Our Vision
IIn May 2005 we completed our successful spin-out from the internationally renowned School of Water Sciences at Cranfield University in the UK. The vision behind Water Innovate’s exciting contribution to the water and environment industry was to break new ground by providing, for the first time, an effective conduit for the transfer of new technologies out of the laboratory and into the industry, bridging the innovation gap that had existed in the sector for far too long.
 Our Role
Water Innovate is the central driver in the cycle of technology
commercialisation (see diagram). We have worked with water
utilities and the School of Water Sciences (SWS) to develop
solutions to water and wastewater treatment problems. We
have then developed and commercialised the technology to
provide
an innovative range of products to bring to the international
water and environmental industries.
Above: Water Innovate is a key driver in the
cycle of
technology commercialisation
Our focus is on commercialising the technologies developed with the School of Water Sciences and taking them to market either directly or through licensing deals. We are now investing significant resources in further development of additional technologies, as well as in evaluating opportunities to acquire additional portfolios of water related technology from various sources to bring to market.
Proven Management Team
Turning innovative technology and vision into a real business
has required financial investment, effective management
and expert technical knowledge and experience.
Water Innovate is run by a highly effective management
team that provides these requirements comprising
Professor Tom Stephenson
(Technical Director) and John Catling (Executive Chairman).
: Tom Stephenson
Water Innovate was initially created by Tom Stephenson.
He brings over twenty five years of world-leading
research and
development experience to the Company. Tom is a
graduate biochemist, has a doctorate in civil engineering
from Imperial College and is a chartered chemical
engineer.
Tom joined Cranfield in 1990 and he built the
School of Water Sciences from a turnover of
approximately £120,000
to over £2 Million; he is currently in charge of Cranfield’s
School of Industrial and Manufacturing Science.
Tom has consulted for many companies, contributed
to government
and OECD Reports
and recently led overseas science and technology
missions to Japan and the USA. He has been a
Director of British
Water and has chaired the Industry Team on the
DTI sponsored Innovation
and Growth Team for the Environmental Goods and
Services Sector. Tom's own areas of expertise
and research relevant
to Water Innovate are in landfill leachate treatment,
nitrification and denitrification, biological
processes for the treatment
of difficult wastes, and membrane bioreactors.
: John Catling
John joined Water Innovate after leading a
consortium of investors to fund technical
developments and
bring them
to the market as commercial products. John
has been involved with the water sector
since the
early 1980’s in sales
and marketing roles for GEC and Babcock. In 1993 he joined
Thames Water as Managing Director of Simon-Hartley Ltd which
he returned to £1Million profit per annum by 1998 when
he was appointed Head of Strategic Planning for Thames Water
PLC and joined the Thames Water Executive Team. In 2000 he
was promoted to Divisional Managing Director of Thames Water
Products, a £100 Million turnover
business with 900 employees and five subsidiaries
in the
UK and USA.
John successfully led the team formed after
the acquisition of Thames by RWE to dispose
of non-core
products
and services businesses totalling £90
Million in revenue and 2000 employees.
John left Thames
in 2002
after which he has become
actively engaged in with start-ups, business
development and personal business investments.
Secure Financial Backing
The consortium that provided our secure financial backing comprised
the National Endowment for Science Technology and the Arts
(NESTA, an organisation dedicated to supporting UK innovation),
Oxford Technology 4 Venture Capital Trust, Cranfield Enterprises
Limited, and a group of private investors including the Company's
management.
NESTA invested £150,000, with Oxford Technology 4VCT at £150,000
and Cranfield Enterprises investing £53,000. The remaining £193,000
was raised by the private investors.
Our investors were not only looking for leading edge technology
with clear market potential, they also wanted a proven
management team that knew the sector and had a successful
track record.
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