Startup Series: Gradiant

My Climate Journey

Prakash Govindan is COO and Co-founder at Gradiant.

Gradiant is a Series D stage company that develops technology for industrial wastewater treatment. They work with Fortune 500 clients across a range of industries, including semiconductor fabrication, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, mining, and more, to help them reuse water in their operations.

Prakash discusses his background, experiences with water scarcity during his childhood in India, how he met his co-founder during his doctoral work at MIT, how the company started, and the problem of industrial wastewater today. Cody and Prakash talk about some of the different industries and use cases that Gradiant serves, a bit about how their technology works, and how their business model is structured.

As Prakash says in the conversation, water is one of the primary interfaces through which the world will experience climate change, whether through drought or flood. The more we can do to manage our water supply, the better off we will be.

In this episode, we cover:

• [02:35]: Prakash's early experiences with water scarcity in India
• [04:09]: Gradiant becoming the water industry's only unicorn
• [10:21]: How climate change primarily impacts society through water
• [11:52]: Gradiant's role in closing the loop on industrial wastewater
• [18:25]: The challenges of industrial vs. municipal wastewater treatment
• [22:22]: Gradiant's bespoke water treatment solutions for the pharmaceutical industry
• [26:17]: The company’s involvement in direct lithium extraction and production processes
• [30:52]: The importance of seawater desalination and minimizing brine discharge
• [38:03]: How Gradiant collaborates with semiconductor clients under the CHIPS Act
• [41:50]: Gradiant's approach to extracting valuable byproducts from waste
• [45:06]: Early funding for Gradiant from high net-worth individuals and family offices
• [46:01]: Gradiant's revenue and backlog growth, anticipating future financial milestones
• [48:38]: The story behind the company name, Gradiant with an “A” instead of an “E”

Episode recorded on Jan 5, 2024 (Published on Feb 8, 2024)

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