How Does Water-as-a-Service Drive Billion-Dollar Exits in Infrastructure Investment?

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⬇️ IN THIS VIDEO ⬇️

Seven Seas Water Group is a vertically integrated water infrastructure platform that designs, builds, finances, operates, and maintains water and wastewater treatment facilities under long-term service agreements. The company recently completed a successful exit from Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners to EQT Infrastructure, operating over 210 water-as-a-service contracts across the Caribbean and United States with particular expertise in brackish water desalination and decentralized treatment systems.

Henry Charrabe is the CEO of Seven Seas Water Group who led the company through a successful four-year transformation and exit, previously serving in executive roles at Fluence Corporation, and is recognized for pioneering the application of water-as-a-service business models in US municipal and industrial markets.

🌶️ KEY SPICES 🌶️

💰 Vertically integrated platform - Seven Seas handles design, engineering, financing, construction, and operations in-house, eliminating margin stacking for lower costs and faster execution than multi-partner competitors

⚡ Proven track record at scale - 210+ active water purchase agreements with 15-30 year terms demonstrate repeatable success new entrants cannot easily replicate

🔄 Patient capital meets expertise - The exit proves infrastructure investors holding 4+ years combined with deep water knowledge generate exceptional returns in underinvested US infrastructure

📊 Public vs private dynamics - Public water equities offer lower risk and liquidity; private funds deliver superior returns for patient capital—both forming a necessary growth ecosystem

🥜 IN A NUTSHELL 🥜

Why is water-as-a-service winning? Performance-based contracts align incentives—investors only get paid when delivering contracted water quality and quantity.

What makes the US market attractive? Massive infrastructure underinvestment, creditworthy municipal off-takers, and decentralized systems create exceptional deployment opportunities.

How do private and public returns differ? Private water investments achieve 10x returns with patient capital, while public equities deliver 14-15% annually with lower risk and immediate liquidity.

Why fewer IPOs today? Cyclical markets favor private-to-private exits when strategic buyers offer better valuations than public market multiples.

What's the biggest opportunity? Reducing waste beats new supply—California loses 32% to inefficiencies, making conservation more economically attractive than desalination.

#️⃣ Mentioned Links #️⃣

Seven Seas' website

Loughlin Water Partners

Orange Ridge Capital

Robin Castelli's book

⏰ TIME CODES ⏰

00:00 Live from NYC's Climate Week

04:00 Henry Charrabé (Seven Seas Water)

25:49 John Rosenberg (Loughlin Water Partners)

40:08 Robin Castelli (Orange Ridge Capital)

50:01 Closing

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🤔 What Happened to Source Global's Water-from-Air Technology?

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SOURCE (formerly Zero Mass Water) produced drinking water from air using solar-powered Hydropanels.

Founded in 2015 by Cody Friesen, it raised $270 million, becoming one of water tech's most-funded companies.

🥜 IN A NUTSHELL 🥜

What was Source Global's core technology? Solar-powered Hydropanels that extract drinking water from atmospheric humidity, requiring no electrical or water infrastructure.

Why did the company fail despite massive funding? Ran out of cash after failing to raise funds, faced major quality issues from Malaysian manufacturing, and had unsustainable costs versus traditional water delivery.

What were the main product problems? High failure rates within 2-3 years, frequent fan and battery breakages, and warranty quietly reduced from 10 to 5 years.

Did Source attempt a business pivot? Acquired Proud Source Water and launched Sky Water, building Hydropanel farms to produce canned atmospheric water at scale.

What remains of Source Global today? The founder and executives left in early 2025. Hydropanels and Sky Water are out of stock, but the acquired Proud Source Water business continues operating.

#️⃣ Mentioned Links #️⃣

SOURCE's SEC filings (over the years):

Source on Glassdoor

Source's troubles in Allensworth

My own interview with Source, four years ago

Source's website (still active)

Cody Friesen's LinkedIn profile

Proud Source Water's website

The Marianna Hydropanel Farm on Google Maps

Thunderf00t's original video

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How Do 32+ Electrochemical Water Oxidation Technologies Compete for PFAS Destruction Market Share? Listen to this!

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How Do 32+ Electrochemical Water Oxidation Technologies Compete for PFAS Destruction Market Share?

Electrochemical Water Oxidation is an emerging treatment technology that uses electrical current to break down persistent contaminants like PFAS in industrial wastewater. With 32 identified companies developing proprietary systems—17 specifically targeting PFAS destruction—this crowded market represents both intense competition and strong validation of a rapidly growing industrial need.

Antoine Walter is a water technology analyst and podcast host who has interviewed nine electrochemical oxidation companies, conducted comprehensive market research across 32 players in the space, and provides strategic insights for entrepreneurs, investors, and water industry executives navigating this competitive landscape.

🌶️ KEY SPICES 🌶️

⚡ Power Density Range: Technologies span three orders of magnitude (100-10,000+ A/m²), with higher densities potentially enabling more compact treatment systems

💎 Electrode Materials: Boron-Doped Diamond (33%) and Titanium suboxide (28%) lead among PFAS-focused companies, with Mixed Metal Oxide dominant overall

🎯 Market Maturity: 53% of PFAS-targeting companies operate at TRL 8 with only two at full commercial deployment (TRL 9)

🧪 Defluorination Proof: Four companies have achieved third-party verified >90% defluorination, with half reporting complete PFAS destruction capabilities

🏭 Minimal Chemistry: 58% operate with minimal chemical addition, and 83% self-clean through electrical reversal or direct capacity

🥜 IN A NUTSHELL 🥜

What's the actual market size? Only an estimated 250 of 10 million global industrial facilities have addressed PFAS in wastewater, with perhaps 24 choosing electrochemical oxidation—creating fierce competition for limited installations.

How do electrode materials differ? Boron-Doped Diamond offers superior performance but higher costs, while Mixed Metal Oxide and Titanium suboxide provide alternatives, with some companies opting for sacrificial anodes to reduce expenses.

What determines system performance? Power density, pH tolerance (46% work at neutral pH), electrode lifetime, and reactor design collectively influence treatment efficiency and operational costs more than any single factor.

Are these technologies deployment-ready? Most companies (TRL 7-9) have moved beyond lab-scale, though only Axine and AECOM have reached full commercial deployment with multiple installations.

What's the investment opportunity? The collective $120M raised across startups represents capital-efficient validation, with regulatory pressure intensifying and the addressable market potentially growing 10x within three years.

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