Los Angeles, CA \u2013 September 8, 2008 \u2010 NanoH\u2082O, Inc., developer of next generation reverse osmosis membranes for desalination and water reuse, today announced that it has secured $15 million in funding from Oak Investment Partners and Khosla Ventures. The funding will be devoted to commercializing the company\u2019s Thin\u2010Film Nanocomposite (TFN) seawater reverse osmosis membrane product and expanding its research and development activities. In addition, Brian Hinman, Venture Partner at Oak Investment Partners, has joined NanoH\u2082O\u2019s Board of Directors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNanoH\u2082O is leveraging nanotechnology to pioneer better performing membranes for desalination and wastewater reuse that fit seamlessly into existing desalination facilities\u201d, said Jeff Green, Founder and Chief Executive Officer. \u201cThis round of funding allows us to quickly take our next generation technology to market and ultimately make desalinated water more affordable and readily available.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NanoH\u2082O\u2019s TFN technology significantly decreases the required energy or increases the productivity of the desalination process. By improving membrane permeability, maintaining requisite salt and contaminant rejection, and increasing fouling resistance, NanoH\u2082O is positioned to affect the key cost drivers for desalinating water \u2010 energy consumption, capital expenditures and chemical consumption. Having demonstrated a 100% increase in membrane permeability beyond existing seawater reverse osmosis membranes coupled with enhanced fouling resistance, NanoH\u2082O is poised to deliver a stepchange in desalination economics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOak Investment Partners recognizes the value of making desalinated water cost effective,\u201d said Brian Hinman. \u201cIn surveying water\u2010related technology developments, NanoH\u2082O is strongly positioned to make a significant and near\u2010term impact for existing desalination facilities and for making desalination an affordable source of water in many more locations around the world. We are excited to support its
commercialization efforts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
About NanoH\u2082O<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Founded in 2005 by proven entrepreneurs and backed by leading venture investors, NanoH\u2082O leverages the benefits of nanotechnology to create advanced membrane materials for desalination and water reuse. With freshwater scarcity an increasingly worldwide issue, desalination is a vital treatment method to provide freshwater for industrial users and a growing world population from fresh, brackish and seawater sources. Despite recent advances, desalination remains an expensive source of freshwater because it is energy intensive. NanoH\u2082O\u2019s next generation energy\u2010efficient and fouling resistant membranes dramatically improve the baseline economics of desalination and water reuse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
About Oak Investment Partners<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Oak Investment Partners is a multi\u2010stage venture capital firm with a total of $8.4 billion in committed capital. The primary investment focus is on high growth opportunities in clean energy, communications, information technology, internet new media, financial services information technology, healthcare services and consumer retail. Over a 29\u2010year history, Oak has achieved a strong track record as a stageindependent investor funding more than 435 companies at key points in their lifecycle. Oak has been involved in the formation of companies, funded spinouts of operating divisions and technology assets, and provided growth equity to mid\u2010 and late\u2010stage private businesses and to public companies through PIPE investments. Oak has helped innovators exploit new business opportunities and anticipate trends through long\u2010term relationships that endure the changing economic landscape. Our accomplishments can be best recognized through the success of our companies and the ability to deliver consistent performance over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
About Khosla Ventures<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Khosla Ventures offers venture assistance, strategic advice and capital to entrepreneurs. The firm helps entrepreneurs extend the potential of their ideas in both traditional venture areas like the Internet, computing, mobile, and silicon technology arenas but also supports breakthrough scientific work in clean technology areas such as bio\u2010refineries for energy and bioplastics, solar, batteries, engines, lighting, water, and other environmentally friendly technologies. Vinod Khosla was formerly a General Partner at Kleiner Perkins and founder of Sun Microsystems. Vinod has been labeled the #1 VC by Forbes and Fortune recently noted \u201cthere are venture capitalists, and there\u2019s Vinod Khosla.\u201d Vinod Khosla founded the firm in 2004 and was joined by partners David Weiden and Samir Kaul. Khosla Ventures is based in Menlo Park, California.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","company-news-categories":[],"company-news-tags":[],"class_list":["post-788","company-news","type-company-news","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nanoh2owater.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/company-news\/788","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nanoh2owater.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/company-news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nanoh2owater.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/company-news"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.nanoh2owater.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/company-news\/788\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":789,"href":"https:\/\/www.nanoh2owater.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/company-news\/788\/revisions\/789"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nanoh2owater.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=788"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"company-news-categories","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nanoh2owater.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/company-news-categories?post=788"},{"taxonomy":"company-news-tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nanoh2owater.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/company-news-tags?post=788"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}