Whilst desalination is a fast growing part of the global water mix, it is also very polluting and will account for 5% of global carbon emissions by 2040, and that is before you think about it being bottled up and moved around in trucks.

The team at Desolenator have developed a technology that uses only solar energy to desalinate water at the source and is able to do so at remarkably low cost. “We were inspired from the outset to take on this huge global issue of providing water in a sustainable and affordable way” says William Janssen, CEO of Desolenator whose eureka moment gave birth to the product line “it is all about the efficient capture harvest of thermal energy, and in essence our technology mirrors the water cycle in the way that we purify water”.

Desolenator was a finalist at the Postcode Lotteries Green Challenge in 2019 and was represented by Louise Bleach, who spoke passionately about the need to solve the climate and water crises through the combination of technology and ensuring effective embedding into the community.

“Postcode Lotteries Green Challenge was a fantastic process that really began during the event. The mentorship offered since and the support from Rockstart has been really helpful” says Louise. “If you are an early stage company and have a plan to tackle the critical nexus of water – energy – food or to innovate around education or female empowerment, the Postcode Lotteries Green Challenge is really worth applying for.”

Since the Postcode Lotteries Green Challenge final, Desolenator has come a long way and is currently going live with a large scale deployment in Dubai as well as closing out a Series A round. “It is an exciting time for our work and whilst the world is starting to come around to the climate and water crisis, there is still far too little support out there for early stage technology companies. Entrepreneurs in this space really appreciate the support and energy of the Postcode Lotteries Green Challenge team to help us in achieving our goals” says Alexei Levene Co-founder.

Every year, the Postcode Lotteries Green Challenge final is held in Amsterdam in September and brings together the five finalists chosen from the competition’s regions, Britain, the Netherlands, Germany, Norway and Sweden, where they compete for the top prize of €500,000. The runner-up receives €200,000 and the three other finalists receive €100,000 each. All finalists also have the chance toparticipate in a bespoke six-month accelerator programme to identify the biggest challenges they face and provide mentorship and valuable connections to tackle them.

This year, the competition’s British jury is hoping other Britain-based green start-ups will apply to showcase their innovative and exciting plans that contribute to a sustainable planet and are close to a market release. Prospective applicants now have until noon 1st April 2020 to submit a short business plan online that outlines the description of the environmental problem(s) their business is tackling, their solution to the problem, the business’ USP and financial projections alongside a short video pitch. Jury members will assess the pitch and proposal, team competencies, market strategy and business model, financial status and the impact of prize money.

Postcode Lotteries Green Challenge is now open for entries and entrepreneurs can now apply here.You can read more about Desolenator here or find them @desolenator.