Uravu Labs Raises Pre-Seed Funding Led by Speciale Invest

Uravu Labs, a water-tech startup based out of Bangalore has announced raising a pre-seed round of funding led by Speciale Invest, for building a new kind of 100% renewable water infrastructure. The company also saw participation from renowned angels and investors, Peter Yolles (EchoRiver Capital, US), Soren Schroder (US), Shigeru Sumimoto (Conselux Corporation, Japan), and Tomoki Kaneko (Kaneko Cord, Japan) in this round. The new infusion of capital will be utilized to bolster the technology, strengthen the patent portfolio, scale operations, and accelerate opportunities for deploying field pilots.

Incepted in 2019 by Pardeep Garg, Swapnil Shrivastav, Venkatesh R, and Govinda Balaji, Uravu Labs is dedicated to building a new type of atmospheric water generator that is 100% renewable.  Uravu Labs creates water from air using only renewable energy.  This technology makes use of desiccants and is highly scalable and adaptable making it pluggable into various forms of renewable energy sources like solar, waste-heat, or biomass to produce 100% renewable water.

Dr. Pardeep Garg, Co-Founder, Uravu Labs said, “Today, many sectors are in the midst of a renewable revolution.  For example, solar PV and wind help us go renewable in the electricity sector but we do not see any such option in the water sector.  Uravu is bridging this gap by bringing a novel 100% renewable water technology option to the market.”  Pardeep earned his Masters and PhD from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore and was a research fellow at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the field of new energy systems.

The water-from-air concept, while not new, conventionally uses a significant amount of electricity to harness water from air and electricity is not always generated from clean, renewable sources.  In contrast, Uravu Labs uses a unique technology framework based on desiccant materials. The advantage of shifting to desiccant-based technology is that water-from-air can be made 100% renewable. The company envisions multiple applications for its 100% renewable water based drinking water machines.  Smaller capacity machines of 20-100 liters per day can see applications in the community spaces (urban and rural), office complexes, and apartment buildings. Larger capacity machines above 10,000 liters per day are poised to revolutionize the beverage sector.  Pardeep further adds, “Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also spoken about atmospheric water harvesting devices with an emphasis to make them 100% renewable. Uravu captures that spirit and is focused to make his dream realizable. Uravu will manufacture in India and help set India on the path of becoming a technology leader by bringing first-ever scalable and affordable 100% renewable technology in the much needed water space.”

“Water sector needs our immediate attention and the active support of investors, corporates, governments, and consumers alike. When we look at the beverage segment, we see transformation towards sustainable packaging.  However, water, which is the main ingredient in beverage products, remains the same old non-renewable groundwater.  Imagine the next time you buy a beverage product, the water could be 100% renewable. Many customers have a desire for creating social and environmental impact with water as a focus area, and Uravu’s 100% renewable water solution can bring strategic and measurable outcomes to such initiatives.  We thank our investors who have placed their trust in us, and we aim to work closely with them for making our dream a reality,” said Swapnil Shrivastav, Co-Founder, Uravu Labs.

“We are stoked to partner with the founders at Uravu, who are leveraging their strength in thermal and material sciences to build desiccant-based water harvesting solutions that are 100% renewable & carbon neutral. They are on a strong path to achieve price parity in the coming years as a result of their unique tech stack. This is our 1^st of many to come decarbonization & climate tech investments and we are excited for what the future holds ahead,” said Vishesh Rajaram, Managing Partner, Speciale Invest.

"Uravu Labs is leapfrogging the way towards a decentralized water future," says Peter Yolles, an angel investor, and General Partner at Echo River Capital, an emerging watertech venture fund. "In an era of climate adaptation, the Uravu team envisions 100% renewable water for homes and businesses alike."

“It’s literally “the air water” that exists everywhere on the planet, making it possible to provide clean water ‘for everybody’, as well as creating the best drinking water for consumers globally. We are excited to invest in Uravu Labs whose technology would be a game-changer for the water industry and wish the team success in future endeavors,” said Shigeru Sumitomo, an angel investor and Senior Advisor at venture capitals under Fukuoka Financial Group and Charter member at TiE Japan.

With the recent uproar on climate change, especially after COP-26, the company sees an enthusiasm for the emergence of renewable concepts in all walks of life.  Many parts of the world are experiencing more frequent droughts and unreliable water supplies. The current water infrastructure is inadequate for this new reality and the water sector needs to undergo a renewable revolution.  Uravu is leading the way.