Milwaukee could become the launching point for a CES 2020 award-winning water technology company’s venture into the U.S. and Canada.
Hydraloop Systems, a Water Alliance member, created buzz at the recent Consumer Electronics Showcase, commonly known as CES, for its water recycling appliance, called Hydraloop, which is designed for residences, buildings and boutique hotels. The app-controlled, automatic system hooks into a property’s water system and collects the domestic water from showers, baths and washing machines. Using a patented water treatment technology, the water is processed by an aerobic bioreactor and disinfected with UV light.
In December, Hydraloop opened an office at the Global Water Center from the Water Council in Milwaukee, which serves as its U.S. headquarters.
CES 2020, which took place in Las Vegas earlier this month, is one of the world’s largest trade shows. The annual consumer technology conference attracts more than 175,000 attendees, including the nearly 4,500 companies that set up shop on the exhibit floor. Hydraloop, which launched its product in Europe in 2017, won the Best of Innovation award in sustainability, eco-design and smart energy at CES. It was also named by Time Magazine as one of the top 25 gadgets at CES.
Hydraloop is planning to expand sales into America and Canada and is considering having some manufacturing operations in Wisconsin, said Sabine Stuiver, the company’s chief marketing officer and co-founder. The company is also looking for distribution partners with a global reach, Stuiver said. Those potential partners could come from Milwaukee, she said.
Leadership from Hydraloop met with officials from The Water Council, the Milwaukee-based nonprofit that operates the Global Water Center, last year. The Global Water Center also serves as the North American headquarters of the Alliance for Water Stewardship.
“We felt so welcomed, we decided to become a member (of the alliance),” Stuiver said. The publicity following Hydraloop’s showing at CES has been overwhelming, said Stuiver, who added the company’s presence at CES has resulted in its product being “catapulted into the world.” Since CES, the company has surpassed 1.8 million euro in pre-orders, she said. The end-user price of a Hydraloop in the U.S. starts at $4,000 excluding tax, delivery and installation. “It’s a nice problem we’re having,” Stuiver said.