2027, with a compound annual growth rate of 8.5%.

“NSF accelerates the translation of emerging technologies into transformative new products and services,” said Erwin Gianchandani, NSF Assistant Director for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships. “We take great pride in funding deep-technology startups and small businesses that will shape science and engineering results into meaningful solutions for today and tomorrow.”

WaterUS LLC boasts a strong team leading this project. Dr. Xiaochen Shen, the PI and CTO of the company, has a specialization in flow batteries and fuel cells. Xiaochen’s innovation in material investigation and system development has resulted in patented research by the Toyota Research Institute of North America and over 35 academic papers, cited 1500+ times. The team also includes experienced chemical engineer Dr. Yanbo Pan as the CEO, skillful media expert Shudan Huang (Ph.D. Candidate) as the commercialization manager; and renowned professor Dr. Zhenmeng Peng as Advisor. With sold foundation and strong interest in technique innovation, WaterUS LLC is confident in realizing its vision of promoting a healthier environment and improve the lives of our customers, and be the global leader in innovative, eco-friendly water softening technologies.

All proposals submitted to the NSF SBIR/STTR program, also known as America’s Seed Fund powered by NSF, undergo a rigorous merit-based review process. Once a small business is awarded a Phase I grant, it becomes eligible to apply for Phase II funding and additional supplements totaling up to $2 million. To get started, startups or entrepreneurs submit a written Project Pitch to see if their technology idea could be a good fit for the program. To learn more about America’s Seed Fund powered by NSF, visit: https://seedfund.nsf.gov/

NSF has several programs that help accelerate the translation of research results to practice and provide pathways for researchers, startups and aspiring entrepreneurs to move their ideas from the laboratory to the market and society. To learn more about how NSF helps unlock future technologies for national and societal impact, visit: https://beta.nsf.gov/tip/latest.

About the U.S. National Science Foundation's Small Business Programs: America’s Seed Fund powered by NSF awards more than $200 million annually to startups and small businesses, transforming scientific discovery into products and services with commercial and societal impact. Startups working across almost all areas of science and technology can receive up to $2 million to support research and development, helping de-risk technology for commercial success. America’s Seed Fund is congressionally mandated through the Small Business Innovation Research program. The NSF is an independent federal agency with a budget of about $9.5 billion that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering.